Development Route

Last night I attended a meeting about a development not far from me. Called a traditional neighborhood district, the 60-acre project would bring in 91 homes (amended by the developer from 198, including five three-story condominiums) about 135,000 square feet of business space.

It would be located smack on the corner of Country Club Road and U.S. 220, in a rural farming district. The caveat? It's across from Ashley Plantation and in the middle of two golf courses.

The county's comprehensive plan (the guidebook for the locality) calls for the land to remain rural residential. That is, a house on 2.5 acres of land.

This has been difficult for me because of my work. As a freelance writer who covers the county government for the newspaper (it's complicated), I do my best to be objective and stay in the middle. I am the person who stands back and watches what happens, without a voice.

However, this development directly impacts me. It is not "in my back yard" but I would pass it every day, be affected by the traffic, and have to look at it.

When I spoke with the developer I told him I didn't appreciate his "enhancements" to what to me is already perfect. Mother Nature does a darned fine job in her creations, after all.

After much thought and a little prayer, I decided to send an e-mail to my planning commission noting my objection to the project. This was a big thing for me to do because of my concern, however illogical, that it might impact me professionally.

After all, the developer had already called my editor accusing me of bias because I mentioned the development in a story about water conservation.

The editor said the story wasn't biased, though.

And where is it written that a reporter/journalist/writer in the community has no rights and no say on what goes on around her?

I know my letter was read because several officials mentioned it to me.

In any event, about 85 people turned out to protest the development. The developer brought along 15 friends to attest to his character (though I am not at all sure what that has to do with anything), so there was about 100 people there. In a small meeting room, it was a standing-room-only crowd.

In the end, the planning commission recommended denial of the project. It now goes to the supervisors for their review and their vote.

I am not opposed to "growth" or housing or building, although I confess I would like to see a lot less of it. But there are proper places for development, and plopping a "town" down in the middle of nowhere just doesn't make any sense.

As one man said at the meeting, when the farms are all gone, what will we eat?