HomeMy WebLinkAboutAndrew Allphin RE Pinebrook Subdivision Rezone & Comp Plan Chng1
Deborah Lovejoy
From:Andrew Allphin <andrewallphin@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, April 20, 2022 6:20 PM
To:Customer Services
Subject:Rexburg City Council Help-Pine Brooke
Follow Up Flag:Flag for follow up
Flag Status:Flagged
Rexburg City Council Members- (Could you please forward this message to all City Council
Members?)
My name is Andrew Allphin, and we live in Pine Brook Estates and own two lots in the subdivision. I
am writing to notify all of you concerning the situation with some new zoning being pushed through by
developers affecting the neighborhood of Pine Brook Estates. There was a hearing of the Planning
and Zoning Department a week and a half ago, that for all intents and purposes felt like a
dysfunctional sham with a lot of politics being played behind the scenes.
We found out recently that there would be a hearing relating to lots in our subdivision that developers
would like to make duplex housing, and they are currently zoned for single-family homes. This area is
directly across from my lots. This meeting took place the evening, April 7th, and was attended by a
large amount of people from our community. It was quite apparent in the meeting, and in subsequent
conversations, that the large majority of citizens in our subdivision are opposed to the idea of having
duplexes in our community. There were large stacks of letters disapproving of the idea, and many
were able to speak their peace. The large majority of citizens wholeheartedly wish that the lots remain
single-family home plots. We do not desire to have duplexes or apartments, thus bringing in larger
amounts of people to drive up and down our busy streets already filled with children. The idea of
people being able to sublet units and make them available for AirBnb style housing, is also
undesirable.
The lots in our subdivision are almost gone in our community, and I see no need for builders to build
anything other than singe-family homes. The section being rezoned along the back of the
subdivision, is really an example of spot-zoning.
There are many other reasons that people are opposed to this movement by our Planning and Zoning
Committee and many letters and petitions have been provided to the committee. One of the
developers desiring to build these units is actually on the Planning and Zoning Committee. He tried to
recuse himself from some decisions, but I worry if the committee is actually impartial. In addition, the
planning and zoning committee have quickly brought this rezoning application to a vote without ever
even doing an impact study on traffic.
The largest issue that my wife and I have an issue with is that the committee is being advised by legal
counsel in the meeting that they are to pay no attention to our opinions or desires. The lead council
for the city, Stephen Zollinger steamrolled every person that spoke, and even stated at one point that
“the people of Pine Brook don't like poor people.” It was obvious that he is not impartial as lead
counsel. After hearing from others residents thoughts afterward, they couldn't believe how
inappropriate and biased he acted in the course of the meeting. If we were to live in any other place
than Rexburg, I believe that his words would go viral on social media and he would be resigning due
to his words.
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I thought that you should know our thoughts concerning the overall issue. We really hope that you
can keep the Planning and Zoning Committee accountable to the desires of the whole community,
and the attorney who is acting in an unbiased way.
Thanks so much!
Andrew Allphin
876 Larch Drive
Rexburg,ID 83440
703.801.9072 cell