At present this parcel is an old apple orchard with 2 single family residences at the south end, trees between them and the orchard, and trees at the north end. The existing residences will be demolished. The post card sent to nearby residents states: “The proposed project is for 16 unit multi-family units. Each ranch style unit has, two bedrooms, its own entry and a single car garage.” Here is the revised proposed site plan.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Development Plan Approval Process



I do not live in the neighborhood near the Glendale project. I have, however, been through a couple of planning cycles for terrible site proposals. I'd like to comment briefly on how a development progresses through the planning process.

The planning process starts with the citizens participation meeting.  After that, the developer and planning staff hold a pre-submission meeting.  As I understand, the pre-submission meeting is held to give the developer some insight into what might be missing from the site plan and what must be done to comply with the zoning regulations.

The developer can submit the site plan after that meeting.  There is a deadline each month for submitting a plan in time to be included in the next Planning Commission meeting, but the site plan can be submitted at any time after the pre-submission meeting.  After the site plan is submitted, a planning staff member is assigned to the project.  Next, city staff holds an Advisory Development Committee Meeting.  That meeting will be open to the public.  Planning staff will write a report and the site plan will be submitted to the Planning Commission.  The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the site plan.  Notice of the planning commission's public hearing will be sent at least to everyone who signs in at the citizens participation meeting.

The citizens participation meeting is intended to allow neighbors to learn about a plan early enough in the process to allow them to try to influence the project.  It is a good idea to come to that meeting with an open mind, but a healthy sense of skepticism, too.  Be particularly concerned about the impact the project will have on traffic, storm systems and waste systems.  It may turn out that this project is a great addition to the neighborhood.  This meeting is your chance to learn about the plan and if necessary begin to gather information upon which to base opposition, if needed.

Just for background, you may find the experiences of my neighborhood informative.  We have seen four different bad plans for a site on South Maple Road.  None have been built.  To read about it, see: www.southmaple.org
Best wishes, Jack Eaton
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