Gatlinburg, City Commissioners,
Gatlinburg, City Manager:
Reference: Article in the Saturday, April 19, 2008 The Mountain Press, “Commission grants variance as long as conditions are met” by Candice Grimm.
My purpose for this note is to encourage you to be involved with the Planning Commission prior to their granting of variance that involves the safety of Gatlinburg residents and property.
The Mountain Press article contained a comment “Granting of a preliminary planned unit development (PUD) plan for Phase IV … has been a tough one because the road grades --- at 18 and 19 percent --- exceed the city’s maximum of 15 percent.” Someone should remind the Planning Commission it is not their responsibility to find ways to grant variance. Their responsibility is to ensure the developers comply with current laws and guidelines.
The article contained Fire Chief Greg Patterson’s concerns of fire truck’s engine overheating and due to grade, water in the fire trucks tanks shifting therefore not being available for pumping. It is not in the Planning Commission's purview to grant variance that may very well result in the damage to city property or the loss of life. It is not in your purview to sit idly by.
The article adds that Patterson, Maples, Ball and others agreed that it is a difficult situation and since there is no other place the road could have been built to lower the grade the Planning Commission granted a variance. If the road exceeds current safety standards, DUHHHHHHHH, DON’T BUILD!!! It appears the Planning Commission is looking for reasons to grant variance not looking to ensure standards are met. Why? What do they benefit by granting variance?
Buyers of the developed properties will be depending on your oversight. When their property burns because a fire truck breaks down or there is no water resulting possibly in the loss of life your oversight or lack of same will become public knowledge and the City of Gatlinburg will face law suits.
The result of current processes are the developer gets their money, Planning Commission members benefit when the developer returns the favor, the future buyer of the development owns property at risk, and citizens of Gatlinburg are liable for damaged city property and law suits against the city.
Looking back at the expansion of East Parkway, neither the City Commission nor the City Manager was involved much to the dismay of the citizenry. If Gatlinburg, city government will not look to the interests of Gatlinburg citizens who will? If Gatlinburg city government will not protect Gatlinburg citizens, exactly what is your purpose?
In Gatlinburg granting variance is the way business is done as is evidenced by the guitar on the Hard Rock Café. Isn’t there a rule prohibiting signs over the sidewalk? How about lighted electric signs? While the Hard Rock café is ugly, a terrible first impression for Gatlinburg and tells the world the good-old-boy/girl network is alive and well, it is not life threatening. Granting variance for development that may result in loss of life and property as well as destruction of city property must not be allowed. Government’s primary responsibility is to govern. It is not government’s responsibility to do favors for friends.
John Jenkins
425 Patterson Lane
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-430-4427 home
865-803-8179 cell
jrjenki@greenbriersolutions.com
Gatlinburg, City Manager:
Reference: Article in the Saturday, April 19, 2008 The Mountain Press, “Commission grants variance as long as conditions are met” by Candice Grimm.
My purpose for this note is to encourage you to be involved with the Planning Commission prior to their granting of variance that involves the safety of Gatlinburg residents and property.
The Mountain Press article contained a comment “Granting of a preliminary planned unit development (PUD) plan for Phase IV … has been a tough one because the road grades --- at 18 and 19 percent --- exceed the city’s maximum of 15 percent.” Someone should remind the Planning Commission it is not their responsibility to find ways to grant variance. Their responsibility is to ensure the developers comply with current laws and guidelines.
The article contained Fire Chief Greg Patterson’s concerns of fire truck’s engine overheating and due to grade, water in the fire trucks tanks shifting therefore not being available for pumping. It is not in the Planning Commission's purview to grant variance that may very well result in the damage to city property or the loss of life. It is not in your purview to sit idly by.
The article adds that Patterson, Maples, Ball and others agreed that it is a difficult situation and since there is no other place the road could have been built to lower the grade the Planning Commission granted a variance. If the road exceeds current safety standards, DUHHHHHHHH, DON’T BUILD!!! It appears the Planning Commission is looking for reasons to grant variance not looking to ensure standards are met. Why? What do they benefit by granting variance?
Buyers of the developed properties will be depending on your oversight. When their property burns because a fire truck breaks down or there is no water resulting possibly in the loss of life your oversight or lack of same will become public knowledge and the City of Gatlinburg will face law suits.
The result of current processes are the developer gets their money, Planning Commission members benefit when the developer returns the favor, the future buyer of the development owns property at risk, and citizens of Gatlinburg are liable for damaged city property and law suits against the city.
Looking back at the expansion of East Parkway, neither the City Commission nor the City Manager was involved much to the dismay of the citizenry. If Gatlinburg, city government will not look to the interests of Gatlinburg citizens who will? If Gatlinburg city government will not protect Gatlinburg citizens, exactly what is your purpose?
In Gatlinburg granting variance is the way business is done as is evidenced by the guitar on the Hard Rock Café. Isn’t there a rule prohibiting signs over the sidewalk? How about lighted electric signs? While the Hard Rock café is ugly, a terrible first impression for Gatlinburg and tells the world the good-old-boy/girl network is alive and well, it is not life threatening. Granting variance for development that may result in loss of life and property as well as destruction of city property must not be allowed. Government’s primary responsibility is to govern. It is not government’s responsibility to do favors for friends.
John Jenkins
425 Patterson Lane
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-430-4427 home
865-803-8179 cell
jrjenki@greenbriersolutions.com
No comments:
Post a Comment