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September 15, 2025 City Commission Meeting Recap

A brief synopsis by concerned citizens of the City Commission meeting on Tuesday September 15

 Regarding the proposed development project in Gaslight Village (the”PUD”), the City Commission meeting was a continuation of the past eight months of the Commission’s deliberations. The meeting was more of the same. The proposed plan offers a very congested project to be built on 6 acres of land adjacent to Gaslight Village which will change the character of Gaslight Village and be significantly detrimental to the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

 Those opposing this plan want to allow development, but to have it reduced in scope so it fits the existing charm and character of Gaslight Village and the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

 For a number of weeks now the discussions by the Commission have reduced themselves to 4 members being in favor of permitting the development to happen and 3 being opposed. The mayor together with the city staff are very intent on pushing the PUD through to approval. The 3 commissioners that are opposed to the PUD would like it revised to blend into the adjacent properties. At the meetings the mayor dismisses any objections and seeks votes to move the project forward. The city manager regularly acts as the spokesman for the developer with his comments.

 This is a project that was started over 20 years ago and has floundered for over two decades. The same person is still the primary spokesman for the development. The utter lack of progress and the failure of the developer to live up to its prior commitments are ignored by the commissioners in favor of the project. It is unclear why the past failures of the developer are never addressed by those in favor of the project.  It is likewise unclear why the mayor and three commissioners choose to ignore the overwhelming sentiment of those that elected them.

 The meeting had the usual inconsistencies as the agenda published the prior Wednesday was not followed and updates were sent out by the city manager an hour before the meeting. Questions and objections by the commissioners opposed to the project were either passed over or ignored by the mayor. The meeting went on until about 9:45pm.

 The feeling one gets from attending these meetings is that the city staff and the mayor are intent on pushing this to approval and that the niceties of following the published agenda and rules of order may be bypassed to achieve  approval of the proposed project.

 If you would like to support the citizens who are seeking to reduce the project so that it fits the existing character of Gaslight Village and provides ample public space and access, please contact:

EGRResponsibleDevelopment@gmail.com                                                 

 EGRResponsibleDevelopment.com