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Mrs. Tina Coria is among the true leaders in our community. Her active participation in local, state and national government affairs is admirable. Thank you, Tina!

posted by Larrys at 9:16 PM

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Blogger Larrys said...

November 3, 2005

Letter to the Editor
Daily Herald a.k.a. Henry Herald

Dear Editor:
Please allow me an opportunity to make several comments regarding our Henry County Land Use Map, and more importantly, our Comprehensive Development Plan.

First, I do feel that Commissioner B.J. Mathis has done an outstanding job in trying to get a handle on quality growth and locking down our land use map to end the abuses and exceptions that have been set forth by some past, and some current, commissioners. I would like to remind our commissioners and mayors of several very simple fixes—you are not trying to redraw the Land Use Map; you are trying to update the Comprehensive Development Plan that governs the Land Use Map:

1) You must recognize where you came from, before you decide where you are going. Henry County was a substantial agricultural community when it began; it has grown to be a suburban bedroom community; and, furthermore has continued to promote itself, through the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, as being the Warehouse Capitol for both Atlanta and Georgia. Which brings me to the next point, we are a bedroom community, and that’s okay. We are also an agricultural community, and that’s okay. We are also a warehousing industry community (with millions of square feet unutilized), and that’s okay. You can’t change those facts with a Land Use Map. These are things that just need to be recognized and embraced so that we grow…
2) “Better not Bigger” which should be the focus of our growth patterns (and the title of a very good book that I recommend all to read). Need not Greed, (which I usually call “Zoning for Dollars”) is the way to control our growth and follow our plan. Regionalism not Individualism
3) We want quality not quantity, and one does not have to drive very far to see the plight of sprawl, we just keep rezoning one land use exception after another. I am overwhelmed at the incredible amount of vacancies that exist in these strip malls that our all over our County…and yet you just keeping telling us we need more, even though our Land Use Map does not call for it—(just because two roads come together doesn’t mean you need commercial, convenience stores or strip malls at every intersection in this county).
4) Local government is the biggest employer in Henry County, and it just keeps fueling itself to be bigger and bigger. Fact is that most folks living here who do not work for Henry County or her sister city governments, and don’t farm, or are not retired, actually work at other government jobs downtown Atlanta or for private sector entities either downtown Atlanta or at Hartsfield Jackson Airport. (Check the census that’s what it reveals).
5) Agriculture needs to have the same priority as High and Medium Density, most of the produce, vegetables, meat and food at your local grocery stores is grown in metro Atlanta…it doesn’t come from a manufacturing plant, another state or the moon. It is no wonder the poor farmer feels so unappreciated and feels as though they are being squeezed out of business when our local officials do not recognize their incredible economic and sustainable contribution. Not to mention that the farmers are absolutely no draw whatsoever on our public services or infrastructure. Cows don’t call 911, rob convenience stores, send their kids to overcrowded schools, use the library, use the courts, fill our jails, drive on our roads, water their yards or fill their pools when its not their assigned day, or use government medical, rehab and counseling services!
6) Interstate-75 (not Intra-County-75), as Mr. Elkins so eloquently points out, was designed to take folks from one end of our nation to the other…or as President Eisenhower put it “our interstates will connect our northerners to our southerners, and our westerners to our easterners, etc.” It was not built to be Henry County’s North and South corridor, whether we like it or not. If it were not so, those that have been here a decade or more know and remember “the good ole days” when Henry County was never ever mentioned on WSB’s traffic report; now every day, every week, Henry County dominates the traffic reports with our congestion from Locust Grove to Eagle’s Landing Parkway since we continue to think I-75 belongs to us.
7) Medium and High Density needs to be in the municipalities, not in the county and not at the interchanges. The municipalities have the infrastructure to support medium and high density, if that is what the municipalities desire…the county needs to get out of that business, the Land Use Map justifiably reflects that there are different land uses for county verses municipality.
8) And quit scarring folks with “if we don’t do it they’ll just annex into the city”. Fact is the state legislature in its great wisdom recognized and fixed the problem of developers just annexing in order to get the rezoning a developer may seek. You cannot annex into a municipality unless you are actually a contiguous landowner to the municipality. And, if there were three land or homeowners between you and the municipality you could not annex unless all the landowners between you and the municipality moved for annexation as one block…in other words you can’t piece meal annexations or create annexed “islands” which screws up your delivery of public services and who pays for what—municipality versus county services.
9) We need to update our Comprehensive Development Plan so that it matches our current Land Use Plan (not vice versa)—this makes the covenant between government and citizens mean something and work. We citizens live by the Land Use Map so that we all know how we will look when we are all grown up. It would give us quality, discipline and just the right density—there is room for everyone if we follow the current Land Use Map. I believe the above is what was intended by Commissioner Mathis’ moratorium. She was earnestly working towards lining up the current rezoning map with the current Land Use Map, but more importantly updating our Comprehensive Development Plan so that it is in sync with the Land Use Map. It is “the Plan” that implements “the Map”.
10) And, if the County Commissioners really are in charge and not the Water and Sewerage folks, then make Water and Sewerage, as well as Transportation folks, follow the Land Use Map when developing our infrastructure. The Water and Sewerage folks have directed most of the exceptions to our Land Use Map and derailed our planned growth patterns by dictating where this county grows by putting the water and sewer lines in wherever they please, lining many a pocket, while us longtime citizens continue to sit on aging septic tanks and wells, pay incredible tax dollars--yet being treated like second class citizens. It appears as though they come under no ones purview, as I have tried repeatedly in the past to get “their” map or find out why they don’t follow our map—(still waiting for either). (By the way, if former-Senator Mike Crotts is sincere that he was hoodwinked and did not mean to give the Water and Sewerage folks all the power and all the condemnation rights that he did through his self-sponsored state legislation that was passed and signed into law by the Governor—which should scare the pooh out of folks—and, without the approval of the County Commissioners—then all that has to be done is to have the current legislators repeal the legislation that granted this overreaching authority—I sure do like less government Senator Crotts, and accountable government—not an Authority that has power to condemn property in Savannah if it wanted to, and just does its own thing with no one accountable to the citizens.)
11) Lastly, mandate and codify the current Land Use Map, (like Fayette County and Peachtree City which has had the same Land Use Map for over forty years, or like Macon and Bibb County or like Athens and Clarke County), this means that anyone wanting to request a rezoning that is inconsistent with the Land Use Map must go before the County Commissioners and request that the Map be publicly amended, and both voted on and approved by showing a need for either public health, safety or welfare, before any exceptions to the Land Use Map could occur. Of course, this would take great will and leadership by our county commissioners and mayors as it would end “Zoning for Dollars”; it would perpetually keep our Land Use Map current (saving millions in tax dollars), as state code requires periodic approval by the Department of Community Affairs--since land use conversions would always match the current map; it would remove the ugly politics; it would end controversial rezonings; it would free up the commissioners to do real work and not continue to be bogged down and dominated by rezonings; it would end the feuds between developers and citizens; it would restore the good names of builders—since citizens confuse developers with builders; however, it would take away the power of the commissioners, and of course, no one likes to give up their power—even when it’s in the best interest of the public or the right thing to do. (Remember politics is not good or bad it is simply defined as “competing for scarce resources—either personal, economic or natural”).

