A lot was learned today but I have to admit, I’ve never in my life seen such irresponsible elected officials changing such zoning WITHOUT due diligence. The image above shows many relevant facts about the lot just above Rt. 50 on the east side. If you look at the commercial property just to the right of the wooded area, that was also residential. Years ago they went in front of the commission and said, look at the property to our west. It’s a BUFFER from the creek and since we are so far away we’d like the residential zoning changed to commercial. It was approved for a couple specific businesses. However, once the zoning was changed, nothing went in there that was stated for the zoning change. This is what happens once the Commissioners change the zoning. With C-2 zoning you can put almost anything there.
In todays meeting attorney Hugh Cropper stated it was for Jack Burbage’s new offices. Hugh stated that for the past 34 years many clients came to him wanting too develop the property residential but in all those years it never worked out, hence their attempt today to change it to commercial because past commissioners made a mistake in zoning. NO THEY DIDN’T!
Last Sunday I put up an article showing a plat I received, the ONLY plat that has been made public. It showed next to no buffer zone from the water, yet you and I are restricted to 100 feet from the water. Mr. Cropper immediate stated he had never seen the plat we delivered yet he also said it was a concept plan. Three of the Commissioners became very concerned with the image because, (as we all brought up) the 95+ parking spaces impede on the buffer zone/critical area. Mr. Cropper became upset and kept stating he had never seen that exact plat. I immediately explained to the commissioners that WE as a community had never been informed of the first meeting as neighbors and I asked what their protocol was on informing those immediately impacted, no reply from the Commissioners.
I then asked if they might consider tabling today’s meeting and perhaps come visit our homes to see just what a C-2 zoning would do to us, especially since the plat WE gathered of their proposal showed they’d be removing all the mature 100 foot tall trees all the way to Herring Creek. The parking lot issue was also of grave concern as to all of that water runoff would end up in the creek as well.
Look, Jack Burbage is a good man. He has done tremendous philanthropy on the Shore and from everything I have seen he is a man of his word and is concerned about the environment. I was told he was in shock seeing the plat we had brought forth and trust me, WE did NOT make up that plat, it came from his people.
Mr. Cropper stated the critical area does require a 100 foot setback. He then admitted they would have to go in front of another board and ask for a different variance, more like 50 feet and he then, (on the record) stated that they cannot take down a single tree without that variance.
In my honest opinion, the Commissioners should have taken my advice to table the project to do more research but instead they chose to approve the zoning change to commercial zoning. Mind you, they’ll still have to go through two more meetings to get whatever is agreed upon but I want you to look at that image above. While it does not show all the homes on Herring Creek, we are all on top of each other for quite a ways north on the creek and we can very easily see this parcel of land. We are a residential community. Just imagine with the new zoning if they put a bar restaurant right on the water or a jet ski business. Our privacy is gone. The lighting alone for the 95 parking spaces would illuminate our properties all night long. What the Commissioner’s did today was flat out irresponsible. Heck, even Bud Church went on to say how great a friend he is with Jack Burbage and he trusts him and respects him, even though he understood our concerns he passed it anyway.
We had a good 16 neighbors against the rezoning. None of us were flat out saying NO. We were simply asking to leave the 50 feet of mature trees on the creek to block the view as well as the lighting from the parking lot. Anyone concerned about the environment should be screaming at the roof tops. This isn’t over.
As a life long OC lady, voter and property owner on Silver Point Lane, I feel that the county commissioners on Tuesday did not listen or pay attention to our community about the zoning change on the above mentioned property. I have nothing against Mr Burbage, but the county commissioners sure think he is more important than the many residents who spoke against this zoning change.
Mr. Bertino thank you for hearing the residents concerns. You were the only one as far as I am concerned.
To Mr. Burbage, Commissioners Elder, Purnell,Mitrecic, Bunting, church, and Nordstrom, I invite you to my home to look at my property and how this zoning change will effect my quality of life. If any of you would care to purchase my property and endure what I think is going to happen, please feel free to put in an offer to purchase my home.
One question I would love the answer to is why did Mr.Copper get to rebut our arguments, but we were not allowed to rebut his?
Way to be informed. I wish I had been. My property borders commercial property that at the time I bought there was a small to-scale friendly quiet family business. Thought nothing of it. Now I and neighbors have a four-story Holiday Inn Express looming over us peering into our yards and dusk until dawn invasive lighting not to mention the 24/7 comings and goings of the clients it attracts and their pets and parking lot tailgate parties and cookouts. Other nearby business expansions and changes in Liquor Licensing etc. we would always get a council notice. This project had connections. It just WENT UP. I am not anti-business but businesses should not be anti-community just for the sake of a buck to be made. I am a live and let live person but I have become a real KAREN and been a real pain in the ass to them which I don’t like to be. The people that run the place are just local workers trying to make a living. Getting to the consortium of Indian Doctors that own the place is like dealing with a well-connected Cartel.
“Indian Doctors”? Just where do you think this is, Martha’s Vineyard or the West 14th area? Just make sure you leave room for the buses from Florida and Texas to get in.
I believe that the County’s notification procedures are woefully inadequate when it comes to matters such as these. Reading the second comment posted, you will see that someone else felt that the notification policy was inadequate in their case as well!
BULLETIN: Hey Commissioners, there are more interested parties to these types of actions than just the “adjacent” property owners and some people around here are pretty darn busy in the summertime and don’t always have an opportunity to digest all the legal ads and notices that you put in the local paper. You need to change that. Especially when the one side of a property is waterfront and there are residents living on the opposite bank of the creek. Your job is to protect us and we can only tell you how to protect us if you give us the knowledge that we need protecting. When in doubt “DISCLOSE”….notify us so we can be involved.
Like the blogger, I have a great deal of faith that Jack Burbage will do the right thing here. He is an honorable guy whom I have known for over 50 years, but that’s not the point. Jack is exceptional. You cannot risk doing something that is questionable based on your faith in the applicant. It has been proven time and time again that plans change and once you change the zoning, the cat is out of the bag.
This whole situation might have been avoided with wider notification to the neighborhoods by US Mail.
You know how you can tell when Hugh Cropper is lieing, his mouth is open.
Remember that song from Damn Yankees – Whatever Burbage Wants, Burbage Gets,
protect you? lmao their job is to make as much money off their connections as possible! welcome to mayberry and the good ol boys network! been like that forever down here on the shore!
Church has always sold his vote to the highest bidder. 50 years later and nothing has changed in Worcester, 5 or 6 families control it all.
Direct quote I read via the Dispatch from Bud Church during the hearing, “Jack is a friend of mine, I’ll admit that. They gave a proven track record. If I had any doubt. I’d vote against it.”
There’s your grounds for an appeal. Only in Worcester County (and every other county in the South) can I guy say that out loud and then not recuse himself.