Property Rights

 Private property rights are central to our American way of life and must be vigorously protected. The owner of land must be allowed to enjoy and use his or her property peacefully without interference.

 By the same logic, a property owner does not have the right to use their property in a manner which adversely affects the rights of his or her neighbors. This is where zoning, special use permits, and large development projects come into question. Projects which may have an adverse impact on the neighborhood or City will require approval by the citizens in the form of a grant of rezoning or a special use permit. Such projects may be large so that they affect the character of the area, they may be dense and so affect the traffic of the area, or they may be commercial and so affect the peace of the area. Each application for a change in zoning or for a special use permit must be considered in light of its effects and the will of the people must play the most important part in determining approval.

 The City belongs to its citizens and any development that impacts the quality of that City must have general citizen approval.

 This is why it is imperative that while land owners are guaranteed protections to develop their property under the ‘by right’ zoning guidelines, any applications for extra ordinary or special uses (SUP) must bring  the Citizens and neighbors into the discussion at the earliest possible time.

 See our “Growth” platform for more details.

 Terence Wehle

Candidate for City Council