SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER JUNE 18, 2010 Community Character Protection Vote to make the Interim Measures Permanent Sherwood Forest neighborhood has been covered under the Community Character Protection Interim Measures for the past two years, and this protection expires August 2010. The neighborhood association officers and board of directors are recommending that we make the Community Character Protection overlay permanent by adopting the newly approved ordinance CC1 Community Character Protection District. This ordinance is essentially the same as the current Interim Measures, so there would be no change from the current conditions. We would just be making them permanent. All property owners in the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood are eligible to vote. You do not need to be a member of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association. What CC1 Is and Is Not: CC1 IS a zoning overlay to current zoning. As an overlay it only adds new protections to all zones in the neighborhood. CC1 IS NOT a revision to current zoning regulations. CC1 DOES protect neighbors from the demolition of homes over 50-years old without city approval unless the structure is deemed 'noncontributing.' CC1 DOES protect neighbors from new construction on newly sub-divided lots that does not meet neighborhood standards for setback and orientation. CC1 DOES NOT impact new construction on currently vacant lots. Standard zoning applies. CC1 DOES guide the construction of a new house on a recently sub-divided lot so that it does not exceed height standards, based on the height of adjacent homes (i.e. McMansions). CC1 DOES NOT restrict height limits of new homes on existing vacant lots. The current zoning limit of 40 feet would still apply. CC1 IS NOT a change to our current neighborhood character protection coverage. We would simply be making the current protections permanent. What can you do? On June 8th we had a community discussion about the new ordinance. City staff explained the ordinance and answered questions. If you missed this general meeting you may read the ordinance in detail from our website homepage at http://www.sherwoodforestneighbors.org/pdf/CC-1_Proposal.pdf. On June 22nd from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Sherwood Forest ARP Church on Beltline Blvd we will have voting on whether or not to apply the ordinance to our neighborhood. Simply drop by, pick up your pre-addressed ballot, vote, and drop your ballot into the secure ballot box. City staff will be manning the polls, will tally the vote, and inform us of the results. The city will also mail out absentee ballots in case property owners cannot make it to the polls on June 22nd. You may mail the absentee ballots to the city, and their staff will tally them with the ballots cast on June 22nd. If the proposal is approved by majority vote (of ballots cast) it will have to go to the next scheduled Planning Commission meeting (likely July) and after that, the next scheduled Zoning Public Hearing (likely September). The Zoning Public Hearing is typically succeeded by two readings within a few weeks of the initial Zoning Public Hearing (occasionally City Council will combine a public hearing and first reading when they are comfortable doing so; then a second reading follows). A formal legislative process is followed here since an approved CC-1 for Sherwood Forest would enter the zoning ordinance as a map and text amendment. If you have questions about this process please email Ed Tilden, President of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association at 530-2436, president@sherwoodforestneighbors.org or Amy Moore, City of Columbia Planning & Development Services at 545-3335, aemoore@columbiasc.net. Join The SFNA Now For 2010 Please consider joining the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association! Dues are only $20 and your membership will be good until January 2011. You can complete the neighborhood survey and pay your dues online at www.sherwoodforestneighbors.org. Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so dues are tax deductible! Please take a moment to download, print and fill out the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Survey located on the neighborhood website, www.sherwoodforestneighbors.org. Please mail the form and your payment to our treasurer Rhett Bailey at 511 Kalmia Drive, Columbia, SC 29205. You may also fill out an online version of the survey and pay your dues online using PayPal or your credit card or bank account. Renewing members need not fill out the survey. Why should you join the SFNA? Find out here... Please add webmaster@sherwoodforestneighbors.org to your approved sender list in whatever email client or system you are using to make sure you are able to receive the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association Crier! Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association, Inc. Columbia, South Carolina www.sherwoodforestneighbors.org © Copyright 2010 Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association. All rights reserved.