And, Commissioner Holder, I tried to speak after you made your comments last Monday at the Land Use Map’s public meeting, but they said public comment had ended. I wish you were as passionate about the interest of your constituents as you are about development. Furthermore, to answer the question you asked the audience about whether or not citizens want to be told what to do with their land. The answer is “yes” when it comes to following the Land Use Map. Last time I checked that was called civilization. Let me ask you “would you feel like you had been cheated out of your future dreams and plans, if when you bought your home, you checked the Land Use Map and expected that your area would develop one way, but the folks next door put in a brothel, liquor store or Wal Mart????” That’s what happens when no one governs the land conversions in your area…which is why the state legislature in the seventies saw a great need to end the out of control and improper land conversions and zoning abuses that made local politicians rich while letting local citizens pick up the tab. Brush up on your history Commissioner Holder, that’s what led to you county officials having to implement a Land Use Map and Comprehensive Development Plan, as well as mandating that it be kept updated and periodically approved by Georgia Department of Community Affairs. We don’t want more laws; we just want the existing covenants between citizens and government honored and abided by.

Whether my fellow Henry County citizens agree or disagree with me, either way it is imperative that you contact your commissioner or mayor and have them either get on board, or oppose what the citizens of Henry County want. But, we need action and we need it now!

Fellow citizens please continue to elect folks who will represent us “the citizens” as their most important special interest group. Remember, we have no organized associations or lobbying groups with deep pockets, we only have our elected officials to act on our behalf and to represent our best interests with both their hearts and VOTES. God Bless America and God Bless Henry County!

Sincerely,
Tina Marie Coria

November 18, 2005 9:31 PM  

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