LETTER TO THE EDITOR – In an Aug. 11 Ridgeway Town Council meeting, Council refused to recognize a petition signed by 50 citizens declaring their opposition to Russ Brown’s rezoning request. Council’s deliberate disregard of the signatures of these citizens was enough to force three property owners on Hwy. 34 in Ridgeway to continue their fight against the rezoning. These three landowners are contiguous to the property at the corner of Hwy. 34 and U.S. 21 owned by Russ Brown, the subject of a recent rezoning controversy in Ridgeway.
As spokesperson for the citizens, I said, “Mr. Brown’s rezoning request to change this area to commercial land will irreparably harm our community, create traffic safety hazards and devalue our property. We need our town leaders to think about our whole community, not just one real estate agent’s request.”
As has been well-documented, Mr. Brown was allowed to bring his request for C-2 even though it violated the town’s own ordinance.
We should get the same consideration from Town Council and demand that they recognize the citizens group’s petition signed by these 50 residents opposed to the Brown rezoning at the Aug. 11 Town Council meeting.
The request for C1 was approved 3-2 on first reading with Donald Prioleau, Heath Cookendorfer and Doug Porter supporting the motion. The three contiguous property owners immediately submitted a letter of opposition under the town’s Protest rule, which requires a three-fourth majority of the Town Council to approve a rezoning.
So far, we have heard nothing from the town. They have ignored our petition and the rights of the citizens. Many mistakes were made in this process. We just want to be treated fairly and we want the town to follow its processes.
Sarah Robertson
Ridgeway