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IverymuchappreciatethedecisionledbySteveKingandMichelleLaksoatthelastCitycouncilmeeting <br />totablethevoteuntilfurtherinputwasreceivedfromthecitizens.Ihopeyouaretrulytakingthistime <br />toreachouttoyourneighborsandtogetinput.Severalof <br />thecouncilmembersreiteratedthattheir <br />jobistobethevoiceofthecitizenswhoelectedyouandIhopeyoustaytruetothat. <br />Frommyunderstanding,theprimaryreasonforchangingthezoningfromcommercialtohighdensity <br />residentialistohelpboostCenterville'spopulationover5,000 <br />residents.IbelieveCentervillewould <br />qualifyforadditionalfundingfromtheFederaland/orStategovernmentuptoasmuchas$250,000per <br />year.Givenhowsmallourcityisandhowhighourtaxesare,Icanunderstandthepushtogetthat <br />funding.However,Ithinkitisimportanttolookbeyondmoneywhenmakingadecisionthatwillhave <br />suchalongandlastingeffectonourcity. <br />OneofthethingsIloveaboutCentervilleisthatithasa"smalltown"feel.Notonlyarewe <br />geographicallysmall,butpeopletendtoknowandcareabouteachother.PeopleinCentervillealso <br />haveprideinandareinvestedintheirhomes,neighborhoods,schoolsandcommunity.Idon'tbelieve <br />anapartmentbuilding,especiallyifitispoorlymanaged,fitsininourcommunity.Ilookedupavariety <br />ofdatacomparinghomeownersversusrenters.WhileIcouldn'tfindmuchdataforCentervilleand <br />surroundingareasspecifically,Ididfindthatonaverage,homeownersliveintheirhomefor13.3 <br />years.Renters,ontheotherhand,tendtorentforanaverageof27months.Theysimplydon'thave <br />thesamelevelofcommitmenttothecityandthearea.IfwewanttoaddresidentstoCenterville <br />shouldn'twebelookingtoaddpeoplewhoareinterestedinbeingpartofacommunityandputting <br />downrootsandnotsimplylookingforaplacetoliveforacoupleyears? <br />Ialsoworryalotaboutthecareandupkeepofanapartmentbuilding.Homeownershaveavested <br />interestinmaintainingandcaringfortheirhomes.Ashomeowners,wearelookingtogetoutthe <br />moneyweputintoitwhenwedecidetomoveandsell.Inaddition,thereisacertainamountofpridein <br />ourhome'sappearancesandmaybeevenalittlepeerpressurefromourneighborstodosotoensure <br />everyone'spropertyvaluesstayhigh. <br />Apartmentownershaveaverydifferentinterestintheirproperty.Apartmentownersdon'tmaketheir <br />moneybyholdingandsellingtheirproperty.Theymakemoneyeachmonthbysimplyallowingpeople <br />toliveintheirproperty.Thereislittlevaluetothemworkingdiligentlytokeepanapartmentbuildingin <br />excellentconditionasthereislimiteddifferenceintheamountofrentchargedfor"luxury"apartments <br />versusyourtypicalrunofthemillapartment.While"luxury"apartmentsareniceforseveralyears,they <br />arequicklyworndownandthereislittlemotivationonthepartofthedevelopersandownerstokeepit <br />up.MayorLovecommentedongoingtoothercitiesandfindingapartmentsinmanyofthem.While <br />thatistrue,Iencourageyoualltolookaroundatcitiesintheareatoseewhatapartmentslooklikethat <br />havebeenaround20,30,50years.Anapartmentbuiltonthatlandwillbearoundlongafterweareall <br />gone.Theaveragelifeofanapartmentbuildingwas7075yearswitharangeof50100.Whilewecan't <br />plannowforwhatwillhappenin100years,itisimportanttorealizethatthiswillhavealastingimpact. <br />Addingtomyconcernabouttheupkeepoftheapartmentisthefactthatthemanagementcompanyfor <br />thisdevelopmenthasextremelypoorreviews.Iknowthishasbeentouchedonbymanyotherswho <br />havereachedouttoyousoIdon'tfeeltheneedtogointogreatdetailaboutitasIknowyouhavebeen <br />sentmanyexamplesofissueswiththem.Ialsofounditveryconcerningthatthedevelopersmadeno <br />effortwhatsoevertoreassureanyonethattheyunderstoodtheconcerns,thattheyhavelookedinto <br />those,thattheywilldoanythingaboutit,etc.Ifoundthatlaissezfaireattitudeveryproblematicasthis <br />isareasonableconcernthatshouldhavebeenaddressed. <br />IfeelasthoughwhatIkepthearingtheothernightwasthattherearenotreallybetteroptions.WhileI <br />understandthat,Idofeelthatdoingnothingisbetterthandoingthewrongthing.Again,adecisionlike <br />2 <br /> <br />