I am concerned about the application process for the change in the Patrick Henry Proffers. According to the GIS part of the Patrick Henry Stadium and all of the PH building is in the Grandin Court Neighborhood. It was after I sent a request to the Zoning Board of Appeals to delay changing the the proffers until our neighborhood had a chance to review the proposal, that someone from the city reached out to our neighborhood. The ZBA voted to approve the lighting proffers before giving our neighborhood a chance to review them.
I appreciated Richard Rife and Steve Barnett attendance at our July Grandin Court Neighborhood Association meeting which took place after the ZBA decision. They reviewed the application with us and answered our questions. I distributed flyers to the households along Guilford and sent emails encouraging people to attend the meeting. Unfortunately only 5 people attended the meeting and none of us live near the stadium. Perhaps that is due to having less than 36 hours notice before the meeting about the subject or maybe its because a lot of people go away for vacation in July.
Even though no one objected to the change in the proffers at our neighborhood meeting, I attended the Planning Commission meeting to ask them to delay the decision until the surrounding neighbors could address the proposed changes. A couple who lived on Guilford attended the Planning Commission meeting and their request led to not changing the Guilford traffic proffer. They came to the meeting because they had been alerted to the possible changes from the flyer I left for them. Many people can not attend a meeting in the middle of the day.
It was interesting to learn at the Planning Commission meeting that the Raleigh Court Board was informed about the application to change the proffers in January. But there was no mention of the proposed changes in the Raleigh Court January and March newsletters. Their newsletter promotes joining the Raleigh Court Neighborhood Association in order to receive “notifications… of issues of concern to Raleigh Court residents.” There was also no mention of it at the City Council Candidate Forum that Raleigh Court hosted in March.
Is it possible to make a temporary change to the proffers as a trial and schedule a public hearing in the evening sometime later this fall? This would give the neighbors an opportunity to experience the proposed changes and allow council to address possible insights or concerns brought up at the meeting. It would be helpful to honor all the volunteer efforts that led to the proffers by making sure the public has ample time and notice to weigh in on the proposed changes.
In the future the Grandin Court Neighborhood Association would appreciate being notified as soon as possible about any proposed changes within our neighborhood boundaries.
Thank you for your consideration,
Freeda Cathcart
Grandin Court Neighborhood President
