Editorial: Time to go, Councilmembers De León and Cedillo
For the past 8 months, an array of community organizations, along with concerned community members and some elected officials, have worked to persuade Councilmember De León to change course and take an opposing position to the one he has taken on several zoning and land use ordinances proposed for the city.
Since the beginning of February, those working on this effort have met with De León several times in his office in the City Council chambers and spoke with him on the phone.
Their primary concern has been that the changes that De León proposed would harm and potentially harm residents in an area that Council District 4 covers and that, in their opinion, would not adequately protect the quality of life in the area.
Their concern is reasonable: the land around this area was purchased from the owners of a residential neighborhood and is zoned C-2 to accommodate single family homes, parks and businesses. If this type of development project goes through, that type of zoning will not be followed.
The Councilmember made it clear from the beginning that he was opposed to the changes and that he would not consider any of the ordinances during the process. He stated that if the changes were approved by another City Councilmember that were similar to the ones that were passed by the Council in May, that he would reconsider, but at the time the City Council passed the ordinances that we are discussing now, he did not feel that he would be able to do so at that time.
Last week, during a City Council meeting, the Councilmember addressed the residents of Council District 4, and was very eloquent in his comments, as is his right, on why it is his opinion that this kind of development is not the best for this area, and that other options should be explored first.
It is unfortunate that the Councilmember’s position has not swayed City Councilmembers who have been working on behalf of an area that he wants to see develop over the last year and a half.
The residents continue to petition the city and speak against the amendments, and they say that they are not being listened to, but in fact, the opposite is happening.
I believe that we the residents of Council District 4 are not just being told what to do, but what to think. The residents are being presented with two or three options and asked to vote for one or the other. The residents are asked to