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Planning&ZoningBoard December14,2005 <br />Page 11 <br />APPROVEDMINUTES <br />A.P&ZAnnualReviewfor2005 <br />Staffreferredtothesummaryfor2005meetingsasincludedinthepackets.Thiswasa <br />summaryofprojectsthatwerevotedonin2005.Mr.LadenclarifiedthattheBenton <br />Ericksonprojectwasapproved,notdenied,atCityCouncil. <br />B.AdministrativeReview sfor2005 <br />Staffreferredtothesummaryfor2005administrativereviewsbycitystaffasincludedin <br />thepackets,whichincludedsiteplanreviews&minorsubdivisions. <br />C.ExtensionDeadlineforBoardApplicants <br />Staffexplainedthatthedeadlineforboar dapplicationsfor2006hasbeenextendedto <br />January31,2006toaccommodatesufficientcandidatesforcityboards.Applicationsare <br />availabletointerestedresidentsintheadministrationdepartment. <br />D.Requiringsidewalkinsubdivisions <br />Staffrequested thisdiscussionbelimitedtoboardmembers. <br />Theboardtooka5minuterecessat9:45p.m. <br />Theboardreconvenedat9:50p.m. <br />Mr.Rootdistributedsomeinformationregardingsidewalks.Onearticlestatedthat <br />sidewalksarebeneficialtonotonlyconnectdes tinations,butarepedestrianfriendly. <br />Sidewalkscontributetoacommunityasaplacewherepeoplecanmeetandtalk.A <br />secondhandoutincludedatableshowinglevelsofneighborhoodaccessibility.High <br />accessibilityprovidedcommunicationwithinaneighb orhood.Mr.Rootstateditiswrong <br />toexpectpeopleandchildrentosharethesamespaceascarsinareaswithoutsidewalks. <br />Henotedthisisnotinanywayintendedtoaddressexistingneighborhoods,butforfuture <br />neighborhoods.Hewouldliketopropose ,iftheboardagrees,torequest thatcitystaff <br />begintoresearchandgatherdatafromothercommunitiesinthearea,asto howthey <br />handlesidewalks. <br />Mr.LadenagreedwithMr.Root’scomments.Headdedthatsidewalksareimportantfor <br />safetyissues,esp eciallyforchildren,theelderly,andpeoplewithlessmobility.Hestated <br />thatsidewalksencourageexerciseforthosewhowanttowalk,andevenshovelinthe <br />winter;theypromoteneighborhoodinteractionandstrengthencommunities;theybringa <br />levelof highersecurity;theyprovideconnectionsbetweenneighborhoods;andtheyare <br />goodfortheenvironment.Sidewalkscanincreasepropertyvalue,whichisabenefittothe <br />community.Iftheoptionofsidewalksislefttothedeveloper,thecitywillendupw itha <br />patchworkandnotaconnection.Inordertobeeffective,theywouldneedtoberequiredin <br />allnewdevelopments.Herecognizesthefactthatnoteveryonewantsasidewalkintheir <br />frontyard.Therefore,heproposedthatsidewalksbeplacedononesi deofeverystreet,not <br />both.Withthatapproach,notlessthan50percentwouldrequiresidewalks.Hehasbeen <br />toldthattheyreallydon’taffecthomesales,butingeneralhelpsaleswhensellinghomes <br />tofamilies.