Date: Fri 07-Mar-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

NNC-Allen-politics

Full Text:

Neighborhoods Coalition Turns Its Attention To Politics

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Newtown Neighborhoods Coalition (NNC) is formulating a political

perspective on the upcoming municipal elections, seeking to translate its

creed of controlled residential growth into political candidacies.

Claudia Allen, a NNC steering committee member, said Wednesday coalition

members will meet Tuesday, March 11, in the lower meeting room of Edmond Town

Hall to plan strategy for the November elections.

The coalition is an umbrella group of various neighborhood associations and

interested persons who want the town to more tightly control residential

development.

Coalition members say the rapid pace of development is harming the

environment, increasing traffic, putting added burdens on the public school

system, putting strains on the local infrastructure, threatening existing

domestic well water supplies, and damaging the town's character.

Last year, coalition members collected more than 1,400 petition signatures

calling for the town to place a moratorium on residential development. The

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) opted against such an approach to slowing

growth.

Coalition members then proposed land use rule changes to require: that open

space donations made in residential subdivisions consist of quality land; that

no more than four houses be allowed on dead end streets; and that strict

limits be placed on the development of residential rear lots.

P&Z members turned down all the NNC's proposals, but then began the process of

changing their rules to meet public calls for growth curbs.

Ms Allen said although the P&Z did not approve the NNC's rule changes, P&Z

members have been spurred into action to change their rules at the NNC's

urgings. Ms Allen said she considers it a "victory" that P&Z members are now

formulating stricter rules. The P&Z has scheduled a public hearing on some of

its rule change proposals for March 20.

In setting a political strategy for the upcoming elections, NNC members will

decide whether to form a political action committee, Ms Allen said. Such

groups are formed to promote a political viewpoint and channel political

donations to candidates.

Coalition members are interested in participating in the Republican and

Democratic party caucuses to be held this summer, Ms Allen said. Political

parties select their candidates for elective office at caucuses.

Other political avenues open to a group such as the NNC are the formation of a

third political party or the endorsement of petitioning candidates for

elective office.

The P&Z has five regular members and three alternate members. This November

four of the five regular seats and all three alternate seats will be up for

election. Currently, the panel has four regular members who are Republicans

and one regular member who is a Democrat. Among the three alternates, two are

Republicans and one is a Democrat.

Of the five regular and three alternate seats on the town's Zoning Board of

Appeals, two regular seats and three alternate seats are up for election in

November.

Conservation Commission members are appointed to office. That agency has three

Republicans, three Democrats, and one unaffiliated member.