Geddes Ridge private development near the entrance to Gallup Park on Geddes Road.

Two weeks ago I pedaled east out Geddes Road to the Gallup Park entrance in search of a bench – or possibly just a plaque – that indicated the path was created in memory of someone. Even though I’d run past that marker many times, I no longer had a clear recollection whether it was a bench or a plaque, much less the actual name of the person. I think it was “Kahn.”

My thought was to put together a small feature for The Chronicle on the person the path was named after, if only to help populate the archives before we launched the publication. When I arrived at the place where I remembered the marker, I found the land cleared for a new development: Geddes Ridge. I searched the length of the path, but I could not find the marker. Perhaps it’s still there and I missed it. Perhaps it’s been moved.

I was reminded of my failure to find it, and how I had simply punted on the project last night at the city council meeting. On the agenda of the meeting was the new citizen participation ordinance [.pdf of full text of the ordinance] as well as a new ordinance on private streets, access, and land use control [.pdf. full text of the ordinance].

These ordinances, which were both approved, do not bear on projects like Geddes Ridge. However, there was some sentiment expressed both at Sunday caucus and at council on Monday (Sept. 8) that the ordinance mandating citizen participation does not articulate with enough specificity what other projects – besides PUDs, planned projects, and projects requiring site plan review – could trigger the ordinance. And from what The Chronicle understands, the Geddes Ridge project could still be built because it involves land division of two parcels into four parcels apiece, but could not be built if the eight resulting parcels had come from a division of a single parcel.

Stephen Rapundalo, in his communications from council, announced there would be a meeting at Angell Elementary School on Wed., Sept 10, starting at 7 p.m during which city planning staff will be on hand explain what the applicable codes are.

We invite readers to examine the new ordinances in detail and explicate how they do not bear on Geddes Ridge, or attend the Angell School meeting and report back on anything they heard or saw there. Comments are open.