2007-05-04 THICDC ORI - Laserfiche WebLink

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a flood plain or FEMA hasnt surveyed it. Well, we found out obviously FEMA hasnt surveyed it because theres a potential river that goes right through the middle of this thing. Weve had testimony to that effect. Weve seen photographs from some of our testifiers to that effect. Another thing, whatever happened to the concept of concurrency as in the bill we just recommended to the Legislature (sic) a month or so ago? Right now weve heard considerable testimony that the roads are marginal for the traffic thats currently there. There are dangerous intersections and roads, and there has been no mandate on the developers to even improve the roads for the increased traffic or improvements to the water supply. What theyre doing is essentially subdividing 6 lots into 43 lots. It certainly also will change the rural characteristic of this community. And I had 30 at the last meeting and Ive gotten several more now from local residents detailing their opposition; and I also have a problem with putting fairly densely packed housing in prime Agricultural land. As I say I think its really going to significantly change the character of that community. And as some of the people have testified, and Id say, this was a deal.Thiswasaquidproquo.Previousconsiderationbeforetheapplicantshadofferedthe carrot of the affordable housing was no way. Now were talking about dividing six Ag-20 lots into 43, and the developers are giving us or giving for affordable housing less than 5 percent of the property. The other thing is I have problems with subdividing the 118 acres into 10-acre plots if there is no foreseeable water in their future. I mean we have a memorandum from Mr. Yuen that said they had water meters for six, but that leaves the others still out in limbo. And I think, you know, what were trying to do is, or the thrust of this, the reason it was even promoted or presented to us was affordable public housing is a very significant consideration. Nobody argues against it. As Commissioner Domingo said at the last meeting, affordable housing is like, you know, motherhood and apple pie. Nobody is against it. But I think this is the wrong place for that. And, as I say, the thing that makes it even less attractive now is there has been a significant reduction in the number of affordable housing units based on the testimony weve heard today. And I think, as far as planning goes, when you let political considerations determine other choices that you have to make in planning, it may not be in the best long-term interest of the community. GRAHAM:Thank you, Commissioner Woodward. Other Commissioners have any comments? Commissioner Iwashita? IWASHITA:Just to be clear on the record, the reasons stated by Commissioner Siracusa is the basis for a motion and I second those reasons. And I guess, you know, most of the Commissioners know my feelings about how our process really should be changed. And our job today under the way our system works is we make the decision today to recommend or not up to the Council and the Council is ultimately going to decide this issue. What I really believe, and, you know, the issue I brought up, the question I brought up, was suggesting to the applicant that they go back to the community and work on this some more and come up with something that the community can agree to, if theres going to be an agreement. They gave their honest assessment that there was no possibility of doing it in this particular proposal but, you know, maybe things can be changed. 30EXHIBIT A