The Linwood Acres neighborhood, which consists of 68 homes on Randy Lane and Larry Way, has been designated an agricultural/residential zone (A1) since it was incorporated into the city in 1955. For the past year, the neighborhood has been split over whether the neighborhood should be designated under R1, a residential zoning, like the rest of the city, or should have a special zoning to preserve its rural atmosphere.

Residents were so divided about what to do that two neighborhood groups formed. Personal attacks broke out at planning commission meetings. Even planning commissioners and staff became targets of criticism. Finally, three different proposals lay on the table for the city council to choose among at its Nov. 3 meeting.

But just 15 minutes before the item was to come up in council chambers, the divided Linwood residents surprised everyone and reached a compromise.

"The neighborhood was polarized during the rezoning process. But we reached an agreement," said Griffin, leader of the special zoning group. He was flanked by Thanh Nguyen and P.J. Yim, leaders of the R1 group. "This is a win-win situation for all of us."

The city council was delighted.

"The neighborhood can serve as a role model for the rest of the city," said Mayor Michael Chang. "This is a testament to your perseverance and willingness to work together."

The compromise is a great victory for the neighborhood, but it didn't come easily.

Before the council meeting, Linwood Acres was a neighborhood where some residents wouldn't talk to their neighbors and at times communicated with each other through signs. This was a neighborhood where the special zoning group identified themselves with a rainbow ribbon and the R1 group differentiated themselves with a yellow paperboard that said "R1. Equality. Consistency. Fairness." at planning commission meetings.

But after the city council unanimously approved the rezoning of the neighborhood to R-1A—a special zoning for the Linwood neighborhood—supporters of each group hugged one another, patted one another on the back and shook hands.

"Some of us wanted to fight all the way, but we realized the harmony of the neighborhood is more important," said Yim.

The neighborhood has come a long way to reach the consensus.

For the past few years, tension escalated between Linwood's one-story homeowners and some two-story homeowners, because the current A1 zoning has no regulations over two-story development. Some residents complained that big two-story houses had second-story windows that allowed the owners to look down into their neighbors' bedrooms.

In October of 2002, Linwood residents began talking about rezoning.

To keep the neighborhood's rural atmosphere and ensure better privacy, a group of residents have worked with the planning department to create a special zoning for Linwood Acres.

But the rezoning endeavors divided the neighborhood, ideologically and emotionally.

Griffin's group, coordinated by senior planner Peter Gilli, had a total of 36 meetings since last October and came up with a proposal that demanded more neighborhood notification and privacy protection. At the same time, another group went from door to door to collect signatures for a petition to support R1 zoning. The planning commission heard both sides at a lengthy and explosive meeting on Sept. 22 and drafted yet a third proposal. The commission voted 3-2 to pass the proposal to the city council.

The contentious meeting was a wakeup call for the residents when both groups realized leaving a third party to decide on their fate could create a zoning that both groups couldn't live with.

Randy Lane resident Geoffrey Paulsen, who supports the R1 group, offered the first olive branch and persuaded leaders of both sides to talk to each other. At first, the meetings went well, but they stopped the negotiations when the planning commission started talking about reconsidering their proposal. In the week leading up to the city council meeting, senior planner Gilli intervened to resume the talks.

"The compromises all centered around the need to allow flexibility for new development while providing protection from the adverse impacts of the development," Gilli said. "When the two groups differed, I suggested a middle ground, which each side agreed with."

After the strenuous process, both sides wanted a quick closure. So when city Councilman Patrick Kwok suggested at the Nov. 3 meeting that the final compromise version go to the planning department for review, the Linwood residents at the meeting roared "drop it."

Griffin said the zoning made Linwood Acres a special neighborhood.

"Before the rezoning, our neighborhood was different from the rest of the city because of our zoning [A1]. We still are. The zoning gives us a sense of uniqueness," he said.

It is not just the zoning that makes the neighborhood so special.

"The neighborhood succeeded as a community," Paulsen said. "Both groups are able to work out their differences. Isn't that what we are trying to accomplish as a city and as a world? I cannot wait for a block party to celebrate our success."