Harry Wise residents won’t take zoning change lightly

To the editor:
As residents of Anderson County, we have come to accept the good old boy politics we witness all too often.
That said, when the shenanigans are so blatant that one can’t avoid the smell of impropriety, even the easiest going ones of us cannot sit idly by.
Here are the facts at hand: A resident and business owner of Anderson County who lives on Harry Wise Road has decided to subdivide his property to the tune of 17 lots.
So, this resident proposes a zone change. After much discussion with the friendly political types, he realized he needed to have the property rezoned A2. For those of you are unfamiliar with county zoning acronym, A2, it is defined as a small community (subdivision). Many residents of Harry Wise Road attended both meetings of the Planning and Zoning Commission, where the request for this zone change was denied unanimously both times.
Board member John Litkenhus stated it best when he said he disagreed going with an A2 zone change as just a way of going around not getting an R-1. He felt that if the commission would allow this, then the commission was not doing its job of looking at for the best interest of the people of Anderson County.
Having presumed the issue was over and done with, those of us at the meeting felt the issue of this subdivision was over. Unbeknownst to us, for whatever procedural reason, the fiscal court in fact had the right to overturn the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and did just that. Do you think any of the residents of Harry Wise Road were aware this could be done? No, our magistrate did not inform any of us of this meeting and when he was called and questioned about it,  his answer was that it was our responsibility to know when the Fiscal Court meetings were.  There are several things blatantly wrong with this picture. Do the magistrates think that those of us who live on Harry Wise Road are that ill-informed? Really?  What on earth do we have a Planning and Zoning Commission for if its decisions are not valued? Surely you picked up on the fact that the fiscal court’s decision was shady at best, unethical at worst, frankly, this whole situation is absurd.
On Tuesday, Sept. 20 at l0 a.m. we will be in attendance for the reading of the ordinance and to question the process, hopefully get answers, and ask in all sincerity who wants to be accountable for another fatality on our dangerous road?
Wonder who will raise their hand for that one?
At a minimum we will ask that each and every magistrate accompany us on a ride down Harry Wise Road and see for themselves the road cannot take more traffic.  We could go on and on about the obvious, very basic reasons why the addition of a 17 lot subdivision is absurd on a rural secondary road like ours. If you’ve ever driven it, you too are probably scratching your head at this point.  The reality of the situation is that this has been facilitated by a fiscal court with no concern for the wishes of the people the magistrates represent. We know there are plenty of subdivisions in Lawrenceburg and Anderson County with lots and houses for sale, that aren’t on secondary roads. Whey, then, do we need more, especially on a secondary road?
Rod Johnson, spokesman for
Concerned Residents of Harry Wise Road
Zelia Monroe, spokeswoman for Concerned Residents of Harry Wise Road