“Scenic Plan Still Not Ratified”
From the Canyon Area Preservation Newsletter

In early May, the Canyon Area Preservation (CAP) reported, "It's the first week of May 2003. Do you know where your Scenic Preservation Plan is?"

"You only thought it was ratified by the City Council in September 2002! It hasn't been finalized, the City Attorney and Planning Department have made major changes to the version that was approved, and the City Council has not yet ratified the new version."

CAP reported the delay in seeing the new version were changes being made to the plan by Emily Gabel-Luddy, head of the Planning Department's Deputy Advisory Agency. According to CAP, "We only have sketchy reports about the changes requested by Gabel-Luddy and others. The two main issues seem to be minimum lot size in Scenic Plan areas, and elimination of the wording that requires any development to be built in areas on the most naturally level part of a lot (preserving the 15% Slope Density formula already in existence)."

"The Community Group will thoroughly compare and contrast the new version with the version approved at the September 2002 City Council meeting in Lake View Terrace. The Plan has reportedly been reformatted with new sections and new headings, which could complicate the analysis."

The reason given for the changes, “The Planning Department was having a difficult time figuring out how to enforce the Scenic Plan as written. They apparently are seeking discretion on behalf of the Deputy Advisory Agency to accommodate future subdivisions within the Scenic Plan area. The Council approved version mandates certain conditions such as minimum lot size standards, recognition of the rules of the existing Community Plan regarding hillside building densities, and protection of certain ridge lines from any development at all."

As the Hoof Beat was going to press, Steve Crouch reported that Councilperson Wendy Greuel’s office had released the new version of the Scenic Plan. The plan may not be as flawed as first feared, however, "Keep in mind that the Community Group that met to review the Plan intends to study it, compare it to the version approved by the City Council, and make further recommendations. We’re just starting to look at it now. We intend to meet as a group during the next two weeks, then meet with Dale Thrush when he returns from vacation after June 2."