The most interested part of the Tuesday, Aug. 20 City Council meeting was not what happened but what didn’t and what that means for the September meeting.
The agenda for the meeting which began at 4 p.m. in the Council Chamber had both the New Garden Road Strategic Plan and a controversial rezoning at 1302 New Garden Road stacked back to back at items 38 and 39 on the agenda.
The powers that be in city government decided that it was not a good idea to have two big New Garden Road issues on the same agenda. Although since most people consider attending a City Council meeting a chore, it seemed to make sense to only require the folks from the New Garden Road area to attend one meeting instead of two.
But the decision was made that the New Garden Road Strategic Plan would not be heard and instead of removing it from the agenda which seems like the sensible thing to do, it was left on the agenda with the note “Council is being asked to postpone this item to the September 17thmeeting of the Council without further advertising.”
Some people don’t read every single word on the agenda and came to the meeting because they didn’t notice the little note at the bottom of the page.
So the plan was to hold the rezoning hearing for 1302 New Garden Road on Aug. 20, wait a month and let the New Garden folks come back for the New Garden Road Strategic Plan on Sept. 17.
But the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry and this plan did.
Kim Reittinger who requested the rezoning of 1302 New Garden Road and appealed the denial by the Zoning Commission to the City Council, requested the City Council continue the item until Sept. 17. The word was sent out to the opponents of the rezoning request that the item was being continued, even though with this City Council a continuance is not a sure thing, but the result was neither side showed up for the rezoning and it was continued to Sept. 17.
Councilmember Tammi Thurm asked if it wouldn’t be better to continue the rezoning request until the October meeting so it wouldn’t be on the same agenda with the New Garden Strategic Plan, but Mayor Nancy Vaughan said no that some people had requested the two items be on the same agenda.
So after all the planning and rescheduling that went into hearing the two items at different meetings, they will as the current plan stands both be heard at the Sept. 17 meeting of the City Council.
Since the City Council only meets to do the city’s business once a month, items cannot be continued except in 30 day increments which some people say is not business friendly.
Mr. Hammer, You are incorrect about the Aug. 20th City Council Meeting in regard to 1302 New Garden Rd. There were members of the neighborhood present at the meeting. My husband Peter and I were in fact in the chamber as were at least 5 other neighbors. Additionally, I believe that Mayor Vaughn requested that both the New Garden Strategic Plan as well as the rezoning of 1302 New Garden Road be heard on the same day as, “the neighbors want to get this over with.” I did not hear anyone ask ” that some people had requested the two items be on the same agenda.”
I would be more than happy to speak with you about these matters,
Thank you, Betsy Gauthier