CC_Minutes_2015_0105 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday,January 5, 2015 Page 2 manly for Councilmembers, but now appearing to have morphed into a Strategic Planning session, again without representation of residents, with decisions made and actions taken before receiving public comment. Ms. McCormack opined that, at that point, it may be too late to have any impact beyond a City Council perspective, and further opined that the public should have been asked for their input and perspective prior to planning the retreat. Ms. McCormack referenced previous discussions held in August and September of 2014, when the City Council had indicated a three-legged stool approach to planning for the Twin Lakes area. Ms. McCormack noted that, since that time, some individu- al Councilmembers had questioned how that broader planning and participation could be accomplished since the City didn't own the land. However, Ms. McCormack ad- vised that, in good faith and in the spirit of collaboration, the residents in their Asso- ciation had continued to meet with Community Development Director Paul Bilotta on various areas of concern. Ms. McCormack expressed her pride in the neighbors in their Association and their commitment to continue that involvement, and asked that their commitment be recognized by the City and remain actively pursued. Given the neighborhood's ongoing desire to remain part of the process, Ms. McCor- mack advised that they had come to a consensus and were presenting that consensus via two formal petitions for those properties abutting North Terrace Drive, as well as expanded another 500' beyond that. Ms. McCormack noted that there were seventeen parcels adjoining or abutting the area proposed to be rezoned, and the petitions in- volving signatures of 100% of those adjoining properties, and 85% of those parcels within the extended 500' notice area. Ms. McCormack advised that one petition addressed rezoning to Medium Density Mixed Use versus the current High Density Residential which no one wanted, or the proposed Community Mixes Use that was also not desirable. Ms. McCormack noted that the proposed zoning would include height restrictions, allow for smaller devel- opment and thus greater protection for lakes and natural resources, as well as provid- ing a transitional use between residential and commercial properties, given that this is a gateway into an area of 500 homes. . Ms. McCormack opined that it was time to put the past in the past, and move forward as a community and this immediate residential area in cooperation with the City Council. Cathleen Erickson, Centennial Drive Ms. Erickson concurred with the statements made by Ms. McCormack for the group, but further noted that even though individual property owners, they were all members of their neighborhood's Twin Lakes Steering Committee, with Lisa being their spokesperson, thanking her for her expertise and leadership. Ms. Erickson thanked the City Council for receiving their petition and hearing their concerns.