heard at this point it was recommended unfavorably.
Ms. Cynthia Mota thanked Mr. Zucal and asked anyone else from the dais,
the administration or the public.
Mr. John Vanluvanee, stated that the only comment he would like to make
is that the passage of this ordinance is not going to change the
neighborhood. A new ordinance generally, even if the changes the zoning
or the permitted uses. You are not going to change the usage that
presently exists in the zoning district. It might make some of them
nonconforming, but it isn't going to change the residential look across the
street and won't change the fact that it is a vacant office building. It may or
may not address this issue for the Adaptive Reuse of existing buildings. A
new ordinance is not going to address the facts that you have before you
tonight in considering whether or not what is being proposed is or is not a
reasonably good idea. He stated that his understanding from Mr. Schmehl
that this ordinance has been under consideration at some level, not by
Council, but at some level by staff for quite a long time. There is no
guarantee and you just heard it very appropriately. There is no guarantee
when you are going to have a final draft or if you will have a final draft and
there is no guarantee that you are going to adopt it even if you do have a
final draft for consideration. It could be one year or two years or three years
or another five years. It may never happen. The ordinance of the type that
is being drafted is a different concept then you are used to now. It is a form
based zoning. It is not a new concept, but over the last 20 years or so. It
isn't going to change what you have here. There is no reason to delay. You
can't put the entire community on hold for a period of two to three years
while you consider this, especially since you have not resolved as a Council
yet to take action and you don't even know what the product is going to look
like. In his view, Council has an obligation to the public to act on what's in
front of you. You have a fact. You know this neighborhood and know what's
there and no matter what this ordinance says, it is not going to change the
neighborhood. The houses are still there. The vacant office buildings will
still be there and the existing industrial uses will still be there. The zoning
ordinance will have no effect on any of that. There is no reason to defer
action based on something that may or may not happen.
Attorney Loren Szczesny, on behalf of the Allentown School District, stated
consistent with the testimony that we presented from Tom, our Planner at
the Public Hearing. They would ask that City Council not approve the
ordinance that is presented for your consideration. Simply consistent with
our testimony. It is just not good planning to propose the school use in the
I2 and the I3 Industrial Districts of the city. They would simply ask
consistent with the recommendation from the Community and Economic
Development committee. It was an unfavorable recommendation or
forwarded to Council unfavorably. They asked that Council not approve the
ordinance this evening.
Ms. Cynthia Mota asked if there were any other comments.