By Messenger Staff
The board of the Candler Park Neighborhood Organization is updating the way it verifies the residency of its members.
The Historic District vote is slated for September and residency of members is not reviewed annually. Ahead of this important vote the board has asked its members to take an additional step to verify their residency. To verify your eligibility, fill out this form (or go to Candlerpark.org/Renew). At the end of the form you will be asked to add a photo or screenshot showing your name and address. As the form states, “This item may be a photo or screenshot of an item such as your voter registration card (… example … MyVoterPage, …), utility/tax bill, or government document. Renters may also use a lease.”
This important vote will be to decide whether or not Candler Park becomes a Historic District. For the last year, a committee of the CPNO has been exploring this issue and it has proven to be the subject of spirited debate during CPNO members’ meetings, in other public meetings and online discussions.
Because of the importance of that upcoming vote, the Board decided to implement the additional residency verification.
Christina Hodgen, CPNO’s president, told the Messenger that, “setting aside any (unproven) rumors surrounding the previous historic designation vote, [in the 1990s] my goal (and that of the Board) is to be able to say with absolute certainty the historic district vote is an accurate and fair representation of the CPNO membership, which includes as many residents as possible weighing in on the decision. The potential rezoning of our entire neighborhood, which would be immediate upon submission and last for up to six months as the city works through the process before a final vote, is a serious enough vote to check eligibility.”
In recent public comments, some residents have said they do not agree with the new requirements. Criticisms include; the requirement is an additional barrier to voting and particularly burdensome this close to the September vote.
Addressing the new residency requirement, Emily Taff, chair of the Historic Designation Committee, told the Messenger, “I think it’s important that we make sure we are only representing Candler Park people.” Referring to a vote that took place on the issue years ago, Taff said, “especially given the concern that in the 1990s – many non-Candler Park people may have shown up to vote on the historic district then.”
Hodgen reminded everyone that it is also important to make sure you have renewed your membership. To check on your status, simply go to this link on the CPNO’s website . The prompt will ask you to log in and it will give you the date that you last renewed. The link to the membership eligibility form is also on the same page.
She also stressed that if anyone has any problem with the process or if anyone has a question about it, to please email the CPNO Board at board@candlerpark.org