Unanimous Reaffirmation

Photo by proud grandfather, Tommy Young

Thanks to Rep. Ann Lilly an item was placed on today's City Council agenda reaffirming the Northwest Master Plan and its use of SmartCode development. Sticking to that comprehensive plan and a SmartCode regulating plan for development means that a Conservation Easement, at least for now, just isn't necessary. Thanks to efforts between the EPWU and City Planning, under the direction of Matthew McElroy, an additional adjustment to how an "adjustment" can be made on the code further tightens the fact that SmartCode will be the way to go. Council voted unanimously to approve.

One thing that has become clear to me over the past two weeks of dealing with this issue is this: so many people above and beyond the original petitioners are invested in seeing that the legal, binding agreement which includes the NW Master Plan gets realized. It's not just petitioners. It's City staff and EPWU officials and Council representatives and, at the top, Mayor Leeser. We are all invested. So, once again a positive note has been struck through the collaborative efforts of petitioners, the Mayor, City Council, City and EPWU staff. Reaching this kind of collaborative understanding over the past two weeks has been draining in many ways. Nevertheless, we did it - collaboratively. 

Certainly those of us responsible for the original petition will keep a watchful eye and certainly re-doing the old petition or doing a new one calling for an easement isn't off the table. But who likes to scratch until he itches? The number of people invested in the success of the NW Master Plan, our mutual collaboration, and today's Council vote means that there isn't an itch.

Of those petitioners who met together over a week ago to respond to "threats" of removing SmartCode, I spoke personally with several last week, two more yesterday, and several more prior to the meeting. (Personal conversations not emails.) I mentioned before the Mayor's reassurances in a meeting. Some of us worked with EPWU and City persons. All of us plus I'm sure several more persons in separate meetings, collaboratively together, made sure that the City would get on record a reaffirmation of the NW Master Plan. That unanimous reaffirmation came today - collaboratively.