HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0019.058 2002-2004 Testimony of Jillian Marohnic
for County Council Public Hearing 23 January 2003
RE: Bill 4, Change of Zone Application (RFZ 02-011), Maurice Thomas, RS-20 to CV-20
Statement of Protest.
1 am a Volcano resident. Both my home and my business are within the notification area
for Mr. Thomas' zoning change request. I am opposed to the zoning change because of
the stated intent of the applicant to build large warehouses on the rezoned site, which is
situated in the heart of Volcano Village.
The applicant has stated his intention to build two warehouses, side by side, totaling the
length of a football field (300ft), each the height of a 3-story building (30ft). The
warehouses are being proposed for the storage of lumber, roofing material, and rent~l~~
equipment, in conjunction with the True Value Hardware store operation.
Alternate ("Green"1 Point of View Also Valid. oat~__co°~ry.co,,.__._~"---'^
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The Planning Commission's report represents one point of view when they claim that this
project conforms with the goals, policies, and standards of the General Plan. They say
that, with a favorable recommendation of the project, the following goals are supported:
- Provide residents with opportunities to improve their quality of life.
- Designate and allocate land uses in appropriate proportions and mix and in keeping
with the social, cultural and physical environments of the County.
- The county shall encourage development in balance with the physical and social
environment.
- Zoning requests shall be reviewed with respect to compatibility with adjacent
zoned uses.
- The development of commercial facilities should be designed to fit into the locale with
minimal intrusion...
I'm trying to think of what point of view actually sees the above goals as satisfied by the
introduction of massive noisy warehouses into the center of a peaceful, historic, and
beautiful town, but I'm at a foss. Yet every single member of the Planning Commission
had that same viewpoint.
Well, the "green" people see things differently. By "green", I mean those people with a
more global point of view: What is best for the earth as a whole, for the village in the
long-run, for our children in the long term. The "green" people see the General Plan goals
of quality of life, appropriateness, balance, compatibility, and non-intrusion as being
trampled upon, rather than enhanced, by the introduction of the warehouses.
These "green" people are not a small alien group in District 6. These people are the ones
who elected their Green representative Bob Jacobson by majority vote. Bob Jacobson,
and Julie Jacobson before him, have, through the years, earned the respect and loyalty of
voters in their district, because they are accessible to everyone, and they represent the
viewpoint of the majority of their constituents -otherwise they wouldn't be elected c
and again (I figure if the election-time smear campaigns could lump JulieCanad,BPl~,a . 7~
together, then so can I). File No. _
Testimony of Jillian Marohnic, page 1 ~ ' ,
mot, JAN ~ 3 2003
I challenge the council members who stated at the last hearing that Bob Jacobson does
not represent his constituents. He does. Just because we don't clap and holler after
every testimony, or dress in a pink uniform, doesn't mean we don't exist in force. The
letters sent by the "pink" people might be more plentiful, but ours are heartfelt and
agonized over -not just prepared from a template with the font changed. The signatures
of the "pink" people might be more plentiful on their petition, but ours were collected
through the slow traversing of a telephone tree, or through one-on-one contacts at
numerous locations -not leisurely collected at a central point where likely candidates
wandered in all day long, day after day.
The "green" people may not make a good public showing because theirs is the dirtier task
of saying "no", pointing out the negative, and throwing barriers into the path of someone's
desires. Many are shy and fearful -they don't approve of the warehouses, but don't want
to be public about it. They contribute money for the attorney, but don't want to be named.
They won't sign the petition or write letters, because they don't want to feel uncomfortable
at Maurice's store or restaurant.
My point is, there are plenty of people who think that this project is in conflict with the
goals of the General Plan. It is the duty of the council members to examine the issue
from both sides, and not just the side that they're used to looking from, and not just the
side that makes the most noise.
Testimony of Jillian Marohnic, page 2