SEE THE LETTER BELOW OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH MS BEACO AT THE PLANNING DIVISION AS OF FEBRUARY 6.
TO: Ms. Shayla Beaco
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me regarding the ongoing revision of the City of Mobile Zoning and Ordinances. This is to serve as a summary of our conversation and a suggested plan forward to facilitate continued community input into this process. Many of the community constituent groups would like an opportunity to meet with you, your staff and Mark White to get an update on the progress and to address additional questions/concerns. You indicated that Mr. White is in communication with you and your department but will not return to Mobile until March. We want a meeting to include all the parties so we agreed to wait until his return.
It was suggested that we submit our questions to you directly or through the form on the city website and that you will answer them in writing prior to the release of the first draft. We are in the process now of developing a list of outstanding and/or new questions from individuals in our circles of influence including a review of past questions and responses posted on the website. We will consolidate them and forward them to you for your written answers in anticipation that some of them might affect changes/additions to the first draft. Prior to submission to the Mobile Planning Commission, the City’s planning staff will release the final draft of the new zoning ordinance to the Zoning Technical Advisory Committee as well as to the general public for review and comment. It is the plan to circulate this draft for roughly 30 days before submission to the Planning Commission. This 30 day time period will allow staff the necessary time to address any additional feedback or input from the technical advisory committee, community stakeholders, and the general public.
We will wait to have our meeting with you and Mark White until after the release of the first draft so that any further questions/concerns could be addressed. It is our suggestion further that we will provide you with written questions prior to that meeting. Many of us have attended all of your presentations and are familiar with the broad presentation. Our plan is that this meeting will provide concrete answers to concrete questions and concerns. By providing them prior to the meeting, this will allow you time to have the answers available at the meeting.
When you have a date certain for the release of the first draft for citizens' perusal, you will let us know so that we can secure an appropriate venue for a meeting. Obviously when a group venue is necessary, I am sure you understand that we need adequate lead time. Please let me know if I have omitted or misrepresented anything from our telephone conversation. As I stated to you at that time, we really appreciate all the work that you and your staff are putting into this huge, very important project.