August 20, 2007City Council votes NOT to reconsider Amendment 38
At City Council Meeting on August 20, Paul Decelles made a motion to reconsider the vote to adopt Amendment 38. Passed by a 10-4 vote on Aug 6, Amendment 38 excludes nonbuildable wetlands and slopes from density calculation.
We have a lot of wet lands and slopes in Wards 4 and 7, and without Amendment 38 protection, we could have dense development that is out of scale with our neighborhoods.
Although Decelles intent was to send the slopes issue back to committee, the entire Amendment had to be reconsidered and there were no guarantees that the committee wouldn't weaken the amendment. A role call vote defeated Decelles' motion:
NAYs (keep A38 as voted 10-4, on Aug 6) - Ellis, Gutchell, Shannon, Keogh, Adrian, Bushor and Montroll.
AYEs - (reconsider the Aug 6 vote on A38, and send back to committee) Decelles, Ashe, Knodell, Wright, Davis, and Perry.
At a meeting here on Aug. 2, all Ward 4 and 7 Councilors -- Decelles, Wright, Gutchell and Ellis -- pledged their support for Amendment 38. On a sweltering hot night, 77 people turned out for this special meeting called by the Neighborhood Planning Assembly and the Heineberg Senior Center. Overwhelmingly people spoke of the need for Amendment 38 which excludes wet lands and slopes from the buildable area calculation when development is proposed.
Decelles explains his failed motion to reconsider below.
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August 24, 2007DECELLES EXPLAINS motion to reconsider Amendment 38
ZONING REWRITE POSITION CLARIFICATION
By Paul Decelles, City Councilor - Ward 7, Gosse Court, pdecelles@comcast.net Mon, 20 August 2007
First, let me make sure everyone is perfectly clear I in no way want to see massive and over scaled development in our neighborhoods. I have no desire to have the Council reconsider in any fashion that part of the decision relating to wetland areas.
However it does concern me that other possible development around town may be prohibited in certain areas that are appropriate for such development. Riverside Ave for example.
In any event I am confidant that our tri-partisan ad hoc committee will be able to develop a better solution to this issue.
I hope that this makes the record clear.
Do not hesitate to call 658-4367 or email pdecelles@comcast.net with any questions
Paul Decelles
Ward 7 City Councilor
