Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Referendum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents make last public comments ahead of Aug. 4 zoning vote; sides disagree over process and impacts
Summary
Public commenters urged voters to read the ordinance and decide on Aug. 4. A property representative warned the ordinance could increase sprawl and hurt reinvestment, while Scott Vince Alcon, who supported the ordinance, described the planning process and urged a "yes" vote.
Multiple residents used the public comment period to address the upcoming August 4 zoning vote. A speaker who identified himself as Mark said he represents property owners along 28th Street and argued the proposed ordinance would increase urban sprawl and make reinvestment in existing commercial corridors financially unworkable.
"My position has never been about unchecked development...It always been about thoughtful planning that respects both property rights and the character of our community," the speaker said, urging voters to "read the ordinance for yourself and vote on August 4."
Scott Vince Alcon, who identified himself during public comment, urged residents to support the ordinance and framed it as the product of a multi-year, publicly noticed planning process that included resident surveys, committee meetings, and a professional planning firm. Alcon told the board a subcommittee had met 18 times and that tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars and hundreds of hours went into drafting the update.
"A subcommittee was formed by a unanimous vote of this board...They held 18 meetings...The process was public and posted and communicated through township channels," Alcon said, urging voters that after Aug. 4 the board will need to move forward responsibly regardless of the outcome.
The board received and acknowledged the comments; several trustees then provided their own remarks during the board-comment portion of the meeting.
