Overlay District Hearing before Planning Board and City Council on Monday 0ct.2nd at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
From Bob on 25-Sept:
All,
The hearing on The Red Spring Rd Homeowners Assoc is next Monday Oct 2nd. There are two hearings that night at City Hall.
1.) The first is the Planning Board at 7 p.m.. The Planning Board will make a recommendation to the council, whether to approve or not, our request.
2) There will be a vote of the City Council to send the overlay district to the Urban Affairs Committee. .It is imperative that we show up with lots of people that night. They don't have to be residents of Red Spring Rd. They just need to voice their support for the overlay district.
What is an overlay district and why do we need one for Red Spring Rd? We have a unique situation down here in that we formed a Condo Assoc. Therefore we are considered by the City Council to be one big lot vs.29 separate lots. And whenever we want to add a shed, build a garage, a patio, a firepit or addition we have to apply for a Special Permit from the City.
With that there is a requirement that we notify all the abutters by mail. There are over 90 abutters. The abutters could show up at City Hall and oppose our requests. That could be a lot of hearings before the Council. and an expense every time in contacting the abutters. At least $300 every time any of us wants to build anything.
Everyone else around Fort Meadow in Marlboro is covered by the A2 Zoning District and therefore only have to apply to the City's Building Department for a permit. They don't have to notify the abutters. Our request for an overlay district will give us the same process as others around Fort Meadow in Marlboro
That is why we need the overlay district so we can be covered by the A2 zoning like everyone else. I have included City Council contact information below. Please call and ask that they approve the overlay district for Red Spring Rd. If anyone has a question you can't answer have them call me at 774-249-8198 or email at 39redspring@gmail.com
Here are a few talking points.
1) We need the overlay district because we want to be treated like everyone else around Fort Meadow in Marlborough when it comes to zoning.
2) We are the same group of people that have been here for decades and we have tough Rules and Regulations that protect the Fort Meadow Watershed. It's also in our ByLaws (I can send them a copy if they like).
3) Our land density is alot less than anywhere else around the lake. Eventually we want to sell our common land to the City for Open Space.
4) This land could have been developed by a developer. The residents on Red Spring Rd. banded together to save our homes and this property at great expense to us. We have also put in a sewer force main and connected our septic systems also at great expense.
5) Some of us would like to put a shed or garage or a deck on our property and would like to go to the Building Dept vs. having to appear before the Council everytime. I am sure the Council doesn't want to have to handle these approvals either.
Be courteous and thank them for their consideration. You are not expected to know everything so if they have questions you can't answer please refer them to me. Good Luck, remember they are people like us and will appreciate hearing from us. Please let me know on behalf of the board what kind of response you get. For the most part you will probably be getting a voicemail so leave a message like, "Hi this ------I am calling as a resident of Red Spring Rd. and I hope you can support our request for an overlay district for Red Spring Rd next Monday night at the council meeting." I would call the 4 at large councilors first, then the ward councilors. Please see the list of councilors with phone numbers below.
Best, Bob