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Email Larry at
larry@larryspell.com
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I stand for
• Preserving our neighborhoods
• Protecting our citizens
• Ensuring that development is built in harmony
with the environment and existing communities
• Bringing people together to meet the challenges
our city faces
• Building a dynamic center city
Our homes, our families and our neighborhoods are my top priority. As our city grows, it's critical that we plan for change and assure the long-term stability of our neighborhoods.
As a resident of Slay Drive, I have a personal stake in the university-area communities.
Our quality of life depends, in many ways, on the quality of our community. That's why I have a strong commitment to making sure our neighborhoods thrive. That means making decisions that will help preserve the value of our homes, our close-knit bonds and the attractiveness and safety of our streets.
One of my main goals is to create a Council of Neighborhoods to work directly with the city on issues that affect us. This permanent, city-wide commission would join other boards such as the Historic Preservation Commission and the Community Appearance Commission to give citizens a lasting forum. Each neighborhood association in Greenville would send one representative to severe on this commission. The Council of Neighborhoods will address the needs of our neighborhoods and find solutions to our most pressing concerns. Active citizens will have a direct voice in shaping sensible policy, which will make our neighborhoods stronger.
Development decisions should balance the needs of neighborhoods and businesses to create a healthy community. That means respecting our natural environment, traditional neighborhoods and open places while encouraging development and growth as appropriate.
Build stronger neighborhoods
• Ensure that new neighborhoods are built in harmony with their surroundings
• Require developers to include parks and “green space” in all
new neighborhoods
• Make sure that the streets of new neighborhoods are connected to existing
streets in such a way that encourages residents to walk or bike to other parts
of the city
Reinvest in existing neighborhoods
• Repair sidewalks and streets
• Add street lamps to improve safety and appearance
• Expand the Greenway to make it of greater use to residents
• Make improvements to existing parks and where possible create new neighborhood
parks
• Plant and preserve canopy trees especially along streets
Our community is safer when the police and citizens work together. That’s why I support the expansion of the Greenville Police Department’s community policing programs. These programs build trust. Trust and strong relationships can improve the department's ability to prevent crime.
I also support the neighborhood watch program. I serve as the neighborhood watch coordinator for my neighborhood, and understand the importance of this program in protecting our homes.
But the police department must have the resources it needs. I want to make sure our budget serves the department by providing enough funding for community policing and other steps to protect our neighborhoods, downtown and university area.
I recently spent a Saturday night riding with a patrol officer in the Tar River/University Neighborhood and downtown. I saw our officers keeping up a relentless pace as they responded to many difficult situations.
What we must do is make sure our patrol force has the officers, equipment and training needed to answer the calls of all our citizens. I am committed to making sure the dollars, vision and support is available to do so.
We should ensure that new development is built in harmony with the environment and existing communities. All citizens of Greenville should benefit from the growth we are so fortunate to have. We should create wise plans for growth and stick to them. We owe it to future generations to make thoughtful decisions.
Unfortunately, our city council has made some poor choices about growth. In February 2004, my opponent and four other members of the city council changed the Comprehensive Land Use Plan to allow high density residential development in the flood plain. This policy will put many people at risk. To encourage hundreds of people to live in low-lying areas creates a dangerous situation in the event of a flood. As we've seen with Hurricane Floyd, storms can create unimaginable flooding, damage and heartache.
Some development on the edges of the floodplain would be possible without endangering future citizens. However, the new policy adopted by the city council permits high density apartments in the areas hit hardest by the flood waters of Hurricane Floyd.
The supporters of this new policy defend it by saying that city ordinances require these new residential developments to be elevated so that the lowest occupied floor is above the floodplain. Unfortunately, that rule won’t keep people from being trapped in their homes when the waters rise.
We may never live to see another flood like Hurricane Floyd, but it is certain that someone will. In the future, our city leaders will have to risk the lives of rescue workers and send boats and helicopters to save their fellow citizens if we continue with this policy.
We should not let this happen. While we cannot control natural disasters, we can change course and adopt a policy that protects the safety of our citizens and allows for reasonable development.
Strengthen ties between the people and government
Government works best when it brings people together. Our city is home to many people with a variety of backgrounds and talents, and our city government should reflect that diversity.
Most important, our future should not be mapped out in back rooms by a handful of people. The input of citizens should be actively sought throughout the decision making process.
It is the duty of each member of the City Council to keep the public informed on the actions of their government. That is why I’m pledging to hold frequent “town hall” meetings and attend neighborhood association events as often as possible. Just showing up to meetings and voting is not enough, a city councilman should go to the people, not wait for them to go to him.
We have the potential to create in our downtown area a dynamic city center with a variety of commercial activities. We are starting to see some new stores and restaurants opening in Uptown Greenville, but there is more work to be done before our center city reaches its potential.
An important component of invigorating the downtown area is creating additional residential buildings. What I envisions are several mixed use buildings with retail or office space on the bottom floors and apartments above. This type of development would give people the potential to live, work and play all within walking distance.
