Letter To The Editor

In response to Bernard Wolfe's email dated Friday, October 16, 2009:

Dear All:"I was there!"

I was there for all the meetings about Crabapple before it's Plan, through The Plan's passing and ever since. In all those meetings, NOT ONCE do I recall Mr. Wolfe attending. His email speaks to points as though he had attended and was involved. Without "being there", the points he makes are based on conjecture and hearsay. Further more, the way these points are stated, the intention seems more intent on tarnishing Council person Thurman's image while creating fear, distrust and anger in the minds for all who read it.

I'll be the first to say that Fulton County and through their haphazardness and mismanagement of Crabapple's Plan made plenty of mistakes in how they interpreted The Plan. I'll also stand firm in my belief that I'd still take the products that Crabapple's Plan has provided over a scattershot approach to zoning and aesthetic application if a Plan did not exist. It's also important to note that during the entire Plan process and way before Karen Thurman was a Council person, she was simply an engaged citizen like many of us who were involved. Today and as the record stands, Karen is one of the few Council people that continues to care about and work towards a better Crabapple.

Mr. Wolfe's email infers and places blame on everyone and everything concerning Crabapple. Although his email is titled "Saving Crabapple",no where in his email does he mention how he'd "save" Crabapple. He uses ungrounded statements like "high density" and "sewer" expansion as reason to discredit everyone except himself. Yet when it comes down to what he'd propose to correct Crabapple's current situation, his email is devoid of any solution.

Regarding "High Density":

At last Friday's "People's Forum" at Shannondale Farm, Mr. Wolfe broadcasted that Milton had a diverse population and they needed a diverse city. In Crabapple, the "highest" density permitted is five (5) units per acre and the lowest is one (1) home per acre. When all density is tabulated,Crabapple's Plan was designed to maintain a "density neutral" conclusion."Neutral" being the same amount of density as before the Plan, only allocated in different forms so the Crabapple Live/Work Village concept offered a diverse product.

As a reference, off Highway 9 on Deerfield, density reaches three times the density in Crabapple, which I would agree is truly "high density". No one on the current Council has ever mentioned or promoted any density higher than what is already allowed in Crabapple. That's a fact!

Regarding Weiland's recent zoning modification petition:

"I was there too."

Over the course of three meetings, the Weiland Group could not present a modification that would satisfy Crabapple's Plan or would meet it's community's approval. For that reason, Weiland requested a withdrawal, which was the right thing to do. As the record will state: while Council people Bailey, Tart and D'Aversa sought a denial which would have locked-out Weiland for a year of making any change, the withdrawal passed. In my opinion, it would be far, far better to leave the door open for more change in order to get Weilnad's development back on track, then to lock them out with a "no change/no growth" decision. Many things beyond anyone's control have changed in the last three years since Weiland received his approval. Could it be better that the ground is still open for rethinking versus being built-out to outdated economics and buyer interests?

There's nothing that troubles me more than to have mistruths spoken and fear placed in the community's hearts when it comes down to understanding the real facts. Everyone should be able to hear the "whole story", then draw afair conclusion. To be guided with false information and to gang-up against any situation without knowing all the facts, is simply unfair. "Unfair" to the matter-at-hand, "unfair" to those the falsities implicate and "unfair"to the harm it does to the greater cause, which in this case is the betterment of our City.I remain and continue to support, Thurman, Lusk and Longoria for City Council.

Sincerely,Buck Bell-- Permission granted to reprint or redistribute --