08/17/1971 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Sl,?ARKS 0"; TIIE TIvTERIi" EPORT' CFTHE 11ORTH Ci,I`_STEll CSTTZENS' ADV1SC11Y GOIs:lTTEE 0ll LAITT) USr. TG TFi.E 2vUR1I'i OL,'i5TED CITY GOUTdCIL -Au ust 1 la 1 by DG 1_ma r A.?7is'r1es t 30106 Lorain 7[load iv'orth Qlmsted, Ohio Ata.y criticism of the Citizens' advisory Uommittee's Interim Report must begin with a pratest against the fact that the reoort has beaiclassifzed as "top secret" until the City Council considers the time and circumstanees anpropriate for its release to the news media and the general zaublic. .?Iy knowledge of the more significant points in the reDort comes from word-fbr- word copying and aceurate notes made by my wife and me from the report when it was Dresented by Firs. Bracy to the main committee at their meeting of July 26, which was held in Ir'rs. Bracy's office in the 'Yall at Great Nart'nern Shobping Center. If there is any difference of opinion as to my internreta- tion of the Committee's reeommendations, I would suggest that immediate release of the report for nublication would be the best rebuttal. 1'y second protest is against the ca2lous treatment of the meanbers of the two sub-committees on which I was active. It should be noted, thaty in order to give a semblanee of democracy to the activities of the Citizens' Committee, the public was invited to participate in the studies of the sub- committees. As members of the sub-committee on Federal 'Housing, :'rs. 'Yary Thompson9 Mr John 0'Donnell and lk'r. Anthony Keefer presented reparts renre- senting a great deal of research and careful thought. These reports, along with the two motions which were passed at t.he last meeting of Ju].y K, are completely ignored in the Interim Report. The conclusions gsven in the report are strictly those flf the sub-committee Chairman, I?"r. Ed Ross, whose bias against Iow incame housing was obvious from the start. Similar treatment was accorded the sub-committee on Land Tdalues and Lorain Road. The recommendation of the sub-committee, which was a restatement of the reco.mmendation of 14r. William Greene, Chairman of the c3.ty's Board of 2oning Appeals, wds rejected by the main committee and cornpletely ignored in the Interim Renort except for a grudging reference which was added after a protest was made at the July 26th meetzng. The sub-cor.rmittee felt that any further consideratian of the matter on its part was futile because of prejudice on the part of a majority of the main committee members in favor of the Comprehensive Plan and re-zaning Lorain Raad. Regarding the slanted questionnaire that was put out by the Citizens' Committee, 5000 copies of which were distributed with a return of somewhere between 250 and 300, I will not dignify it with a comment other than this: Ythe mountain has labored and brought fartYz a mouse". The Citizens' Advisory Commit'tee on Land Use was from its inception committed to recommendation of the adoption of the Comprehensive F1an and re-zoning Lorain Road, as admonished and directed by the City Council, members o; the Planning Commission and other City OfficiaZs at the Council meetzng of December 15, 1970, and at the mass meeting to arganise the Citizens' Com- mittee on January 7, 1971. The Cammittee has zn the Interim Report, faith- fully opted for the Comprehens3ve Plan. Now, from significant recommendations on land use in the Interim Renort, the Committee seems to have taken on a commitment that has never been capenly '``announced, narnely: the promotion of Great Northern Development. This comes almost simultaneously with publication of plans for t'the New Great North.ern" by The Alpine Groub, nevelopers. Tn the report, the Committee says, "the