I want you to imagine this; My next door neighbors find out, in the most convoluted way, that I have been planning to build multiple rental units on my empty lot. That empty lot is in between our homes, and those rental units go against the very zoning ordinance of the neighborhood.

My thoughts; are building projects requiring the rezoning of residential areas strictly reserved for projects at a large scale? Or is rezoning residential areas something anyone with property in this city would be afforded at any scale?

I ask because I could fit a few multi-story efficiency type units on the property mentioned above that is not giving me the best return on investment. After rezoning the property, uprooting a century old Maple tree, completely disrupting traffic flow on West Monroe, and entirely upsetting my next-door neighbors, I do firmly believe it could generate myself a profit.

Will anyone be allowed to change what is permitted to be built in the backyards of their neighborhood? Is my benefit something that should outweigh the benefit of my neighbors?

Is privatizing the profit while socializing the costs something that any resident in this City would be allowed?

I own an empty lot. I have paid taxes on it the entire time as is my civic duty as a property owner. It’s a place my daughter, my wife, my dog, my extended family, and myself enjoy. I consider myself lucky to live in the neighborhood that I do.

The legal precedent that could be set by this proposed Zaida Project could open the door for anyone, or any entity, to commandeer this community for financial gain at the cost of the community at large.

A Concerned Resident,

Bryan Herringshaw
Little Falls, New York