05 P&Z Commission Report & Minutes

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Planning and Zoning Commission February 4, 2008 Page 5 of development, but we must go beyond the proposal and look at the affect on the community. Look at the trafFic and infrastructure issues. If this goes in, BETCO should be required to fence the entire property. He said he likes the idea of single-story, inner-city development, but make sure the City is prepared to protect the property owners who are already there. He said the box culvert is not sized to handle the additional water generated. He stated that BETCO could potentially get the zoning approved, look into all the issues they will need to address, decide the project is too expensive, then not build the project. This would leave multi-family zoning in place for anything else that qualified. If there is an increase in crime and traffic, there could be a negative impact on property values. Property owners take better care of property than tenants. Ann Hardin, 1185 22nd Street N.E., stated that she recently put a lot of money into her house and she doesn't want to sell because she's comfortable where she is. She said she is not home a lot, and her property is vulnerable to access from the proposed project. Cindy Thoms, 1255 22nd Street N.E., stated that she has had sewer and drainage problems in the past. She said she would not like to see two-story buildings constructed. John Grimley, 1295 22nd Street N.E., stated that he has drainage issues and low water pressure also. He said traffic is a concern on the corner and he thinks there will be more wrecks. He stated that the police have chased people down the ditches before, and he thinks this will create more crime. He said he would be okay if they built several duplexes on the property instead. Gary Weathered, 1345 20th Street N.E., has had drainage problems because the pipes are too small so water backs up in them. He said there are no sidewalks on 20th, and BETCO had mentioned that they wanted people living in the complex to be able to walk everywhere. He said the only place to walk is in the street. He asked where the water and sewer will be tied in. George Williams, 4120 Oleander, a member of 1st Christian Church, stated that this would increase the already bad traffic on the street. He said he was in the insurance business for years, and they paid several sewer ctaims in this area. He said homeowner policies don't pay that much, and if it's a City probtem, they won't pay at all. He said that people have been arrested behind the church before.