Last summer, our community came together and prevailed. The Summerville Town Council voted against rezoning a key parcel of land to multi-family residential (MF-R), recognizing that the request did not conform to the Town's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). That decision protected the character of our neighborhood and reaffirmed the long-term planning principles our community relies on.

Today, that same parcel — unchanged in size, location, infrastructure, traffic conditions, or surrounding land use — is the subject of a renewed MF-R rezoning request. The only thing that has changed is the owner. Summerville Methodist Church has acquired the property and is now pursuing the very rezoning the Council previously rejected, reportedly to increase the parcel's appraised value and secure financing.

What concerns us most is not the application itself, but the circumstances surrounding it.

We have learned that members of the church have met privately with members of the Town Council outside of public hearings. Public campaign finance records also show that several of these same individuals have contributed to the campaign accounts of Council members who will vote on this rezoning request. Nothing about the parcel has changed since the Council rejected MF-R zoning last summer. What has changed is the owner — and the relationships, private conversations, and financial contributions that now surround this new application.

We believe our neighbors deserve better than a process that gives the appearance of being shaped behind closed doors. Decisions about land use should be made on the merits of the application and in accordance with the UDO — not influenced by who knows whom, or who has contributed to whose campaign.

The implications of approving this rezoning extend well beyond a single parcel:

• Increased traffic congestion at an already strained neighborhood entrance
• Added pressure on public infrastructure, schools, and emergency services
• A precedent inviting future spot-zoning requests inconsistent with the UDO
• Erosion of public confidence that our planning ordinances apply equally to everyone
• We respect Summerville Methodist Church's desire to grow its mission, and we remain open to dialogue about development that aligns with the UDO and our community's long-term plan. There are paths forward here that do not require MF-R zoning, and we are willing to come to the table to find them.

We are calling on:

1. The Summerville Town Council to uphold its prior decision and deny the MF-R rezoning request, consistent with the UDO and the record established last summer.
2. Council members who have received campaign contributions from individuals connected to this application to publicly disclose those contributions and consider whether recusal is appropriate.
3. Summerville Methodist Church to work openly with the surrounding community on alternative plans that respect both the church's mission and the integrity of our neighborhood.

Nothing about this parcel has changed. Our position should not change either — and neither should the Council's.

Please sign this petition to ask our Town Council and Summerville Methodist Church to honor the UDO, restore public trust in the process, and pursue a path forward that serves the entire community.