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1992-1995
In a small town in the Rocky
Mountains,the R3-TN neighborhood was an eclectic mix of historical
buildings, artists' studios, rental homes, and pre-schools. The
zoning area was slated for re-development which would replace the
area with multi-family townhouses and condominiums.
The re-zoning project was intended to stabilize
the area and allow for improvement without losing the character of
the neighborhood. A major hurdle was the need for voluntary
down-zoning by the property owners who stood the chance of
profiting substantially by selling their land to developers.
In order for the project to succeed, my
role as the
community coordinator was to disperse information, collect
feedback, draft and present proposals to the Town government for
overview, who then (if they could be convinced) would pass it into
law.
There were approximately 350 property
owners in the area, and many of the Town Board Members were
against the idea. This was a multi-year project which involved
intense community interaction and communication from the
coordinator. The project succeeded, empowering citizens to
creatively solve their own community issues, and eventually
electing Town Board members who were more responsive to the needs
of the community.
The neighborhood today is the core of
the Town's character.
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