Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2013 12:51:30 -0500
From: “John R Dykers”
Subject: Property rights and Chatham Matters and Chatham Park
Our property rights are constitutional but not God given. The framers of the constitution included several deists and even a religionist or two depending on interpretations, but all were declaring our independence and establishing a constitution to protect us from the Divine Right of Kings, most especially George, and the derived capacity to make legal declarations binding upon a subserviant population. These precious property rights were seriously violated by the Supreme Court in a Connecticut imminent domain case just 3-4 years ago. (sorry, I want to say Kelso, but the case name slips memory)
We often “grandfather in” preexisting institutions or buildings etc when establishing new requirements. This way we make gradual progress without undue disruption of what already works. Some, emphasize some, requirements for new construction actually save money for the new and would cost dearly if retrofitted to the old.
I have watched 50 years of change in Chatham County, mostly helpful and some nevertheless sad. Quail gone; deer plentiful. Formerly the opposite.
Traffic increased and transit time to Chapel HIll less. No traffic lights and a 2 lane highway from Siler City through Pittsboro and north to Chapel Hill and now 4 lanes and multiple stoplights. Amenities increased and Jordan Lake arrived. Imagine Cole Park Plaza and everything between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill woods and meadow with a dairy at Fearrington!
John Dykers