Our rural community is imminently at risk of losing it's identity. The city council is considering allowing 4 story buildings in the city center zone, and were it not for a legal technicality, would have done so for all of Francis. No building of this height exists in the Kamas Valley or most cities of our size. 

We believe in creating a city center for Francis that fits in with our valley. The city center commercial zone should have a maximum building height of 3 stories, and at most 2 stories in the other commercial zones. Furthermore, such height restrictions should be measured from the natural ground level, not from fill soil.

According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, persistent architectural changes, such as increased building heights, can lead to significant losses in a community's identity and coherence (source: National Association of Realtors).

Fill dirt permanently changes our groundwater flows, diverting the already high water table into resident homes, and makes the impact of the already-too-high 45 foot commercial building height even greater. Residents have to use natural grade for their height limits, so should commercial developers. The residents of Francis should not have to irrevocably pay for commercial development by allowing the city to cater to developers in pursuit of the almighty tax dollar.

Please sign this petition, and help us keep our community's rural charm intact by asking the city to limit commercial buildings to 3 stories in city center, 2 stories elsewhere, and to adjust the inequity in building height measurement by including fill dirt in the height measurements for everyone, especially commercial.