HomeMy WebLinkAboutIZ-19-01 - Supplemental - 1420 Hinesburg Road (2) 1
RE: Interim Zoning application #IZ-19-01 – Kerwin
Mark R. Abrams, Ph.D.
174 Highland Terr.
So. Burlington, VT 05403
markringa@gmail.com
802-363-2299 - Cell
[Returning May 17th, 2019]
Mr. Paul Conner, AICP
Director of Planning & Zoning
City of South Burlington
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.sbvt.gov
February 28, 2019/ Revised April 9, 2019 – Subsumes and replaces 2/28/19.
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your response. I am writing this letter to request status
as an Interested Party in the above matter. With regards to the Kerwin
Interim Zoning application, on Feb.19th I received a forwarded 1/19/19
letter from the City re: that night's meeting on the proposed four building
lots behind their house. As I am in Arizona for the winter I could not attend,
and as I return in May, cannot attend the March 7th meeting.
My concerns stem from the experience of having the character,
convenience, quality of life, and property values of my established, 40+-
year-old neighborhood altered by the City’s addition of homes placed much
closer to the street, and each other. This was totally inconsistent with the
long-term nature of the neighborhood, and was done with disregard for the
existing residents.
A brief overview of some of my concerns includes:
- Having paid substantial taxes since 1981, only to have my city act to
diminish the value of my property. A number of us will be raising this
matter at a later time. This has also resulted in a number of residents
feeling blindsided by the City, and has raised the question of what
actual qualifications existed to justify this f orm of social engineering?
- That a form of “Bait-and-Switch” has occurred by such after-the-fact
alterations because the original buyers were deprived of the choice
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people have today when considering moving to multiple-design
developments.
- A belief that, in the absence of compelling or emergent conditions,
the City was remiss in apparently capriciously targeting Highland
Terrace for such alteration.
- Common sense, and more importantly, due regard for the realities of
human nature point strongly to the fact that additional significantly
shorter setbacks, increased traffic, and the potential loss of the
screening provided by the City’s property on the west side of the
street, if new driveways are cut into Kerwin, will negatively impact the
value of my house and others’ if allowed to continue.
- Alteration to this neighborhood has taken place – and with the
addition of good neighbors – however, this degree of present
alteration in no way justifies not preserving what characteristics still
exist. A number of us believe no further such construction should be
sanctioned.
In light of the above, I am totally opposed to any new construction that
accesses Highland Terrace from the west side of the street. To prevent
further alteration from the earlier ill-conceived zoning decision, I urge the
City Council to disallow present and future proposals of this nature.
Requesting to be kept informed, as feasible, and
Thanking you for your kind consideration, I am
Yours sincerely,
Mark R. Abrams