Nov 14, 2003 By April Straughters 4 min read

CALIFORNIA – Council tabled the adoption of the borough’s comprehensive plan Thursday after some residents and local business owners objected to the plan’s inclusion of a zoning change along Route 88 between the army surplus store and Center in the Woods. Councilman John Greenlief, after hearing a number of complaints at public hearing to discuss the comprehensive plan preceding the borough’s regular meeting, said that he initially approved of changing the zoning from spot zoning to mixed-use, but after hearing the comments from local residents changed his views.

“Until yesterday, I thought (the decision to change zoning) was 100 percent the right thing to do,” he said. “…Now, the only way I will vote (to approve the comprehensive plan) is if this thing (zoning change) comes out because once that plan is accepted it shows intent (to change the zoning).”

Right now, that area along Route 88, according to President Art Harris, is spot zoned for residential, agriculture, industrial and commercial.

He said at the borough’s planning session last week that he supported changing the zoning to commercial to make it more uniform. He said that he felt that decision was “most beneficial” to the borough. When asked how the zoning change would affect the residents, he said it would increase the property value of the homes.

But residents and business owners see it differently. The residents who participated in the public hearing expressed concerns about what would happen to their homes and were afraid that the change in zoning could eventually drive them out of their neighborhood.

The local business people said they felt changing the zoning to commercial would hurt the downtown business district.

A petition was turned into council and Vito Dentino, president of the California Chamber of Commerce, said that at least 100 people, including all the local business owners signed the petition.

Jim Gwyer, a local business man, who served on the comprehensive plan steering committee, said that at first, he too supported changing the zoning to mixed-use, but since has changed his mind.

“Given a lot of thought, I don’t think it’s the best way to go. One trip through Brownsville is all the proof I need. All the businesses there move on top of the hill and look at their downtown area. I don’t want that to happen here,” Gwyer said.

Dentino said that he polled all the business owners in town and that they all agree. He said they believe if they allow the zoning change that the downtown business district will suffer.

“We have to concentrate on what we already have and then expand,” Dentino said. “You don’t want to abandon the business district that we already have. There’s a lot of room for improvement right here.”

According to Dentino, rumors are already circulating that the owners of the Rite Aid located in town are already looking to relocate along Route 88.

“They will abandon that building on our main street in town, creating yet another void in town,” Dentino said.

Dentino said the borough should look at the dilapidated buildings like the old theater building in town and address that issue to allow space for future growth.

He said that he believes the decision could also hurt the borough in the end, with a decrease in parking meter use.

“The parking meters are good revenue in this town. What will they do when all the businesses leave town,” he said. “We can’t compete with corporate stores. We don’t have the demographics.”

Roger Sealy, a local resident, said that council should address why they want the zoning change because people in town believe it is to better service the new university dormitories along Route 88.

“A lot of people believe this commercial development is being done to service those dorms. I know it’s not true, but there are people on the street who think that’s the case.”

Greenlief, at the regular meeting, tried to have the comprehensive plan approved, with the exception of the recommendation that the zoning be changed in that area along Route 88, but Dennis Martinak of Mackin Engineering, the firm that prepared the comprehensive plan, said that council should at least designate the zone for another use, before adopting the plan.

“You can leave it as it is, but you really need to make a recommendation for use. If you leave it as it is it will be chopped up zones, and looking down the road, you are trying to make some commonality, ” Martinak.

Both Harris and Greenlief voted against tabling the adoption of the comprehensive plan, but for different reasons. Harris said that by tabling the plan, council could face the same problem next month.

“We’re never going to pass this comprehensive plan. What if other people come in and complain? We’ll never get this passed.”