A Missing Map and More about Blasting

 I call a friend of mine to come for coffee.  He’s a civil engineer and would understand and explain the details of the Ledge Removal Plan. 

          Joe picks up an 11” x 17” copy of the plan, actually a map.  He waves it at me.

          “So where’s the big one, the 2’ x 3’ sheet that’s in the Site Development Plan? I asked you to get Planning to make you a copy.”

         “But, they don’t have one,” I reply.  “I went to Planning.  I checked through the entire set of Site Plans.  I wrote down a list of the pages: Title/Cover Sheet, Legend and Notes, Existing Conditions Plan, Overall Site Plan, Grading and Drainage Plan, Utility Plan, Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan, Enhancement Plan, Details.”

        Joe shakes his head.

        “When I didn’t find it, I asked where it was.  They said that Cherenzia has never submitted a full-sized Ledge Removal Plan. They even suggested that they could enlarge one of those 11” x 17” copies for me... if that would be helpful”

         Joe uses a magnifier to try to pick up details from the smaller version of the map.

        “That would get us absolutely no where,” he says. “Take fuzzy detail and blow it up?  You just have big fuzzy detail.”

The Ledge Rock Removal Plan


       At the meeting with Ed Haberek on June 17, I wanted to put him through the same “connect-the-dots” experience I had been through that week.  There was no table to spread out the three documents I wanted to show him, so we had to deal with the situation across his desk. I opened the “Conceptual Evaluation,” a document prepared by the Planning Department for the Planning and Zoning Commission, turned to page 12 and rotated the page so he could see it.

“Can you read this paragraph out loud, Ed?  It’s upside down to me.”

          “Sure.”

 A significant amount of ledge exists on the subject property. A ledge removal plan submitted by the applicant show the largest area of ledge removal in the area approximately 200’ from Mary Hall Road, with ledge expected to be removed in other areas as well.

         “Well, that sounds pretty benign, doesn’t it?” I said. “But I decided to ask the Planning Department for a copy of the ledge removal plan anyhow.  Here’s what they gave me.”

         I unfolded an 11” x 17” contour map.  It shows three areas slated for removal.  The first area is 3.16 acres.  The second area is .14 acres.  The third area is .34 acres.

         “Ed, my hands began to shake when I saw this map.  But that’s not all.  I went back to the the “Impact Statement” submitted by Cherenzia. 

There's a lot to learn, so let's get started ....

         Cherenzia Excavation, Inc. has submitted a proposal to build 68 attached housing units and 11 single family along Greenhaven and Mary Hall roads. The site is just up the hill from my home on Mary Hall Road. 

      On June 7, 2011, the Planning and Zoning Commission held a Public Hearing on the proposal. I arrived home the night at 11pm. I was exhausted. I had listened to a full hour presentation by Cherenzia staff with charts and graphs and few questions from the four Commissioners present. I spend another hour listening to the objection from my neighbors. No one spoke in behalf of the project.

      The weather was hot and stuffy. Open doors brought in mosquitoes attracted to electric lights and bare skin. In all, it was a trying night for citizens doing their democratic duties: volunteer Commissions and my neighbors alike.  I woke the next morning depressed to think that my neighborhood would be altered forever.  I pouted for two days, then got to work.

          I made phone calls and met with people. I sought some deeper understanding of the proposal.  I wanted to get beyond the suits talking to each other as they shuffled paper and quoted three digit zoning regulations. I’ve been to the Planning Department so many times in the last two weeks, staff just roll their eyes when I walk in. I’ve been asked to call ahead if I want copies.