Does city release, survey on school properties show pure folly or pure obfuscation?

(Rochester Voice graphic)

ROCHESTER - A couple of weeks ago the City of Rochester released a statement on its website informing the public that they were seeking input from residents for alternative uses of the former School Street and William Allen elementary school properties.
In the release they tell residents that the city "would issue Requests for Proposals to local developers that could potentially incorporate community feedback, adding the "survey invites residents to share information about their neighborhoods, including concerns related to safety, traffic, parking, and other impacts. It also asks for input on the types of redevelopment or adaptive reuse residents would like to see on the properties."
In the release they inform citizens that both school properties are zoned Residential-2, which allows for accessory apartments; multifamily, two-family, and single-family dwellings; certain home occupations; senior housing, resident day care and small wind energy systems.
But here's where their press release goes from "informative" to "noninformative."
While the city offers "explainers" on the permitted uses, they do no such thing on the "conditional" or "special exception" uses.
And there's the rub.
Under special exceptions an R-2 zone can have "community residences," which could be a sober home or drug rehab facility, something all residents should be aware of when they decide what kind of neighborhood they want to live in.
And while we support the use of so-called sober and drug recovery homes, the folks being asked for their input on what goes into their neighborhoods should be given all the info as they fill out the survey, not just those that are "cherrypicked."

Special exceptions uses also include commercial or industrial solar installations, and utility substations.

When The Rochester Voice saw this as a disservice, we sought out the city's public information office and asked for working definitions from the city's planning department. The public information office refused.
So we did some digging and found "explainers" for many of the terms that the majority of the general public would potentially not fully comprehend.
Now those who call themselves journalists know that often they have to do some digging to get their facts straight.

But what does irk this journalist is that the city doesn't give its own residents the information needed to make informed choices.
One longtime local journalist has often said government tries to treat folks like mushrooms. "Keep 'em in the basement and feed 'em ---- (manure)!"
In the end the City of Rochester may well use this survey to show resident support for sober homes, drug rehab homes and other uses that the city did not describe.

And speaking of the survey, it's very rich that the survey never asks

Would you like to see a sober home or drug recovery home in your neighborhood?

Would you like to see commercial or industrial solar installations in your neighborhood?

Would you like to see utility substations in your neighborhood?

Those who read The Rochester Voice will have a much better understanding of what the "conditional" and "special exception" uses in R-2 are, how their neighborhoods might be affected and what outcomes might be best for their families.
Those who just read the city's release will be underserved, by the government they pay for with their hard-earned money!
Here's a link to the city's original press release and the survey.