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Linden City pulls two development ordinances from tonight’s vote, introduces revised ordinances for first reading
Summary
City officials removed two ordinances from tonight’s agenda after resident objections and announced revised versions (Ordinances 69-28 and 69-29) will be read for the first time; public comment will be accepted at the second reading scheduled for May 20.
City Attorney Dan Antonelli told a packed Linden City Council chamber that two ordinances originally scheduled for votes this evening have been removed from consideration and replaced with revised versions to be read for the first time.
Anticipating residents’ concerns, Antonelli said, “We heard you loud and clear,” and described amendments meant to address objections about house size and impacts on families. He identified the revised measures as Ordinance 69-28 and Ordinance 69-29 and said the city will treat tonight’s presentation as a first reading only. Antonelli said public comment on those ordinances will be allowed at the second reading, which the council scheduled for the May 20 meeting.
The city attorney told attendees the ordinances — including the specific revisions — would be posted online and available from the city clerk’s office “tomorrow or Thursday.” Antonelli said that a meeting of council members and stakeholders had been held to craft the revisions after the council’s prior reading and after city staff and officials received numerous emails from residents objecting to aspects of the earlier draft.
A community speaker who addressed the chamber during the crowd-controlled period said organizers remain engaged and urged residents to review the revisions once posted. The city clerk will publish the revised ordinance texts before the May 20 session so residents can prepare comments for the second reading.
Procedurally, Antonelli explained that under the council’s rules a measure must go through both a first reading and a second reading; the public comment period applies to the second reading. The council did not permit public comment on tonight’s first-reading presentation.
The session included repeated reminders from the fire official about posted occupancy limits in the chamber, and that guidance was cited in the decision to remove the ordinances from tonight’s vote and to limit tonight’s public participation to seated attendees.
