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Editorials - 11/01/01Helicopter again proves Jackson needs land use planning |
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Pardon us, folks, but we're about to climb back up on our soapbox for the latest round in our ongoing effort to make county officials and residents alike see what should be as plain as the noses on their faces.
Jackson County needs a land use plan to protect the interests of all its citizens, taxpayers and landowners, and the latest controversy, the helicopter that our county commissioners may soon legislate out of business, serves once more to drive home that fact. Here again we have commissioners poised to target one industry. Just like 1999's billboard moratorium and this year's temporary asphalt-plant ban, the proposed helicopter ordinance is a knee-jerk reaction to a group of outraged citizens. Right here is where all of us need to look at the past and learn from it. Until this helicopter ordinance is passed, there is nothing to stop another helicopter business from locating here. And if and when it is passed, it does nothing to prevent another undesirable industry (e.g. smelly hog farms, noisy chip mills) from locating in unincorporated areas of our county. If this county's residents truly want to see commissioners act to protect their communities from industrial harm, they should demand comprehensive land use planning rather than these case-by-case, temporary remedies. If protecting the quality of life currently enjoyed by Jackson County's citizens is really a priority, then all of us need to make our wishes known to our elected leaders so they can get on with it. Zoning in any form has historically been regarded with suspicion in the mountains, although it was mentioned early and often during last year's Smart Growth meetings as something our county needs. We heard a comment at one public hearing to the effect that "I've never been for zoning, but I am now." Yet when community-based zoning was attempted less than five years ago, the nay-sayers blocked its passage. The people of Jackson County seem quick to get "riled up" when their particular community is threatened. We've seen it with regard to an eyesore in Beta, proposed landfills in Savannah and Blantons Branch, cell towers, asphalt plants, helicopters and extraterritorial jurisdiction. We wish all our communities could band together and support what's best for the county as a whole. Our commissioners are only human. They want to see evidence of broad-based support before they embark on land use ordinances. Let's give it to them and hope they'll move forward. It's not only Qualla that's threatened; all of our communities are at risk. It's time to work together to protect Jackson County. |
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