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Protect Our Neighborhoods!
January 17, 2008
Act Now to Protect Our Neighborhoods!
As you know, preserving the character and integrity of our in town neighborhoods from inappropriate development is an important component of my campaign for the District 3 City Council seat. You may recall that I joined a group of neighborhood leaders last August to request City Council action to provide protection from irresponsible infill development and enable our neighborhood residents to consider future options. City Council wisely responded in early fall and crafted the Interim Measures for Community Character Protection Ordinance.
Now, only days before City Council begins its final stages in adopting the ordinance at a public hearing next Wednesday, the Columbia Homebuilders Association is distributing a slick mailing, reported on in today's State newspaper, that is designed to frighten and confuse city homeowners. An expensive phone bank campaign was also launched last night urging residents to protect their "property rights" from City Council action. Do not be fooled! The Interim Measures for Community Character Protection Ordinance is a reasonable and balanced plan to address the worst of the developer abuses in our neighborhoods for the next two years, while each neighborhood discusses and determines the level and type of protection it needs to preserve its character and beauty.
I believe that these slick brochures and expensive phone banks are the opening volley in the April 1 campaign for the District 3 seat on Columbia City Council. We will decide on Election Day who will determine the future of our great neighborhoods and ultimately the City. Today's State Newspaper article clearly sets forth these battle lines and you will note that my principal opponent, a developer himself, "strongly favors" the Homebuilders' proposal. We will face in the coming weeks an extremely well funded campaign and all of us need to join together so that we, rather than the special interests, !
chart the future of our great city.
I urge you to call or contact members of the City Council today and let them know you support the Community Character Protection Ordinance as originally proposed and oppose the Homebuilders' amendment. The contact information is provided below. I also urge you to attend the City Council meeting next Wednesday, January 23 at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall to lend your voice and presence to the preservation of our neighborhoods.
City Council Contact Information:
Mayor Bob Coble: 545-3075 mayorbob@columbiasc.net
Daniel J. Rickenmann: 799-9477 djrickenmann@columbiasc.net
Tameika Isaac Devine : 254-8868 tidevine@columbiasc.net
Anne M. Sinclair: 545-3065 asinclair@columbiasc.net
Sam Davis: 754-0525 sdavis@columbiasc.net
E.W. Cromartie 254-7243 ecromartie@columbiasc.net
Kirkman Finlay lll 748-1090 kfinlay@columbiasc.net
Sincerely yours,
Belinda Gergel