RDG hosts DPD for EIS and DRP Information

The Roosevelt Development Group (RDG) hosted a meeting for the Roosevelt/Ravenna neighborhood on February 17 at Calvary Christian Assembly. About 30 people were in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to give the community information about the difference between a Contract Rezone and a legislative rezone. A legislative rezone is a city effort to rezone larger sections of the city because it seems the right thing to do. Almost always more than one property owner is involved. A contract rezone is usually for the specific wishes of one owner or developer to build a particular thing in a particular place. If the scope of a contract rezone is big enough the DPD would request an Environmental Impact Statement.

And, because the RDG has plans to ask for a contract rezone of the properties in the area owned by Hugh Sisley, the meeting also explained the procedure for an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and the Design Review Process (DRP). The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) had all the answers. Mark Troxel and Shelley Bolser were on hand and answered questions for about an hour and a half.

The meeting opened with Jim O'Halloran giving some background and illuminating the crowd with some new information since last week's meeting on the proposed rezoning and the proposed state legislation concerning the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) with Sally Clark. Ms. Clark had mentioned that a density study indicated that the Roosevelt Transit Station as currently zoned is at 20 units per acre and the TOC legislation, if passed, would ask for 50 units per acre within ½ mile of a transit station. Jim's new information indicated that the TOC may not include Urban Villages like Roosevelt and that a better assessment of the current zoning density in the area was more like 38 units per area. This seemed to be a great relief to many of those present.

Two related topics of concern were the question of the quasi judicial period and when do the concerns and opinions of the public become part of the official record for this particular project. Although the quasi judicial period begins when the developer submits a proposal for a contract rezone, and, from that time on, neither the developer nor the public at large is permitted to lobby members of the city council, the city council will be informed of all of these concerns when submitted in reaction to the DPD's request for public response during the EIS scoping period, after the EIS preliminary  report and during the Design Review Process. There is plenty of time allowed for everyone to take a turn on the soapbox. And they do want our opinions, so be proactive.

I always enjoy hearing from people in the neighborhood about what they would like to see happen with the subject properties. One of the best expressed the possibility of a block square park where the fruit stand now is. Imagine that being the portal to Roosevelt and our historic high school. The school could provide us with public art displays and music concerts on the green. The Bull Moose festival could center there instead of someone's parking lot. What a joy!