Deirdre Newman
Resident Pamela Frankel felt it was well within her right to protest
another two-story house replacing an old one-story on her quaint,
rural street.
She hired an attorney to help her craft restrictions she wanted
the developer to abide by if the project was approved. And Councilman
Chris Steel appealed the project to the City Council on behalf of
Frankel and her neighbors on Myran Drive. The street, which is
actually an easement, is one of the last remnants of the city's early
days -- a small stretch devoid of concrete, where four one-story
houses sit side by side.
But when Steel made motions on each of Frankel's concerns at the
meeting on July 19, Councilman Allan Mansoor criticized what he
considers the high rate of appeals lately.
While the two-story project was ultimately upheld, Frankel and her
neighbors won two protections. And despite Mansoor's criticism, many
residents feel appeals are an inherent part of the democratic
process, and they should not be denied their last recourse at City
Hall.
"They're necessary," said Lori McDonald, who appealed a project
across the street from her house at the Planning Commission meeting
July 26.
"I think we should expand the appeals process and get rid of the
$150,000 they're wasting on the shopping-cart program, allowing
people to steal shopping carts and paying for it," McDonald added. "I
don't want to pay for that. I'd rather pay for people to appeal
problem buildings."
The emotional cost
The appeals process begins when someone takes issue with a
decision made on a proposed project by Zoning Administrator Perry
Valantine. The first step is to appeal to the Planning Commission,
which costs $470. If the appellants' concerns aren't remedied, the
next step is to appeal to the City Council, which costs $810 because
of the extra time and staff members involved, Valantine said.
Myran Drive resident Pamela Frankel said she spent about $1,500 to
appeal two projects on her street -- which is really a private
easement with only four houses -- after the cost of the appeals and
attorney fees. That doesn't even include the emotional distress, she
said.
"This has nothing to say about the months and months of pain and
suffering of losing my rights one by one," Frankel said. "The amount
of mental stress of not being able to sleep and going to the City
Council and asking them to protect your old neighborhood and your
privacy is like asking [President George] Bush not to fight a war."
Since January, there have been five appeals to the Planning
