District 3 Citizen's Comments
"Mr. Jim Harrell
Today it is difficult to get out and onto Castleberry - - - at times actually dangerous - - - can you imagine what 24,000 extra cars per day would do - - - there will be back-up in all the sub-divisions on Majors, Castleberry, and Route 9 from people trying to leave their homes!!!!!
Resident, Hampton Forest Subdivision, Castleberry Road"
"Mr Harrell,
Don't be surprised that, if this monstrosity gets approved, the first effort to mitigate the anticipated traffic will be to start the widening of Castleberry above Bethelview (and likely 4 lanes due to this proposed project). Then the 3 developer friendly commissioners will suggest that the rest of Castleberry be four-laned to Bethelview, and Majors be four-laned all the way over to the Post Road from Ronald Reagan. It is uncertain when and if the state will eve widen Route 9 in our lives so the developer will ask his friends on the Board for traffic relief - - - - caused of course by this incredibly improper zoning!!
Resident Creekside Sudivision, Castleberry Road"
"Dear Commissioner Harrell:
As an elected official, the citizens of your district placed a great deal of trust in you to properly represent them. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan is the result of a tremendous effort involving many citizens of the community. This plan is clearly the expressed interests of the local residents. You have been entrusted to protect their interests. I ask that you take this responsibility seriously by voting NO on Zoning Application 3411.
I realize that you have the responsibility to represent many interests, not just those of the residents of the neighborhoods affected by this zoning application. However, it is not your responsibility to determine the appropriate use of land. That work has already been completed and is documented in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Minor deviations from the plan can be considered, however, major deviations render the plan worthless. This would be a tremendous disappointment to the people who worked so hard to develop the plan, as well as those who trusted that it would protect their property values and their quality of life. Please do not let that happen.
Sincerely,
Residents Polo Golf and Country Club"
"Dear Mr. Harrell:
I am imploring you to vote against the massive development complex reflected in Zoning Application 3411 which violates the Forsyth County UDC statute. My wife and I have resided in the Hampton Forest development since it was created back in the mid 1990’s, and invested in our home in this area to enjoy a low-density living environment that South Forsyth offered. We, like most other residents in this area want to maintain this style of living, and this bloated development complex threatens our investment and our way of life. You are familiar with all the infrastructure and traffic burdens this proposed community will impose upon us, effectively turning Forsyth into an uncontrolled growth county like Gwinnett. This area is zoned properly and needs to continue to be zoned in this manner.
Mr. Harrell, we have formed a community organization to fight against this development. My wife and I will reward anyone in local government who votes to preserve our lifestyle with our vote, however we will vehemently and passionately oppose any candidate who votes in favor this or any other proposals like this. This will be the sole factor in determining how we cast our vote for commissioner. This view is shared by most everyone we have interacted with. We are MOTIVATED VOTERS. Please keep this in mind and vote to keep our community intact by voting NO to zoning application 3411."
Resident, Hampton Forest
"The credibility of the county government is being called into question. Considerable resources are expended developing a land use plan for future development. Here it is known as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Why does the county consistently ignore the plan whenever a developer requests an "amendment"? Every amendment has an impact on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and becomes an insult to every citizen who purchases property in good faith, trusting that the plan will be followed. Some people really do check the plan before deciding to buy property because safety and surroundings are important."
Resident, Creekside Subdivision
“Several neighbors provided Jim Harrell many kinds of support when he ran for the county commission two years ago. His platform was very homeowner oriented: stop the rapid un-disciplined growth, follow the Land Use Plan and the UDC, build infrastructure, allow no spot zonings, and when a developers’ lawyer asks for a zoning such as Venable Hall in an inappropriate location, point them in the direction of the several suitable sites designated in the Land Use Plan.
We now ask Mr. Harrell neither to break his promises to the citizens of the 3rd district nor to ignore the Land Use Plan and the UDC statutes. Most of all please do not break our trust by voting to approve this very inappropriate re-zoning.”
Resident, Castleberry Road
"Dear Commissioner Harrell:
Please vote NO on Zoning Application 3411.
My neighbors and I are concerned that the application violates the Forsyth County UDC statute. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan – which has undergone many revisions to suit developers’ wishes – is a document that had the intention of avoiding the untenable traffic density that will surely overtake this area. It appears that there are still no date-stamped plan to widen Highway 9, and of course the widening of Hwy 141 has taken on the proportions of the New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine… under construction since 1897.
Tangential to the problem of what one does with all of the cars to be housed in this development, three things come to mind: (1) Using the entrance on commercial Hwy 9 as a vehicle for arguing that 3411 is also something that applies to residential Castleberry Road is a governmental shell game. It hoodwinks homeowners / taxpayers who have been in place for decades; (2) If this development reopens a plan to widen Castleberry Road from Hwy 9 to the Cumming Square (I’m certain that Mayor Gravitt will be ecstatic), you will be in for a fight. That scenario is the tail wagging the dog: A two lane commercial thoroughfare and a four lane residential street; (3) If developers, currently sitting on unconstructed, overgrown property will use this as their position to increase the hard negotiated density or home sizes; the entire complexion of why most of us moved here will be lost.
Please give this your careful consideration, as a single decision can have a detrimental snowball effect in areas far exceeding traffic.
Sincerely
Resident on Castleberry Road"