Hi,

The meeting only a week from tomorrow is crucial to the patterns of future growth in the county.

Commissioners Rodney Long, Cynthia Chestnut and Lee Pinkoson instructed staff to "mediate" the comp plan that had been carefully constructed over several years. Staff was "ordered" to come to an agreement with challengers. All the challengers had to do was insist and staff had to accept changes that have greatly weakened the plan:

1) The Conservation Element changes reduce protection for wetlands and habitat.

Wetland protection is essential because of water quality and flood/drought control. Water will become more precious and expensive.

2) The Future Land Use Element - Urban Services and Urban Cluster - has been changed to make the idea of controlling sprawl a sick joke.

Staff had carefully considered the use of financial and natural resources in the plan that DCA found in total compliance with state regulations. Staff had allowed for ample room for growth in an orderly manner. Sprawl is the most costly growth to taxpayers.

3) The Level of Service on some rural roads has been reduced, thereby exacerbating the nightmare traffic we face while going to work, store, school or library.

Two words can strike fear into the heart of a driver: Archer Road. Roads are costly community projects.

As you can see, the changes ordered by Commissioner Long, Chestnut and Pinkoson mean that the majority of citizens will suffer a reduced quality of drinking water, a diminished quality of life, and have to pay higher taxes for the privilege. Keep in mind that the same three commssioners wanted a 5-cent/gallon gas tax and still want to raise the sales tax. Why? Because growth does not pay for itself - taxpayers do the paying, and paying, and paying.

If Commissioners Long, Chestnut and Pinkoson insist on ignoring the established process that protects the rights of developers and citizens equally, the developers' plan will be adopted next week. The Administrative Hearing will be moot.

Instead, they should join Commissioners Mike Byerly and Penny Wheat in support of the legal comp plan designed by staff and approved by DCA. Challengers will still be entitled to the Administrative Hearing on July 25.

That's why Tuesday, July 15th, 6:00pm, at the County Administration Building is crucial.

Ellie

http://www.afn.org/~thescore/v12.htm