Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 17:51:53 -0400
From: “John R Dykers”
Subject: Re: zoning
I heard a ‘war story’ from Shawn Poe at Rotary lunch a few hours ago that is about to put me down squarely on the NO side of the fence! She promised to write a vignette about her experience and post it on the list.
BTW I helped push a motion at the Ag Advisory Board meeting to oppose county-wide zoning as an official recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. It passed the vote but was not carried to the Commissioners, not that Karen and Diana would have listened anyway! Jim Crawford does listen. And of course Walter Petty is already a ‘no zoning’ fan.
It is just that I think it is a complex issue and the factors in favor of no zoning have a better chance of carrying the day if we listen to the concerns of people who see zoning as a protection for their homes and investments therein. They have legitimate fears. They should feel that they are being heard by their neighbors; then they may be more likely to listen to the concerns of those who don’t want zoning. There seem to be several paths to wise development of Chatham County. Zoning is not the only path. So at least slowing to incremental zoning gives us an opportunity to learn and proceed more wisely.
“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”.
John Dykers
just a quick thought, there is, in no area that I have been a party to that is Zoned – Residential, “Hunting” without special consideration from the Department of Natural Resources…maybe I missed that section, but Chatham County Hunting brings some resource management that is not found locally….and is the expectation that Local Landowners will be stuck with the bill? or is this just another “unintended consequence”?