Heart of the Triad plans need input, clear goals
Forsyth County commissioners Chairwoman Gloria Whisenhunt and her board enhanced citizen involvement in the Heart of the Triad's planning process. Heeding Commissioner Walter Marshall's concern that business and development interests could hijack the residents' positions of the committee, they clarified the resolution by noting that the Forsyth County residents serving as property owners on the advisory board cannot be qualified to serve in another capacity.
In a separate action, commissioners resolved not to use eminent domain to aid development in that area.
The Winston-Salem City Council validated landowner concerns by unanimously changing the resolution to state that the "city does not endorse any specific plan" for development. Citizens are pleased with the added language.
Perhaps other governing bodies will follow Forsyth County and Winston-Salem leadership. Adding language that requires clear, reasonable goals by which the work of the HOT committees' success may be measured and seating agricultural, environmental and historic preservation experts on the committees would be invaluable.
After all, active listening is what endears officials in the hearts of their constituents and celebrates the wisdom of all the community.
Donna Bonds
Kernersville
Comments (1)
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"In a separate action, commissioners resolved not to use eminent domain to aid development in that area."
For starters there is no way HOT can be built without the use of eminent domain. Local municipalities all claim they won't use eminent domain but that is only because they rely on the NCDOT to use eminent domain in order to build the super highways they are planning to access HOT. Our local politricksters are LYING when they claim eminent domain will not be used to build the project.
HOT is simply another tax-payer funded land grab put together by Robbie Perkins and his ilk. The Triad is currently seeing a glut of commercial properties and yet skumbag developers like Perkins continue to try to milk our tax base and destroy farms and fields.
Yes, developers and contractors will make a mint from HOT but they will do so at the expense of the taxpayers and the environment.
Posted on January 6, 2008 9:19 AM