During dinner, we talked about the zoning meeting.
“So, how does this work? How am I supposed to help?” I asked.
“What will happen is the Zoning Board will discuss each piece of property that’s under review. What the Homeless Coalition is hoping for is a change in housing density so they can put in ten tiny houses where only four are zoned for currently. It’s on a cul-de-sac over by the new mall,” Grandma Dawson said.
“Why aren’t you talking tonight instead of me?” I asked.
“Because you’re a longtime resident and I’ve just moved back. Plus, this is a good first step into politics for you.”
“But I can’t even vote.”
“But you are Davey Dawson’s grandson. That’s why Mr. Orange has you going last. The Dawson name behind an initiative like this will carry weight,” Grandma Dawson said.
“So, he expects me to save the day?” I asked, getting worried.
“Relax. If you totally mess up, I’ll be in the room to help you.”
That did make me feel better.
◊◊◊
I don’t know what I was expecting. How exciting could a zoning meeting be? I was happy to see Brook and her dad Ian show up. Brit, Wolf, and Alan also came to give me support. I went up to Wolf to see what the deal was.
“Brit told us we had to come. Everyone else should be here shortly.”
“What do you mean by ‘everyone’?” I asked.
“Relax. Just everyone working on the junior-class projects. We were told you needed some moral support to help get the zoning changed for the Homeless Coalition.”
The room slowly filled up. Then the five members of the Zoning Board came in and sat at a table at the front of the room. They had a podium with a microphone for the public and petitioners to speak into. There was seating for about forty people, but there were probably twenty more standing in the back.
Two more women came in and sat at each end of the front table. My grandma told me one was the county lawyer, and the other would take minutes. There was also a table off to the side where one of the heads of the county’s zoning department had stacks of paper in front of him. He ran the day-to-day operations and took direction from the board.
“Okay, it’s eight o’clock. Let’s get this meeting started,” the chair said. “I see we have a packed house. Please be patient, we have some previous business to get to before we talk about new business. Mary, who do we have first?”
“Thompson Builders,” she said.
“Do we have a representative here?” the chair asked.
This continued for four different projects that needed some kind of variance to the zoning code. Most had building plans, and the county employee would remind the board what had been requested and confirm or deny that his department was satisfied with the paperwork. They would then open it up to the public if they wanted to comment. Once the public discussion was done, the board would talk amongst themselves. Several times the attorney would tell them what laws might apply. They might question the petitioner, and then they would either request more information or vote.
“That concludes old business. Let’s get to what I think everyone’s here for. Who’s up first?” the chairman asked.
“The Homeless Coalition concerning a potential nonconforming-use change to the land located in Holloway Subdivision, Unit 2, Block 4, Lots 1 through 4,” Mary said.
“Is there a representative from the Homeless Coalition?” the chair asked.
“Yes. I’m Hiram Orange, the director of the organization. I’m before you today to request that the housing density for the four lots be increased from four to ten homes. We propose to build small temporary housing for the homeless of the county. I have the plans with me,” Mr. Orange said.
“Has the county had a chance to review the plans?”
“Yes. Everything’s in order,” the county employee said.
“Okay, let’s open this up to questions from the public. If you could remain handy, in case we need your input, it would be appreciated,” the chair told Mr. Orange.
A woman who looked to be in her late twenties came to the podium.
“I’m Phyllis Downton, and I live directly behind where the temporary homes are going to be. I’ve been asked by my neighbors to speak on their behalf,” she said and looked behind her. About ten people nodded to let the board know she represented them.
“We have several concerns. The first is we don’t want to have homeless people camping out literally in our backyards. I have three children, and I don’t want them exposed to vagrants and beggars. You need to reject this based on the safety factor alone. I live in this neighborhood because it’s safe. Who knows what kind of people might end up living there? I’d be concerned there might even be child predators,” she said, and her group made some noise of approval.
“We also have an expectation of protecting our home values. Having homeless people running loose around our homes can’t be good for home values,” she said in conclusion.
“Ms. Downton brings up some good points. What say you, Mr. Orange?” the chair asked.
“I appreciate Ms. Downton’s concerns …”
