Post date: Mar 18, 2013 12:57:53 PM
The County Board of Supervisor (BOS) Meeting on the Special Use Permit of the 5th Street Station Mall floodplain fill in areas.
Here is what happened: Logan, Joan, Pat, Chris, Bill, Patrick, Claire, Jeff, Joelle and Mike M went to the meeting. Most of us spoke at the meeting. This was very effective and every speaker was clear and genuine about their concerns. I was impressed, because for me, speaking in front of a large and unknown crowd is very difficult.
The BOS picked up on that we were not speaking against the Mall but had genuine concerns for the damage that could result to the Willoughby property if the Developer was allowed to fill in floodplain areas and restore the creek area only on his side without any consideration of the adverse effects that would take place to our property.
Organizing ourselves, we were effective in having the following language added to the Special Use Permit:
"Stream bank mitigation on the Willoughby subdivision property shall be included in the mitigation plan as deemed necessary by the Program Authority and the Property Owner consents to the improvements in the mitigation plan. Such mitigation shall be consistent with the intent of the proffers."
This is intended to remind the Developer that his actions will need to incorporate where appropriate, the Willoughby side of Moore’s Creek and the Program Authority in charge, now knows that there is a place called Willoughby, adjacent to the mall.
Also, Mark Graham from the County Community Development has communicated to us that staff will engage the Willoughby property owners and make sure their perspective is being included in this consideration, both as related to the approved Special Use Permit and as related to the stream buffer mitigation plan.
Even if you do not understand any of this, working together as neighbors, we have saved a lot of trees from being destroyed that provide a buffer between Willoughby and the mall and we have taken a big step to protecting Willoughby property from further damage.
This is good work. Thanks to those that spoke and were able to attend the meeting.