Charter Changes, Apartment Height on Tonight's Public Hearing Agenda

Kensington residents will have a chance tonight to speak out on proposed changes that would allow the Town Council to approve new ordinances about two weeks after they are introduced -- half the time now required.

The Council, with the Kensington Revitalization Committee, is holding  a public hearing on the proposed changes and other issues beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

The Town Charter currently states that the council can't adopt, change or reject ordinances less than 28 days after they are introduced. But under proposed charter amendments, the Council could schedule a public hearing 15 days after an ordinance is proposed. It could act on the ordinance after that.

To get the word out, a summary of a proposed ordinance would be posted the next day at Town Hall, and also once before the hearing in a newspaper and, time permitting, the town newsletter, according to the proposed changes.

Other items on tonight's public hearing agenda include:

_ a request from a developer planning to construct apartments on Metropolitan Avenue that the Revitalization Committee, in a draft planning document, raise a building height limitation from 60 to 75 feet.

_ a proposal to split a Commercial/Residential ("CR") zoning designation into smaller sub-designations (such as CR-Neighborhood and CR-Town) that would carry somewhat different requirements.

Do you think the town should approve ordinances in fewer than 28 days?