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Planning and Zoning Meeting <br />June 3, 2003 <br />Page 10 <br />Carolyn Jordan, own property at 133 W. Sherman, stated that she tried <br />to get a house trailer moved onto the property but was denied. Ms. <br />Jordan asked if her land would be lost if they do not have the money to <br />redo their land that they paid on for years. Ms. Jordan stated that <br />there was 1 neighbor who opposed moving a trailer on the property. <br />Ms. Jordan stated she was definitely opposed to the proposed historic <br />district. <br />Sybil Colson, 819 Lamar Avenue, owns the property at 4th and Bonham <br />with Mr. Wells, objects the proposed historic district. The main reason <br />is that it is a burdensome procedure which is being imposed on the <br />landowners without any recompense, any tax credits, incentives, or <br />whatever else. As owners of the older buildings downtown, enough <br />hardships are faced — struggle to get insurance, deal with rising property <br />taxes and declining city services. To do anything to a building, <br />including painting a different color, a 3 to 4 level form of bureaucracy <br />will have to decide. The routine maintenance does not include changing <br />landscape —to change landscape or paint a window or door a different <br />color, the whole process will have to be considered. Ms. Colson stated <br />that as a result of this process, the absentee landlords, landowners are <br />not going to do anything and the people there are not going to be able <br />to afford to do anything, therefore, there will be a lot more vacant <br />buildings and no improvements and very little maintenance will be <br />done. Ms. Colson checked with CPA regarding tax credit and was <br />advised that the only tax credits are more trouble than they are worth. <br />The CPA stated that is the Federal Government and so you know what <br />that is like. Ms. Colson thinks it will be a nightmare for the city to <br />enforce regulations in the historic district. Ms. Colson that most <br />landowners in the area are opposed to the historic district. Ms. Colson <br />asked everyone present who opposed the zoning to please stand up. <br />Bill Bone who owns 4 or 5 downtown properties asked who is going to <br />pay for restoring the buildings to the original state. Mr. Bone said a <br />