As anyone can attest who’s attended an entire session, City Planning Commission meetings can be drawn-out affairs. After all the staff comments, applicant comments, public comments, commissioner comments and commissioner comments on the other commissioners’ comments—the hour often creeps past 12am.
So in order to cut back on the midnight madness, the Planning Commission recently changed their bylaws such that they can now hold a less formal meeting before the meeting at 5pm, to preview the agenda, to hear about issues coming down the road—and to float questions.
At the meeting before the meeting January 9, for instance, Commissioner Michael Farruggio used the opportunity to see how much traction he’d get on questioning a request to have a daytime center for the homeless at the former First Christian Church on 112 W. Market St. “Personally, I have seen an increase in the problems that would be seen as people drinking or drunk in public in Lee Park and possible sexual activity going on underneath the blankets in the park in the past four weeks since the [homeless] pick up point was moved…right next to the library,” said Farruggio. “My question would be, how much planning or thought has been put into whether or not this is the best location for this type of situation Downtown?”
But after getting no support from fellow commissioners at the pre-meeting, he opted to rephrase at the public hearing. “This is a great example of, as a planning commissioner, how you learn,” said Farruggio. “Originally I had, and I still have some, reservations from what I see daily, that problems could congregate more, but I also see the great need and the great opportunity here.” The commission unanimously recommended the request.