Not In My Backyard

The chant: Not In My Backyard. While some people are fluent in Chapter 1158 Attached Residences and the history, others take pains to understand what was and what is being attempted. Trying to help visualize the impact, at last night’s meeting, a resident brought a Lego “development” and cookies. See what you missed?

We can talk particulars for years, as we apparently have with 1158, but if you cut to the heart of the matter – it is fair to say many residents want attached housing in Bay. These very residents do not want attached housing in their backyard or even their neighborhood. You cannot have it both ways. You want your neighborhood to remain single family homes. Most residents feel this way about their neighborhoods. All these neighborhoods make up a community that wants single family homes. Maybe this has always been the struggle and why 1158 cannot move forward, no one really wants it to.

Paul Koomar pointed out based on past votes, the city as a whole is pro attached housing. Again, those voters wanted it in our backyards not theirs. That is the bottom line. It’s always going to be the bottom line. But it does not mean pains shouldn’t be taken to revise 1158. Some members of council wanted to vote on this before the end of the year. There will be another meeting on Dec. 2 to discuss 1158. It seems right now we are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. But, some council minds are changing as they learn more and hear more from the residents.

Residents don’t like the idea of a one size fits all 1158. Karen Lieske has suggested we start with the logical location in the business corridor, Dover Center, so there is an opportunity for residents to see and get familiar with the idea plus it fits into the character of the area and what we are trying to achieve.

An area of town longing for development is by Reese Park. A developer recently looked at the property with an interest to build a $10 million dollar nursing home. As of last night, it sounded like that is not happening.

It was suggested we have a developer come in and talk about what they might be interested in creating here in Bay. Council wants to bring Paul LeBlanc in again. He created the ordinance as an employee of LSL Planning.

Our quaint village is shifting anyway with the style of the newer homes being built. We will never be what we once were, but we do not have to be anything other than what we want to be. Keep the conversations going.

(November 24, 2015)