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Show Decision on Rossi rezoning faces City Council existing lots on Rossi Hill. There is presently only one lot in the area smaller than the proposed requirement and numerous lots that are larger, he said. The zoning change was also approved by the Historic His-toric District Commission. Like the Planning Commission, Commis-sion, the Historic District Commission makes recommendations recom-mendations to the City Council. The City Council is not bound by either recommendation. recommen-dation. Compounding the issue is the limited access to Rossi Hill on McHenry Avenue Opponents of the downzoning maintain that the change could affect future plans to create southern access to the area. Conversely, they also maintain new access could require new zoning. Paul Kalkbrenner, a Rossi Hill property owner, said that if additional access was developed it could increase density and might require another zoning change. He asked the council to review the matter further. Kapaloski pressed the access ac-cess issue, saying, "If we don't know what the access is to the south, how can we make a rational decision on the density Tt is puttinp the cart before the horse." Kennicott added that the limited access up to Rossi Hill is unsafe from an emergency standpoint. He said fire equipment as well as emergency medical vehicles ve-hicles would have a very difficult time getting to the area. He said that law requires rezoning take these safety factors into consideration. considera-tion. Another nearby property owner, Charles Wintzer, is a proponent of the downzoning. downzon-ing. He said that he is concerned that lack of action now will compromise the areas character. "If we don't act now it's going to get too late." Wintzer argued that development of additional access to Rossi Hill from the south wouldn't affect the zoning. Most of the full-time residents resi-dents of Rossi Hill signed the petition for downzoning, according ac-cording to Ligety. "The real issue is neighborhood neigh-borhood character," said Ligety. The council will vote on the proposed zoning on its Aug. 25 meeting. Councilwoman Helen Alvarez, a Rossi Hill resident, said she will abstain ab-stain from voting on the measure. A public hearing on the downzoning of Rossi Hill has paved the way for the City Council to act on the measure. mea-sure. It would allow single-family single-family dwellings only on McHenry Avenue atop the hill and require a minimum lot size equivalent to two city lots. The rezoning of Rossi Hill originated as a proposal in March of this year from hill residents who feared multi-unit multi-unit development would i change the character of the neighborhood. Those proponents, propon-ents, who had earlier petitioned peti-tioned the Planning Commission Commis-sion for the change, were well represented at the Aug. 4 hearing. Opponents of the zone change, who were also well represented at the meeting, called the rezoning premature prema-ture and arbitrary. Attorney Jim Kennicott, representing three clients who jointly own property on Rossi Hill said the measure constitutes "spot zoning." Attorney Lee Kapaloski, representing Jim Ivers, another an-other property owner, explained ex-plained to the council that the property owned by Ivers to the south of the area will be half in the old zone and half in the new one. Kapaloski Kapalo-ski said that to include Ivers' land in a new zone is completely arbitrary. City Planner Bill Ligety presented the rezoning plan as one compatible with the 1973 Comprehensive Plan which he said singled out the area as being suitable for lower density than its HR-1 designation. The proposed zoning calls for a minimum lot size of 3,750 square feet. Ligety said the minimum size figure was arrived at by comparing the |