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Re: SG-W:/ Newmarket, again!
The deadline is May 16 for everyone, I believe. Check locally about
petition requirements.
Jeff Surfus wrote:
>
> Christina's and Jeff's travails in Pittsfield Twp painfully serve to
> highlight why we need to get good people to run for township boards in our
> townships across the county, right now! Until we can start setting the
> agenda from the inside, the boards will continue to appoint pro-development
> planning commissioners and we will continue to beat our heads against the
> wall in this "us" versus "them" battle.
>
> It's not too late to get YOUR name on the fall ballot in your township. We
> have the collective knowledge and resources to help folks make it happen, if
> they are willing to take that first step.
>
> Do we really want to be having these same conversations five years from now
> in Lima Twp, Sharon Twp, Sylvan Twp, etc?
>
> Jeff Surfus
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christina Lirones <goldenspiderfarm@hotmail.com>
> To: <smartgrowth-washtenaw@great-lakes.net>
> Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2000 8:24 AM
> Subject: SG-W:/ Newmarket, again!
>
> > Jeff Marine adds some excellent points to my rant. If you wonder why this
> is
> > so upsetting, why we can't seem to stop yelling about this project, one of
> > the primary factors has to be the behavior of our Planning Commission.
> >
> > It's inexplicable. They have never responded to one issue the residents
> have
> > brought. The meeting before last, they spent an enormous amount of time
> > talking about how they could, to use their words, "bulletproof" the
> > Newmarket proposal, so that when it goes to court, the residents can't
> > possibly prevail. Our Planning Commission describes we, the residents as
> > "they" and "them," and talk about when "they" take "us" to court. "us" is
> > the Planning Commission and the developer, we residents are "them."
> >
> > First of all, the developer sues the township in these cases (that is,
> when
> > it goes to a referendum, if the Board approves it, or more directly,
> they'll
> > sue the township if the Board denies it.). The citizens don't sue the
> > planning commission. So when they talk about we citizens suing them,the
> > Planning Commission, they're wrong.
> >
> > The Planning Commission is a citizen advisory board. They look at a
> > proposal, usually to how it relates to the master plan (Newmarket doesn't
> > conform), they look at impacts (all negative in this case), they make a
> > recommendation and pass it along. In no way are they supposed to
> > "bulletproof" the plan so that citizens will have no right to question
> their
> > decision. Frankly, they shouldn't really care if the citizens question
> their
> > decision.
> >
> > So, my final point is, when our Planning Commissioners call themselves and
> > the Developer "US," and base all their planning review on helping the
> > developer bulletproof his proposal, and we residents are "THEM," who is
> > representing the citizens of Pittsfield?
> >
> > Obviously, no one. We have no right to speak at our own meetings, except
> for
> > a few minutes at the beginning. Any facts and impact studies we bring in
> are
> > viewed with suspicion, while the developer can sashay in and say anything
> > and be believed 100% (ie, "The schools were very active participants at
> the
> > charrette." Actually, the schools had 45 minutes, to share with utilities
> at
> > the charrette, and were basically ignored -Duany didn't really even figure
> > out who thay were, according to the Saline Schools rep). We are presumed
> to
> > be lying (Marjorie Shelton always says we're there for "political
> reasons,"
> > so I assume she means we invented all the negative impacts because we so
> > desperately want to hold local political office. She says we're "whipping
> > people into a frenzy" and "scaring" them. We're not concerned about our
> area
> > - we're just trying to make Marjorie and the others look bad).
> >
> > I asked a question in the middle of a meeting last time - amazingly, they
> > let me speak; this has never happened before, that we could ask a
> question.
> > So I asked if I would be required to pay a minimum of $80,000 to pave the
> > road to serve Newmarket, since my farm fronts a gravel road (on two
> sides -
> > We'd pay another $80,000 on the other side) and Shelton literally screamed
> > at me that this was not the time or the place, that they had important
> work
> > to do - and they went right back to talking about the shape of the
> planters
> > in the Newmarket "downtown."
> >
> > So, anyway, that's the big problem: The developer is representing the
> > developer, the Planning Commission is representing the developer, and no
> one
> > is representing the citizens. Tina
> > ________________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
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> smartgrowth-washtenaw: Internet List and Forum for issues relating to
> sprawl, smart growth, and preservation of the quality of life in Washtenaw
> County.
>
> Postings to: smartgrowth-washtenaw@great-lakes.net For info, send
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> smartgrowth-washtenaw"
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smartgrowth-washtenaw: Internet List and Forum for issues relating to
sprawl, smart growth, and preservation of the quality of life in Washtenaw
County.
Postings to: smartgrowth-washtenaw@great-lakes.net For info, send
email to majordomo@great-lakes.net with a one-line message body of "info
smartgrowth-washtenaw"
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