AGENDA #3a(8)
PETITION
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Timothy Dempsey, Planning Board Chair
SUBJECT: Recommendation on Neighborhood Protection District Designation
DATE: April 5, 2005
This petition provides a recommendation regarding the initiation of a Neighborhood Conservation District. The Planning Board, on March 1, 2005, voted to recommend that the Council consider creating a Neighborhood Conservation District for Pine Knolls and to recommend special attention to the process of prioritizing neighborhoods for the designation.
DISCUSSION
On February 28, 2005, Deloris Bailey, representing the Pine Knolls neighborhood, recommended creation of a Neighborhood Conservation District for Pine Knolls. Ms. Bailey presented the same petition to the Planning Board at the March 1 meeting. A copy of the neighborhoods’ request is attached. Ms. Bailey indicated that they were in the process of acquiring the necessary percentage of property owner signatures to make the request of the Council, and hoped that the addition of a Planning Board endorsement would encourage the process. The neighbors believe that the establishment of an overlay zoning district tailored to the character of their neighborhood will help to provide some protection from future development and redevelopment that is not in keeping with the neighborhood.
Several neighborhoods are asking for the Neighborhood Conservation District designation. On February 14, 2005, the Planning Board presented a petition to the Council recommending a Neighborhood Conservation District for the Greenwood neighborhood. And, on March 7, 2005, the Coker Hills neighborhood presented a petition regarding establishment of a Neighborhood Conservation District for Coker Hills.
RECOMMENDATION
On March 1, 2005, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Town Council consider creating a Neighborhood Conservation District for the Pine Knolls neighborhood and to recommend special attention to the process of prioritizing neighborhoods. Given that several neighborhoods have made requests for establishment of the overlay zoning district, the Board agreed that strong criteria is needed to prioritize the requests if only one Neighborhood Conservation District can be processed at a time.
Members Present: Timothy Dempsey (Chair), Rebecca Boyles (Vice-Chair), Donna Bell,
Julie Coleman, Donna Stephens Manley, Nancy Milio, Gene Pease, Ruby Sinreich, Mitch Strobin
Attachment