Step back, Orange, and plan development
Date published: 8/7/2009
Step back, Orange, and plan development
I suppose I should know what I am missing.
Why would the Orange County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors look past the fact that there are owners of the land along the State Route 3 corridor who are willing to cooperate with the county and one another, to plan and create a model entranceway into our county?
They'd do this by moving commercial development back off Route 3, perhaps along a parallel road, giving residents the desired box stores (including Wal-Mart), shops, restaurants, and even a much-needed hotel, without creating the probability of a many-mile-long blight forever replacing the existing woodland along the road's northern border.
Much of the resistance is not to the Wal-Mart per se, but stems from the fact that Orange County residents recognize that once construction on a major project such as this has begun and the county has crossed the Rubicon, there is no turning back--and we will inherit in perpetuity an enlarging strip mall, with all its ugliness and problems, as the remaining parcels of land along Route 3 are developed.
Why not step back, continue the creative planning process, do the job right, and create a model northern gateway to Orange County of which we can be proud?
William R. Wilson
Orange
Date published: 8/7/2009
Most recent reader comments:
"BoS Have Done Their Job Properly"
(posted by
Einstein
, Aug. 8, 2009 1:27 pm)  
Does that include firing someone who dared break from the party line and offer a reasonable alternative? Always a sign of sterling integrity when a challenge causes the status quo to panic and seek retribution. If that act didn't set off alarm bells nothing will.
Planning was done
(posted by
wideopenspace
, Aug. 7, 2009 7:11 pm)  
2 years ago, nobody spoke out. A study of the area was done a year ago, nobody spoke out. When news that a Wal-Mart was coming in, everyone spoke out. Too late now that some didn't pay any attention 2 years ago. Blame yourself not the BOS, they have acted accordingly to what the people wanted when surveyed about the future Comp Plan several years ago. They even had a public hearing before voting on it yet very few voices showed up to oppose what was planned. The BOS has done their job properly.
"Hi, it's us, your grand kids."
(posted by
Einstein
, Aug. 7, 2009 11:23 am)  
"We need to ask, What were you thinking?"
Property Rights
(posted by
grumpy
, Aug. 7, 2009 8:05 am)  
Other landowners may profit from your prooposal, but the owners of this property, who apparently have a contract with Wal-Mart, would not.
This is exactly the point of the whole debate. It astounds me why the Orange BoS will not choose to be good stewards of the land and plan properly, rather then bow to big box hell.
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