If you are a homeowner or property owner in Roswell, you got a postcard informing you of the remaining meetings regarding the Unified Development Code (UDC) that are open to the public.  The next one is the Planning Commission meeting tonight, Tuesday November 19^th, at 7 PM in Council chambers at City Hall.

The city has made the UDC available to residents and business owners.  If we don’t look at it, if we don’t consider its impacts on us, if we don’t ask questions, then we can’t have a say in its development and we won’t know what’s happening until it’s already happening.  You can find the updated draft document and map here: http://www.roswellgov.com/index.aspx?NID=1497

There are only four open-to-the-public meetings between now and the anticipated effective date in mid-March.  No workshops or presentations for or with the public are scheduled.  The format for providing comment varies according to the meeting.  For instance, the Planning Commission meetings typically allow for 20 minutes of public input on each “side” of an issue; that is, 20 minutes for and 20 minutes against.  If there are multiple speakers, it’s important to use the 20 to their fullest and not repeat points, but present as many ideas as possible in the timeframe allowed.

It is vitally important that we look critically at the UDC over the next two months and that we attend the scheduled meetings.  Even though the holidays are coming.  Even though the new draft is longer than previous drafts.  Even though we don’t have a formal opportunity to come together and work on it in a group setting.

I will post updates here, and I hope to hear from you as we have our final opportunities to shape the future of our city’s zoning.  Read it through, talk it through, and think it through … see you at City Hall!