Some residents in Paradise are upset with the way a subdivision expansion is going at Karwood Estates. The Bennett family live on nearby Goldfinch Drive, and say that when they built their home in 2003, the Paradise Town Council told them they could only fill their land a limited distance, to protect a wetland.
Today, Bill Bennett says, there is a wall of fill at the edge of his backyard that's about 15 feet high, and he's worried about the height and steep angle of the fill, as well as contamination, mud slides and wildlife habitat. He says they seem to change their mind on a whim in Paradise without consultation. He believes the town council is bowing to the developer.
Rodney Cumby is the chief administrative officer of the town. Cumby says from what he can gather, the wall is not 15 feet high, and that as far as he knows the expansion has happened within approved regulations. Cumby says council always works with the developer
"Works with the residents" my ass. You know it's time to turn this up a notch. As residents, we have rights. And in the next municipal election we should exercise these rights and vote out the entire group. They have shown nothing but contempt for residents with the "It's all we can do" defence and bowing to the whim of developments - all in search of the tax dollar. Enough is enough.
A new slate of councillors may at least have the decency to show some respect and work with the town residents.
Not much of a choice, and not much of a voter turnout last time.
ReplyDeleteFresh faces are needed to run, and people need to bother to vote.
Certainly if ONE more person had voted in the Mayoral race last time, things would have been VERY different. We might have ended up with the same mayor but it would have been far less dramatic.
You're right about the low voter turnout and the mess that resulted from the last election. I think if there was a higher turnout, Wiseman and a couple of other veterans would not be on council today.
ReplyDeleteBecause of that, I think the turnout will be higher next time around. If someone - anyone - new runs they are pretty well guaranteed a seat on council. People, with the exception of developers, appear to be fed up with the crowd that's there now.