PLEASE READ AND ACT -
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
We've been regularly reporting on the city's efforts at updating its preservation ordinance and hundreds of you have stepped up sending in messages. With your input the ordinance changes have been drafted to help neighborhoods and t
o help preserve the 'Burg.
City council has scheduled the final public hearing, followed by their vote, for August 20. Unfortunately, with the end in sight, the Chamber of Commerce has decided to object to giving the 'Burg's historic neighborhoods the tools to protect their charm and character while others, claiming to protect property rights, have begun a misinformation campaign.
To try to dispel the misinformation, the city is holding a meeting at 6:30 pm on Wed. May 27 at Sunken Gardens to explain the proposed ordinance changes and to answer questions. If preservation supporters don't show up city council will take home the message people don't care about our city's sense of place and our historic neighborhoods.
We need you to come to this meeting and to show off one of our Preserve the 'Burg stickers (you can pick one up going into the meeting). It will make a huge difference!
Today, before a neighborhood can submit a historic district application, the city requires two-thirds approval from all property owners. Owners (typically absentee) who fail to vote are counted as no votes. And don't forget, the vote is only on whether an application may be submitted, it is not a vote on whether a district is approved as that is a city council decision. Mayor Kriseman wants to base the vote count on responding rather than all owners and to stop counting non-responding owners as no votes. SPP believes Mayor Kriseman's recommendation, requiring a majority of responding voters to say yes before an application moves forward, is a fair way to fix a broken system.
It is VERY IMPORTANT for those of us who support protecting the 'Burg's sense of place to stand up! Emails to the
Council and
Mayor, like you have done in the past, are helpful but this is one of those times where faces are needed at the meeting!
What: Public Information Meeting
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: Sunken Gardens (2nd floor meeting room), 1825 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, Fl.
We know going to meetings isn't exactly fun and you know we think preservation should be fun so join us after the meeting for some fun and a drink! Let us know if you can come. For more detailed information, the City has compiled relevant material, including a Q & A accessible from this link (click on "reference guide"). Or, you can check out SPP's over view of the proposed changes here or go to SPP's Q & A's at this link.
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