Why Was the Hearing Rescheduled?

So how did the Planning Commission public hearing for Hillside Cottages (68th & Carr) get rescheduled to election day? And don't they open Council chambers for people to watch election results? Here's what happened...and how it affects us. Three out of seven of the commissioners were unable to attend the originally scheduled meeting. Technically, four commissioners is enough to hold the meeting, but a motion to approve or to deny would have required unanimity in order to pass. When this situation occurs, the City gives the applicant (developer) the option to postpone the meeting. The developer chose to postpone. The Planning Commission meets every other Tuesday, and the next possible meeting date was Tue, Nov. 8th, election day. Normally, the Planning Commission does not meet on election day. But in order to keep this development on the City Council schedule for Nov. 21st, the Planning Commission agreed to meet on election day. In some election years, when a City Council seat is up for election, City Hall opens Council chambers for the public to watch election results. This year, no Council seats are up for re-election, so Council chambers will not be open for watching election results, according to Joanie Brown, Administrative Supervisor of Planning and Zoning. So, Hillside Cottages is the only item on the agenda for Nov. 8th, and Council chambers will be dedicated to that purpose. With no other business on the agenda that night and the room reserved for this hearing, time will be available for members of the public to present their perspectives without the urgency of other cases needing to be heard afterward, and without confusion over who's there for which purpose. We're still expecting only five of the seven commissioners on Nov. 8th. What that means in terms of votes needed will be in the next update. For more on this topic, email me or join the discussion on our Facebook group. Meanwhile, we're still asking for neighbors to help distribute notices about Nov. 8th. Please email, if interested. Michael ArvadaHills@gmail.com www.facebook.com/groups/68thAndCarr/