1) Maintain the current 45 feet "by rights" zoning allowance. Essentially, anyone anywhere can build up to 45 feet high (the traditional 3-story height) without having to receive any special approvals; and
2) Limit building heights in our historic Downtown to 60 feet, max (height of the GreenTree Building). We ask that developers wishing to go higher than 45 feet and up to 60 feet seek Council approval to ensure that the construction plan meets necessary conditions (e.g., parking capacity, etc.).
As part of this petition, a map is included that has clearly defined what we mean by "historic Downtown" so there is no confusion.
You may ask why we need this, given that we just had several height meetings in our neighborhoods. While we fully support the intent of these meetings and are extremely supportive of Council's desire to gauge public opinion, we do not believe these meetings provided Council with a clear and simple understanding of what residents want. The surveys were somewhat complex and covered issues other than height, and as a result, the responses may be open to differing interpretations. In addition, a very recent effort to allow building heights of up to 75 feet is currently in the works for the former Yearsley's Hardware property, yet the overall height questions remain unanswered and there is not yet a strategic height plan in place.
It is our goal to protect our town without stifling it. We want to protect the things that make us desirable (i.e., our history, our character, our beauty) while allowing responsible and meaningful development that will enhance our community and contribute to its long-term prosperity.
We are aiming to have as many signatures as we can by the next PZBID meeting and, as such, will need
them by the first week of January.
OTHER POSITION:
