PETITION TO REVERSE RESIDENTIAL-TO-COMMERCIAL REZONING
We, the undersigned residents and community members, respectfully request that the City Council reconsider and reverse the decision to rezone the affected property from residential to commercial use.

We support responsible growth and development that benefits our community. However, we believe this rezoning raises significant concerns regarding transparency, community input, the petition/signature process, taxpayer impact, public safety, traffic, infrastructure, and the permanent change to the residential character of our community.

WHY WE ARE ASKING THE CITY TO RECONSIDER
Lack of Complete Information

Residents who signed in support of the original rezoning may not have been given complete information about the scope of the proposed development.

Concerns have been raised that residents were not clearly informed that the development could include:

A hotel
A wedding/event venue
Multiple additional commercial lots
Increased traffic
Increased noise and event activity
Additional outdoor lighting and light pollution
Increased demands on roads, utilities, emergency services, and infrastructure
The proposed use of TIF or other public financial incentives
Residents deserve complete information before their signatures are used to demonstrate community support for a permanent zoning change.

Concerns Regarding Petition Signatures

We respectfully request that the City conduct a complete review of the original rezoning petition and verify that all required signatures and/or percentages were legally obtained.

Concerns have been raised that the petition may not have contained the number or percentage of valid signatures required for the rezoning process.

We also ask the City of Woodward, IA to determine whether signatures obtained without disclosure of the full proposed development accurately represented informed support for the rezoning.

Financial Impact on Residents

Residents deserve full transparency regarding the proposed use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), grants, incentives, or other public resources associated with this private development.

Before public resources are committed, residents should understand the amount of assistance proposed, what expenses would be covered, the duration of any TIF arrangement, potential infrastructure costs, and any long-term financial impact on taxpayers.

Traffic, Noise, Lighting & Infrastructure

A hotel, wedding/event venue, and additional commercial lots could substantially increase activity near existing residential properties.

Residents are concerned about increased traffic, noise, outdoor lighting, road usage, utility demands, emergency-service demands, and other infrastructure needs.

We ask that the cumulative impact of the entire proposed commercial development be evaluated—not simply one portion of the project.

Public Safety

Residents have concerns regarding the potential public-safety and emergency-service impacts associated with a hotel, event venue, and increased transient visitor traffic.

We respectfully request that the City of Woodward, IA conduct an objective public-safety and emergency-services impact review before allowing the development to proceed.

Protecting Our Residential Community

Rezoning residential property for commercial development can permanently change the character of an area.

Residents who have invested in their homes and community deserve to have their quality of life, safety, property, and neighborhood considered when major land-use decisions are made.

BY SIGNING THIS PETITION, WE ASK THE CITY TO:
RECONSIDER AND REVERSE THE RESIDENTIAL-TO-COMMERCIAL REZONING.

We further request that the City of Woodward, IA:

Investigate and verify whether all petition/signature requirements were properly satisfied.
Review whether residents who originally signed were provided sufficient information about the full scope of the proposed development.
Provide complete public disclosure regarding the hotel, wedding/event venue, additional commercial lots, and other anticipated uses.
Provide complete information regarding proposed TIF funding, incentives, taxpayer obligations, and infrastructure expenses.
Evaluate traffic, noise, lighting, infrastructure, and public-safety impacts.
Provide residents with a meaningful opportunity for additional public input after complete information has been disclosed.
Protect residents from unnecessary financial burdens associated with private commercial development.
Preserve the safety, integrity, and residential character of our community.
WE SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE GROWTH.
But responsible growth requires transparency, proper procedures, community input, and meaningful benefit to the people who already live here.

Our community deserves planning decisions that reflect the voices and best interests of its residents and carefully consider the long-term consequences before permanently changing residential property to commercial use.

By signing below, I support this petition and respectfully request that the City of Woodward, IA reconsider and reverse the residential-to-commercial rezoning decision and conduct a complete and transparent review of the concerns outlined above.