Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Impractical and Undesirable

I don’t often read Howard County Issues, but it just so happened that I took a look at the current issue, which I believe was just published. One of the articles that struck my interest was written by one of the so-called “Concerned Citizens of Western Howard County”. The article is really a speech that was delivered at a CCWHC fundraiser last fall. The speech was pretty lame and boring, even though it mentioned two hookers at one point.

The CCWHC are a group of primarily older residents (the group does not even have a website for crying out loud) who wish to stop progress and market driven development from coming west. They popped out of the woodwork after a car dealership in Daisy was proposed. I found this paragraph from the speech interesting:

The Millinix car business was one of the reasons the County more than 50 years ago designated the lots at the intersection as a B-2 zoning district. Then the County’s General Plans in both 1990 and 2000 set a new zoning policy for rural crossroads like Daisy, saying commercial development was “impractical and undesirable”. Unfortunately, the County failed to make our zoning laws conform to that policy- a big mistake for us. Hence, our current battle for Daisy’s soul.


Note the use of the phrase “impractical and undesirable”. Well, for whom? If commercial development was really impractical and undesirable in Daisy, why would it occur? Why would you even need a plan to make such a declaration? Why would a commercial RE developer want to build something where no one wanted to shop? Don’t those guys have something better to spend their money on?

I have little patience for this kind of anti-growth rhetoric. With all else that is going on with our economy, you would think that the new jobs that this car lot will bring would be welcomed. After all, there was a car dealership in the area as long as 50 years ago, and that intersection has always been commercial.

Of course, development there suddenly became impractical and undesirable.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why didn't you just *say* you wanted to be included on the guest list next time?

Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

Does that pass for an intelligent comment these days? No wonder you posted that anon. Sheeeeit.

Anonymous said...

I would not want to defend Howard Co. Issues, or the "speech" you mentioned in your posting Free Market.

But I would defend the commuity's desire for a safe intersection at this site. For me that is the main thrust in this dispute.

I worked in Howard Co. when there were no more than 2 cop's and the fresh air had the smell of manure.
In those days I enjoyed the undeveloped county atmosphere,and dragged raced with the good old boy's on the back roads without fear of doing harm, there were so few people, homes and other signs of life to do harm to.

But I moved to the county, not to smell manure, nor to drag race, but to expect a place were my children would be taught in a quality school system, and be safe and because it offered the hope for a better life style for my family.

Most who have moved here wanted the same thing, so in doing so we created new problems with the development that followed.

So now those of us responsible for changing the county, need to accept the responsiblily to bring balance to this county.

Counter to those who fight development, i agree there should be development, but controlled and well thought out, and counter to those who want development, I want to save the beauty of the county and make it a safe place to live.

That is the balance we need in Howard county, but what i see and hear are toooooo many voices who want to identify, or even imagine problems, instead of looking for, and offerring solutions.

Anonymous said...

Jim, if the main thrust is safety at this intersection, why don’t you tell us why a car dealership would make it unsafe? By taking it a priori that a car dealership is dangerous without explaining why, you are just fear mongering.

I still smell manure in Howard County, but its source is no longer livestock. That smell now comes from politicians, special interests and other community activists.

Anonymous said...

But the few powerful people who manipulate the legal system,the election system, the financial system are smelling like roses? Come on FM!!

You have to be kidding here.

Anonymous said...

I included special interests in my statement. That covers everyone who seeks special favor at the expense of someone else.

Anonymous said...

FEAR MONGERING, hell no!!!

F.M. you live close enough to the site in question, if you haven't been there, take a look at it soon, and then tell me how safe it is.

Go up the hill, turn around and come back slowly, and ask your self how safe you would feel if you were doing the speed limit, and a truck was pulling out on the left side of the road on the down
side of the hill, especially the type of truck that is hauling 5 or 6 cars. As you make a left at the base of the hill, imagine, if you would how much more traffic you think the area can handle.

If you think i am fear mongering, than I am going to think of you as an ultra conservative, who says to hell with the people, up,up, and away with business at any cost.