Seems like Save our Neighborhood all over again (Item# 33 on the agenda. FF: 23:00). The testimony by the homeowners is riveting, factual and damaging, but apparently MOST of the city council (Councilor Jamison & Karsky voted against the amendment) has earplugs in while listening to citizens. And I am getting sick and tired of Mayor Huether’s stopwatch updates. It is annoying. If someone’s testimony is pertinent, let them continue. Duh.
First off, I totally understand the property rights argument, you don’t need to remind me in the comments section. Should a developer be able to build what he or she wants to on land they own? YES. But if they purchase the land, and they know how the land is zoned when they purchase it, they should not be able to come back on a whim and rezone (amend)Â the land use because they made a poor purchase decision to begin with. Tough cookie. The homeowners in the area chose to move there because they knew how the land around them WAS zoned. They (thought) they made a wise purchase decision. Why should they be punished because and investor or developer made a bad investment? If you can’t make the land work for the reason you purchased it for, sell it and let someone else have a shot.
And the city council’s action on this was an embarrassment at best. Like I said above, totally agree with property rights, but when you are changing the rules after the game has already started, IMO they don’t apply.