I am voicing my concern over the Deep River Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) consideration to approve floating districts in our town. Floating zones would permit specific uses without mapping their location in advance. This would result in many unknowns as to how specific areas of the town could be developed, and therefore may put the interests of private developers above that of our town.

My concern is further heightened due to the recent application made by the Valley Railroad for developing 40-plus parking spaces in the very residential and quaint Deep River Landing neighborhood. The railroad’s application has since been pulled, but I question if it is just buying time and looking for other ways for meeting its business needs (i.e., floating zones)?

I encourage our town citizens to closely look into what floating zones could mean for our town, and who exactly might benefit. We have in place sufficient planning and zoning regulations, which are there to provide transparency. We need to look into this closely, and to question our elected officials on the hows, whys, whats, and wheres related to floating zones. I encourage your readers to ask questions, raise their voices, and attend the PZC meetings. Let’s make sure our town’s rules and regulations are supporting our town as a whole, versus a few special interests. Residents should consider attending the public hearing scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 17.

Renee Tschopp

Deep River