05-14-29 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING May 14, 2018 last Thursday, Councilmember Sharon McBride and myself met with two (2)representatives from the Women's Care Center and at that time they had even put on the table an additional commitment and I promised them I would share that with the entire Council. I did and I emailed the entire Council. I did not receive any feedback from that email. Councilmember Karen White continued, As we begin to look at the West Side and begin to look at the different planning efforts that have continued, there is much work to be done. Just recently we had contacted Community Investment to say we need to continue that conversation because the plan is not complete and there is still work needed to be done. I said in my last comments that if anyone were to say that zoning is a very black and white issue, that is not correct. Many of our tough decisions we have had to make in the last three (3) years really center on zoning. The decisions I tend to make are after I do my homework. I try to be fair and consistent. This particular issue has the tendency to polarize this community and that is unfortunate.A vote in favor or against does not indicate that we do not support the services. I have continued to look at this from a zoning perspective and there are certain standards that, for me, this particular property has not met. I will continue with my vote as I indicated when we first met. Councilmember Tim Scott stated, My final comments are the same as they were seven (7) weeks ago. To me this is a zoning issue. It is an erosion of the neighborhood nodes within this. It cannot be tolerated. I did vote against the Dollar General right across the street that actually took away residential houses. There are plenty of commercial nodes up and down Lincoln Way that desperately need improvement. It is within a TIF District. I sat on the committee for the West Side corridors. What I've seen from DCI is we are on our third director in four (4) years without any real vision or focus on what we are doing on Lincoln Way. I want more for Lincoln Way and, honestly as I've said before, I think.this is a good opportunity for the Women's Care Center to partner with DCI to figure out a place that could make a potentially impactful difference on Lincoln Way within a node in a TIF District. We did a fine job of repainting the road on Lincoln Way and that is as far as we've gotten on that plan. We can talk all day long about DCI. I've met with James Mueller. We are going to reinitiate the West Side Corridors Committee that came up with that plan. I've seen so many times before that we come up with one (1)plan after the next and all they do is sit on the shelf. We have to quit doing that. Lincoln Way is in my district and I want more from Lincoln Way. There are places on Lincoln Way that Community Investment doesn't even know or care about. I am sticking with my vote and I am sticking with the criteria. I appreciate everybody's passion. This is the democratic process. The vote prior and the veto,this is all part of the democratic process. Councilmember John Voorde stated, I think this is unfortunate. This is a mistake. Not because of the opinion on life or choice but just looking at the criteria, which we focus on, which are subject to interpretation. However, I think we have to be awfully careful if we are denying a legitimate petition to rezone that meets criteria right along the line because it may cause some potential disharmony in the neighborhood. Where do you draw the line if you are using that kind of criteria? I may do this or may do that. What if somebody wanted to open a gun shop? What if it is anything potentially controversial?What if it is some sort of ethnic thing that people are uncomfortable with in a neighborhood? What if it is a Muslim church? What if it is a black church where one (1) has not previously existed and people are uncomfortable with that? You can't turn something like that down because it may create disharmony or conflict. I think you have to stick to the facts. I can't speak to them as articulately as my colleagues but I think we have to be awfully careful. I think the Mayor was wrong to impose whatever his rationale was. The rationale is,in my opinion,flawed and unsubstantiated by fact. I'm not sure where he was coming from. With no further discussion, Council President Tim Scott proceeded with the roll call vote to override the Mayor's veto of Bill No. 05-18. The motion failed to receive the necessary six (6) votes, receiving five (5) ayes and four (4) nays (Councilmember Tim Scott, Regina Williams- Preston, Sharon L. McBride and Karen White). Councilmember Gavin Ferlic made a motion for a five (5) minute recess. Councilmember Oliver Davis seconded this motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. 8