Our Concerns

1. Neighborhood Character and Rural Feel

Our community is defined by its trees, larger lots, and a rural atmosphere — many of us moved here because it feels different from dense urban neighborhoods. The absence of sidewalks, combined with sprawling yards and mature landscaping, gives this area its unique character. Upzoning that allows duplexes, triplexes, and four-plexes risks scraping lots, removing trees, and replacing them with oversized buildings that erase the qualities that make our neighborhood special.

2. Design and Compatibility

Even if additional housing types are allowed, there must be strong design standards in place. Without them, new construction could be out of scale, incompatible with surrounding homes, and disruptive to the look and feel of our community.

3. Parking and Safety

With no sidewalks and limited off-street parking requirements, our streets are not designed to absorb an influx of vehicles. Reducing or eliminating parking minimums would create unsafe conditions for pedestrians, children, and seniors.

4. Infrastructure Capacity

Our water, sewer, and road systems may not be equipped to handle higher density without costly upgrades. We are concerned about who will bear those costs.

5. Property Values and Predictability

Changing zoning rules mid-stream undermines the stability and predictability that homeowners rely upon when making long-term investments.

6. Lack of Local Control

We feel that these changes are being rushed through to comply with state mandates, without sufficient input from the communities most affected.

Our Requests

Delay adoption of the proposed zoning map until comprehensive impact studies (traffic, infrastructure, school capacity, and tree canopy impacts) are completed and shared publicly.
Provide clear, parcel-specific information to each affected household about what zoning changes mean for their property.
Preserve the character of existing single-family neighborhoods, especially those with rural qualities such as large lots and mature trees, by limiting where higher-density housing can be introduced.
Require strong design standards for any new construction so that scale, materials, and landscaping remain compatible with surrounding homes.
Hold additional public hearings in Ward 2 to allow more residents to learn about and weigh in on the proposals.

We value thoughtful growth, housing affordability, and sustainability — but changes of this magnitude should be implemented carefully, with robust neighborhood input and protections in place.

Sincerely,

The undersigned residents of Ward 2