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instead of attending the Neighborhood Information Meeting. In the case of Wildwood West, the <br />Planning Department fielded dozens of telephone calls and received over 100 letters of <br />opposition. <br />The concerns expressed by neighbors who attended the NIM's or contacted the Planning <br />Department were most often related to the impacts of development on existing homes or <br />neighborhoods. Clearcutting, increased traffic, and water quality were among the concerns <br />raised by neighbors. Other typical questions included the type, size, and price of proposed <br />residences, boundary issues, creation of a homeowners association, and use of conservation <br />areas. Concern about property values was also a common theme. The actual design of the <br />subdivision or choice of flexible development option was rarely a point of discussion at NIMs. <br />Two major subdivisions proposed during this reporting period, Wildwood West and the <br />Lawrence Road Subdivision, generated active, vocal opposition from neighboring property <br />owners. A major concern among residents of the existing Wildwood subdivision was that the <br />proposed development would exacerbate ongoing drainage problems. Traffic distribution was <br />also a major issue of concern, since all traffic from the proposed Wildwood West subdivision <br />would be routing through existing subdivision streets. <br />Residents adjacent to the proposed Lawrence Road subdivision also cited traffic concerns in their <br />opposition to that development. Many neighbors believed the overall density of the proposed <br />development was too high. Others expressed concern that the 1,200 -1,300 f 2 homes slated for <br />the area were too small, and would negatively affect their property values. One neighbor said the <br />Concept Plan illustrated a `ghetto' while others bemoaned the demise of the `small -town <br />lifestyle' that originally attracted them to the area. The fact that the proposed subdivision would <br />be located within a Transition Area, where higher densities of development are suitable, did not <br />assuage some neighbors' vehement opposition. <br />Concept Plan review by the Planning Board gained a new dimension from the involvement of <br />more neighbors. Many attended the Planning Board meeting to voice concerns. NIM notices <br />functioned as advance notices for Planning Board meetings, if residents were unable to attend the <br />Neighborhood Information Meeting. <br />Section Three: Evaluation of Flexible Development Standards <br />The Planning Staff considered a number of factors in evaluating the Flexible Development <br />standards during the period July 1, 1997 - June 30, 1998: <br />• A total of eight (8) Concept Plans were reviewed under Flexible Development. <br />• The average subdivision size was 47.46 acres. This represents a 44.8% increase over the <br />1997 average of 32.78 acres. <br />Flexible Development Annual Report #2 July 1998 Page 6 <br />