12/10/1979 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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'. . Mary Beck, 1350 Bailey Avenue, part owner of the Helios Development Company, also spoke in favor of the RA zoning. e Martha Filer, 235 East 3rd Avenue, recalled that at the Planning Commission meeting, RA zoning for the entire area under consideration was proposed. There was a 3:3 tie vote on the proposal. One of the members voting against it said he first needed to know how the people of Cross Place felt before voting for it. An outreach worker in the Whiteaker neighborhood has since gone door to door with written information on the comparison between R-l and RA zoning. She asked people how they felt about RA zoning. Of the 11 who responded, five favored ~A and four were willing to try it. Ms. Filer said the Land Use Committee from ne Whiteaker Neighborhood Association requests that the Council Gonsider zoning all the lots RA so that residents can keep small animals or have a produce stall on thei r property. Ms. Filer then gave the Councilors copies of the results of the outreach worker1s survey. Speaking against the rezoning: Joe Richards, 777 High Street, representing Chef Francisco, displayed a map of the vicinity which showed the land owned by Chef Francisco and outlined the company's expansion plans. He said that Chef Francisco is a rapidly-growing company. It is running out of space for expansion on land it now owns. This rezoning is an example of a collision between housing goals and compatible i ndu st ri algoa 1 s. He quoted members of the Planning Commission who had expressed concerns that a clean industry like Chef Francisco might be forced to relocate if City policy did not encourage them to stay (Mr. Bernard), and \'iho felt that a land-use diagram was not necessarily City policy (Mr. Thwing). Mr. Richards concluded by saying he did not think it provident to shrink the M-2 e zone in that area. Public hearing was closed there being no further testimony. Mr. Obie asked if Chef Francisco owned the entire triangle encompassed by Cross Place, Polk Street, and Railraod Boulevard. Mr. Richards replied that all but one corner (about 15 percent of the area) was owned by Chef Francisco. In response to testimony in favor of RA zoning, Ms. Smernoff commented that RA was normally considered more appropriate for fringe areas of the city. R-l would allow vegetable gardens. In response to Mr. Richards, she said that the Whiteaker Refinement Plan was developed with much community input. The plan reflects a desire to balance housing needs with business needs. It also reflects a desire to preserve housing near Whiteaker School and the downtown area. She also noted that the area to the west of Cross Place would remain M-2. Manager asked if there was a problem obtaining rehabilitation loans for residen- tial areas zoned M-2. Ms. Smernoff replied that this was a problem. Ms. Smith asked what staff thought this rezoning might mean to Chef Francisco. Mr. Farah replied that the issue was balancing needs: How to let appropriate industrial expansion occur while preserving the housing stock. In this case, there is industrial land in the immediate vicinity of Chef Francisco. The housing stock is rehabilitable, and funds for rehabilitation will not be avail- able unless zoning is changed from industrial to residential. e 12/10/79--2 bl1&