Quality of Life by Mayor Steven R. Rothman
January 1988

Firstly, Englewood must resist the efforts of those who would seek to alter, intentionally or otherwise, our low rise, low density, residential character. Don’t permit the over-building and overrenovation that some will request, or demand, on any lot in Englewood.

Permitting projects that meet all of our zoning ordinance requirements regarding height, front, side and rearyard setbacks and on-site parking, makes use of Englewood’s land in a manner that is consistent with the kind of community we want to maintain while producing ratables. Permitting variances for more height, insufficient setbacks and inadequate on-site parking will destroy this community, lot by lot, and will produce no more than a minuscule difference in ratables compared with what our existing zoning ordinance permits.

If our concern is the quality of life, then we must not permit any compromises with our zoning ordinances on any lot.

If our concern is about the tax rate, then the only place to focus attention continues to be on restrained and well-managed government spending.

Fallacious arguments have been made claiming some relation between overbuilding and the “saving” of Englewood. Englewood’s financial situation is now rock solid, and planned to stay that way. Don’t destroy the character of our community utilizing a false and disfiguring solution to attack an imaginary problem.

Secondly, Englewood must continue what has been a marked improvement in the quality and dependability of D.P.W. services. In addition, the beautification of Englewood’s neighborhoods and parks with street, curb, side-walk, city tree, recreational facility, traffic and street sign repairs and replacements should now receive greater attention.

We have, as you may know, applied a great deal of effort to realize improvements in just these areas alone and we are confident that we have instituted the short and long range plans that will allow Englewood to “catch up” in these very important areas.

However, additional public attention, reflected in gradually increased budgets for these areas of short term work and long term maintenance, is required.