Commissioners Recognize Ashbourne's Steep Slopes as the Pivotal Issue

Last Weds. night, the commissioners unanimously voted to elevate the "steep slopes" issue to the top of the recommendation list for the Zoning Hearing Board. That represented something of a defeat for Matrix and victory for CC4A and the community in the efforts to limit development to responsible and appropriate portions of the property.

Following the unanimous passage of the resolution directed to the ZHB, Matrix Development principal Don Epstein virtually stormed out of the meeting, unhappy with the result and momentum it represents. It was yet another CC4A initiated outcome, based on factual presentations and community-centered concerns.

The July 27th ZHB session 7:30 PM at Curtis Hall promises to be a significant one with Matrix engineers trying to defend their plans to build on steep slopes (which is prohibited under the Age Restricted ordinances) and CC4A's legal and engineering experts questioning and confronting the inappropriate inclusion of non-developable areas.

Our experts have pegged the number of units at around 150, a dramatic decrease from the original 485 which prompted early community concern and opposition. The 226 number which Matrix has recently proposed is still too many units for such a sensitive and historically significant property. If you can't join us at the ZHB meeting on the 27th, enable us to continue the fight via a PayPal donation or personal check to CC4A, either of which is a tax deductible contribution.