Dear all,

Remember that our first goal is to prevent rezoning of the Markham Hill property currently owned by RMD Properties who hired Specialized Real Estate Group (Seth Mims) to develop.

Once we prevent the rezoning, we can gather conservationists among us to buy the Markham Hill property from RMD Properties if they are willing to sell and at a reasonable price. Then we can put it all in a conservation easement and make it a nature and wildlife preserve.

Both of these will take a miracle from the Almighty and hard work on our part. But I am encouraged!

Around 18 of us spoke against the rezonings (plus, we had wonderful supporters in the room) and 2 people spoke for the rezonings (and we think they were Specialized Real Estate Group employees). Even Joe Guinn hobbled up to the podium with her cane and spoke. We had a lot of variety in our reasons for not rezoning and for saving Markham Hill from as much development as possible. The meeting lasted until 9:00pm. There was no discussion by City Council. We did great! Thank you so much!

I learned what we especially need to stress at the next City Council meeting on Oct 2. They may vote on Markham Hill that night or may wait until Oct 16. We need to come back in full force on Oct 2 and with even more people on our side and many willing to speak.

1. We want to know who RMD Properties is. It is not the developer Specialized Real Estate Group nor Seth Mims as he claims. RMD Properties is an owner of property in our neighborhood. We have a right to know who they are, who to call, who to email, and who to write if there is a problem or if we as neighbors need to update them on something. We would like to invite them to our University Heights annual picnic and get to know them as people rather than an unidentifiable and hard to find entity. That is the neighborly thing to do. Are they illegal or criminal? Should the City even consider making a deal with them concerning rezoning or anything else? Their address in the Washington County property search is in Oregon. We want to be able to communicate with the owner of the property, not the developer they hired. We would like to gather conservationists among us to make an offer on the property in order to buy it and make it a nature and wildlife preserve. We don't want to talk through the developer they hired. RMD Properties' tax returns would show us who they really are. No rezonings should take place or be considered by the City under these circumstances.

2. The City Council members seemed to not understand why the existing zoning is better than the rezoning. At the beginning of each of our speeches in two weeks, I believe it is very important that we explain why the existing 72-acre PZD and 72-acre RSF-4 are better than the rezoning. (I'm evening up these two numbers for ease; they could be slightly different). Seth's proposed 44 acre conservation easement on the far west side of the property is very enticing to the City. Seth tells them that if they approve his rezonings, he will do this. That sounds like a bribe. But that is just the required 30% hillside/hilltop land that must be preserved anyway. Maybe not as a conservation easement but it is part of the City codes and ordinances. See my explanation on 'Friends of Markham Hill' Facebook group why the current zoning is the best. No matter who owns Markham Hill, we are willing to come back to City Council over and over again to make sure the 72-acre PZD on the east side of the Markham Hill property stays as is: no allowed development and no more commercial use than the already existing Pratt Inn and Event Barn. This protects our rural residential neighborhood's character, traffic, enjoyment of nature, and environmental health (air and water quality, water flow from springs, etc.) as well as the woods, wildlife, and ecosystem of the east half of the mountain. RMD Properties could make full use of the Pratt Inn building and make money. But it is not our problem really whether RMD Properties makes money or not. They bought the land as is (or paid off Julian's bankruptcy note before any of us Markham Hill lovers had a chance to purchase it for preservation). Also, RMD Properties can still develop the 72-acre RSF-4 on the west side of the mountain. They would need to preserve 30% tree cover as well as follow the Tree Preservation codes.

Under the existing PZD and RSF-4 zoning, RMD properties can develop at most 50 acres in the RSF-4 part of the 144 acres of Markham Hill. Plus, only four houses per acre rather than the unlimited houses and living units per acre in an RIU.

If rezoned, Markham Hill becomes a large commercial area with 80-room hotel, etc. and becomes high density residential in our very low density rural residential neighborhood. We are one house per one to five or more acres. RIU is not just 12 living units per acre but unlimited per acre. This is ridiculous and inappropriate for our neighborhood. In this scenario, RMD Properties can develop 100 acres of the 144 acres of Markham Hill. Plus, the traffic, pollution, and water flow problems would be terrible. Let alone the destruction of the Markham Hill woods, wildlife, and natural habitat.

In summary,

(A) the existing zoning saves 94 acres (the 72-acre PZD and 22 acres of preserved RSF-4 because of the tree cover.) and allows RMD Properties to develop 50 acres.

(B) the rezoning saves 44 acres on the far west of the property and allows RMD Properties to develop 100 acres.

We don't believe Seth's promises to do better than this. He lied to us about Serenbe which shows he can lie to us about anything else.

Thank you for your belief in our cause.

Lisa M Orton, lisa_m_orton@yahoo.com