7/15/2009 9:33:00 PM Dewey-Humboldt council ponders meaning of 'rural'
Some possible methods for receiving comments from the public:
• Sponsoring community coffee discussions with council members.
• Asking residents to form opinions in neighborhood and shared-interest groups, then meeting with council members to reach consensus on a one-paragraph statement.
• Adding a question to the town's annual survey; if needed, sponsor a separate survey.
• Asking for specifics about how town ordinances might interfere with community values.
Potential methods for building consensus in the community:
• Differentiating regulation by neighborhood or lot size, or both.
• Looking at specific ways of accommodating different lifestyles.
• Finding ways to help residents, particularly the poor and disabled, comply with town regulations through neighborhood and town action.
• Determining ways to help folks who have been transient feel at home in a neighborhood.
Although Dewey-Humboldt residents and council members agree that their town should maintain its rural character in light of future growth, reaching consensus on how to define "rural" is another story.
During the council's 2 1/2-hour study session Tuesday, council members, staff and residents grappled with what the word means for the municipality.
Town Manager William Emerson said that to some, rural means being able to raise crops and ranch, while others view it as having the opportunity to ride horses on open trails. To yet another segment of the population, he added, rural may mean enjoying the isolation it affords.
"There is no right answer here," Emerson said. "We need to start asking questions and get to what people like about living here."
The town's Vision 2028 Statement and its proposed General Plan, which heads to voters Nov. 3, outline D-H's desire to remain a rural community.
When D-H incorporated in 2004, it became classified as urban. However, the town's stated goal during incorporation was not to become like nearby Prescott Valley, for example, which has welcomed higher density commercial and residential growth.
"I don't buy into the argument that growth is inevitable and that we must plan a particular way," Mayor Len Marinaccio said. "Dewey-Humboldt can't be everything to everybody. But if we form an identity, it will help shape what residents are going to get."
In the coming months, council members plan to lead a series of short meetings with residents to narrow the focus of D-H's vision statement.
Initially, Emerson said, council will ask residents to submit the values they cherish about D-H's so-called "country town" feel. From there, council hopes to guide the town toward consensus in implementing those values with the help of Emerson and the town's new code enforcement/community outreach coordinator, Gregory Arrington. (See graphic accompanying story)
"We need to find a consensus from the information we receive to get rid of the fear and uncertainty in this community about the direction we're taking," Councilman David Nystrom said.
Tuesday's discussion came on the heels of a D-H Planning and Zoning Commission meeting June 25 at Humboldt Elementary School where residents spoke out against proposed new regulations on home-based businesses.
At its meeting next Tuesday, the council will bring forward a recommendation not to adopt an amended ordinance regulating home-based businesses, except in cases when the public health is at risk. Council also plans to direct P&Z not to consider an amended ordinance regulating outdoor storage until council directs it to do so.
"Staff must be very careful about code enforcement," Marinaccio said. "Respect and courtesy are really important if government is going to be more involved. We have to have that."
Councilman David Hiles said it's important for the town to clarify that it wants to provide a "simple lifestyle" with low-density zoning while placing minimal restrictions on residents.
"Some restrictions are needed, but they should focus on the health and safety of the community," he said.
Councilman Terry Nolan, who has lived in the Dewey-Humboldt area since the 1970s, said most of those who have come to D-H to live are "here because it's rural."
"It's a state of mind - people didn't want to be governed by too many restrictions," he said. "It's a lifestyle."
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2009
Article comment by:
Creagan McConnell
The sentiments that came from the D-H study session seem to reflect the feelings of many Paulden residents. Paulden has similar concerns about growth and maintaining the rural lifestyle that people moved to this area to enjoy. As Paulden restarts the effort to create a community plan we should be listening in and learning from Dewey-Humboldt as they strive to define and describe what the meaning of “rural” is to their community. The Paulden Area Community Organization (PACO) will be reaching out through a series of study sessions and public meetings to find consensus on the direction Paulden should head regarding growth, water issues, planning and zoning, education and many other community concerns. All residents and property owners in the Paulden area are invited and encouraged to participate in this discussion. Times and dates will be announced in the future, to contact PACO please e-mail pacopres@writesoon.com
Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2009
Article comment by:
a native
In Humboldt's case rural must mean develop clear to the top of the hills and continue to let the old part of town look like a dump. Yards in a rural area should have fewer restrictions but some of the area is just pathetic and just trash. Clean it up before you build any more roads to develop the hill tops west of the river. My family settled in the area in the '30s and lived there for over 50 years.
