04-23-18 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING April 23, 2018 your opinion. It is not personal. We just see things differently but the end result is each and every one of us has a commitment to ensuring the implementation is successful and we support the districts. Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Councilmember Oliver Davis' comments about looking at this in reverse are important. If it were the clinic here before us as a petitioner, I would be voting for their land-use change on this particular piece of land because it is, in my opinion, about land- use. The plan supports that. The staff supports it. DCI and Area Plan support it. More importantly, for my reference point, our plan was developed in 2014 and I think it benefits our community as a whole to actually pay strong attention to those plans. Not in the absence of the importance of the other criteria,but my remarks last time addressed the other criteria. I do think this does fit the other criteria. I am appreciative of everyone's stated position whether it was in written communications, phone calls,at Martins,wherever. Even coming here and standing, I know that it is an intimidating thing. So I thank you. And of course there have been so many that have come up and they deserve no less recognition. Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, Your points have been considered by myself and the other members of this Council. I do also recognize the tremendous amount of additional work that was done to put together these written commitments and firm them up. I thank Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston and Gavin Ferlic for their efforts and the Women's Care Center for bringing them forth. I do think that within those commitments there is an amazing amount of documentation that supports a real commitment to control what you can control as a neighbor. For my understanding,my take away from the changes from last week to this week is that the Women's Care Center has offered this Council and our community as a whole, a commitment that covers one hundred percent (100%) of your property. You have also tried to anticipate possible actions that may or may not occur. It is of note, to me, that you have in some ways given up your first amendment rights to a certain degree. I thank you for that and that is an outstanding effort on your part. You have done it in good faith and I appreciate that. My last comment is that our community has terrifically high infant mortality rates, poverty rates, educational challenges, childcare challenges, healthcare scope and coverage challenges. There are many things that need a tremendous amount of work and energy. This will support many women, children and families. I call us all, regardless of what side of the issue we are on, we have a real responsibility to these issues. In order to move the needles on these issues I mentioned,that is a three hundred and sixty- five (365) day-a-year task for our community. Thank you. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, This is not a right-to-life or a right-to-choice issue. It is a right to live in a peaceful community issue. I've said I've lived near and around. I have spent a lot of time talking to people who have lived near and around those corridors in that area. I appreciate the efforts on both sides to come to these written commitments. I am not convinced they will be enough to quell my concerns about this being responsible development. I respectfully disagree with the hypothetical scenario offered by my esteemed Council Member colleagues. I don't believe the clinic would come before the Council to ask for a rezoning in the first place to be next door to a Women's Care Center because they understand the detrimental impact of these two (2) institutions operating in close proximity to one another. This is a zoning issue and it is about development that fits into the neighborhood. There is evidence right here in our community of what happens when these two (2)institutions are next door to one another. I feel rezoning to allow them near or close will reduce the quality of life in the area for residents and local businesses that exist there. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston continued, The zoning questions require us to consider the most desirable locations. Were there more desirable locations overlooked and how does this whole effort fit? While this is not about the work of the Women's Care Center or the questioning of their commitment to women and their issues, and while it may be desirable for the Women's Care Center, I do not believe it is desirable, in fact I know, from talking to residents and business owners in the area. There is a credible concern that locating there will cause and will create a conflict zone in an area that is already wrought with issues. It has been said that the presence of the Women's Care Center may actually suppress the amount of protests.Again,there is precedence right here in our community that says otherwise. Again, I do appreciate all the work that has gone into this. I thank the Council Members for the many phone calls at all kinds of hours. I appreciate everyone in the community on all sides who have really taken the time to weigh in on this issue. With regards to my understanding the criteria, I will be voting against the rezoning tonight because I do not believe it is responsible development and have a lot of concerns about the safety issue. 13