Dear Neighbor,
As some of you may already know, I announced last week my intention to run for the Provo City Council – City-Wide seat. Laura Cabanilla has decided to not seek re-election and I am honored to have her endorsement and support.
I am running because I believe I can “Add Value” to our great city. I am focusing on three primary areas where I feel I can best add value – to our businesses, our neighborhoods, and our families.
This letter is directed specifically to those who are and have recently participated in Provo’s Neighborhood Chair program. You know as well as any in our community how important our neighborhoods are to our quality of life here in Provo. As I said in my press release I really believe that Provo is only as strong as its neighborhoods.
In my own Rivergrove Neighborhood my wife and I saw the potential harmful impacts that an ill conceived development or project can have on a neighborhood. Freedom Academy which is a K-8 Charter school (which my two sons attend) was considering expanding to a high-school. We supported the school’s choice to expand but felt given the increased traffic on our already stressed neighborhood infrastructure the expansion would literally ruin our neighborhood. After years of being told they would consider other sites we were shocked to find that due to unexpected circumstances the Freedom School Board was now only considering the current site (does this situation sound familiar to any of you?).
With a very motivated Neighborhood Chair and a number of concerned neighbors (many with students attending Freedom Academy) we rallied to persuade the Board to reconsider. We worked through email, blogs, flyers, and other methods to communicate our concerns. We also contacted our city and state officials. In the end, the Board decided to consider an alternate location more appropriate for the student numbers and traffic. As a neighborhood, we were delighted to see the school break ground on that alternate location not far from their current building earlier this year.
As a former member of the Provo City Planning Commission I saw similar stories play out over and over as neighborhoods felt threatened by poorly designed projects. As your next City Council Member I will be a strong advocate for protecting our traditional neighborhoods. I will work to ensure proper communication between developers and neighbors is taking place and that proper protocols are in place and being followed so both neighbors and developers can expect a consistent and fair process.
Let me be clear that I am certainly pro-property rights. I encourage property owners and developers to maximize their property value. However, projects cannot be completed in a vacuum and all stakeholders need to be respected. I believe a balance can be struck.
I look forward to visiting with you in the coming months along the campaign trail. I would be delighted to visit with you personally or together with your neighbors sometime.
Please feel free to contact me at 801.960.4934 or Frandsen.ryan@gmail.com. My website includes information on other issues I am concerned about at www.RyanFrandsen.com. You can also follow the campaign on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
Sincerely,
Ryan
