Wednesday, May 31, 2017

URGENT CALL TO ACTION Attend P & Z meeting Wednesday June 7 at 9:00 AM

Call to action!!  We need you at the June 7 Planning and Zoning Commission hearing where the Future Land Use Map Amendment that requests to change the old golf course from Parks and Recreation to Single Family Residential is on the agenda. The meeting is at 9:00 am in City Council Chambers. They will likely make a recommendation to the City Council at this meeting and we want them to know how strong the opposition is to this change.

We urge you to arrive by 8:30 and bring your yard signs, signs from our rally this summer, or make your own. Signs are for outside only, so when you go in leave your signs in your car.  We will try to have some extra signs available. For signs please contact Alan Jones at 860-670-4862.   Wear your green Save Our Recreation t-shirts. If you don't have one wear any green shirt. For T Shirts contact Mary Neilson at 239-243-5989. The public can speak at the meeting. SOR representatives (including our attorney and land use expert) will be speaking and you can as well. Please, be respectful, factual and constructive with any signs you bring or comments you may make. We always want to be a positive and constructive voice in the process. Also, please tell your family, friends and neighbors about this and encourage them to attend. Try to bring two people with you.  Let’s have a great show of support!

We particularly encourage supporters from others parts of the Cape to attend and let the Commission know this is more than just a neighborhood issue. This is a chance to save a special property than can be enjoyed by the community for generations if the current land use is preserved. If you plan to speak, please let either Mary (mary@maryneilson.com or 239-243-5989) or Barth (bwolf3@new.rr.com or 920-621-6097) know as we are trying to coordinate as best we can so we cover different points and we want to be sure we have at least several speakers from outside the immediate neighborhood.

The notice letter the City sent out  to neighbors can be found on our website. This is the first step in the process. The most critical will be the City Council meeting where they vote on whether to transmit the proposed land use map amendment to the state. The current plan is for this hearing to be held at the August 7 City Council meeting. Please mark your calendar for that date!!  We need a huge turnout then. We will update you as we get closer to that hearing or if this timing changes.


Lastly, City Planning Department staff has recommended approval of the land use map change. This is very disappointing. We plan to refute some of their points at the June 7 hearing.


Planning Division Case Report Future Land Use Map Amendment

PDF Attached: LU16-0013_Staff_Report_Final.pdf

Notice to Surrounding Property Owners


Sunday, May 07, 2017

Update & News Press survey

THE FIRST IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION.  The News Press has a survey about the golf course. Click either of the following links to take the survey.  The first link will take you directly to the survey.  The second will require you navigate through The News Press a bit.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOhdl3AKg-5ufdkdWUG7DQmooQItKE6ZbLYs6CLNp7qb-0tw/viewform

http://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/05/03/101260920/

Second, it sounds like DR Horton is not interested in the land swap. We are not sure if that is just their negotiating stance, but if true it's a shame as it is a great way forward that provides something of benefit to all parties. Taking the future land use change request to a vote will guarantee there are some winners and some losers. That's a good point for you to raise when people ask about the land swap. 

Last, elections are coming up later this year for the mayor and three council positions. Richard Leon who represents the golf course district has not been positive in his pubic comments about whether to preserve the Parks and Rec status. There are two candidates running against him. We will be sure to try to get their opinions on the golf course before the election and will hopefully be meeting with each of them to explain our position.