In a recent Sunday edition there was an article about the Planning Board developing a wind ordinance and I found myself asking, “What took you so long?” We need to establish the ground rules soon and correctly before we have a wind version of the rock quarry quandry. While we’re at it, we might as well throw in solar considerations.
People in my area have been approached by Trem-Well Energy and the response was similar to that of Darious Mullins, who was quoted in the article.
Yes, we do need to eliminate our deep dependence on foreign oil. This is a win-win situation in that we create energy, jobs andincome locally.
On the downside: It’s visible energy production.
Planning Board member Kenley Haley said she expected opposition because people enjoy the region’s scenic beauty. I would like to know to which people she refers: the people who toss tons of trash along the roadways, the people who believe in collecting trash around the homestead, or perhaps the people who were allowed to open an eyesore of a junk (excuse me, recycling) yard at highways 62 and 45, or maybe people like a neighbor of mine who has been hauling wrecks onto property adjacent to a rapidly eroding creek bank?
My personal peeve is the person who relocates to bein the country and proceeds to emblazon the acreage with so-called security lights. Now that’s real nocturnal scenic beauty.
We cannot continue down the road we’re on.
Alternative energy sources must be embraced. There will be tradeoffs, but I’d rather put up with a ridge of wind towers than sending our youngsters to war on foreign soil to protect foreign oil.
T.A. SAMPSON
Cane Hill COSMETICS OVER FUNCTION Does it seem to anyone else that our fair Cityof Fayetteville is more concerned with cosmetic appearances than function? Where to begin … it goes back over 30 years with the Aspen, Colo.
style sign ordinance. We lose business because people don’t want to disadvantaged by our quaint sign ordinance (think Cracker Barrel).
Don’t get me wrong, I think some of our recent projects are pretty neat, but some are nonstarters.
Grade them with me, and see if you agree.
1. The Dickson Street project. Give it at least an A-. It’s cosmetics over function, but the area does look a lot better, and Dickson Street needs to look different.
2. College Avenue.
A mixed bag. Give the sidewalk widening and repaving an “A+.” Give the “traffic islands” a “D.” Beautiful, but disrupts traffic and access. The fire trucks now have to take a different route! That factor drops the overall grade to a “B.” And what happened to the sidewalk widening in that block?” Pedestrians still feel threatened walking that block because of the impossibly narrow sidewalk.
3. North Gregg speed tables, etc…. give it a “ D-.” Whatever happened to the concept of getting across town? Whatever happened to the idea of the Gregg street expressway?
4. City Hall“improvements.” I’ll admit I haven’t been in City Hall recently, but removing the Grand Staircase? Come on.
Cosmetics over function again. Some past administration thought that Staircase was a good idea. Oh well, one supposes, “it’s only money after all.”
Just recently I heard that the City Fathers would like for people to be able to “navigate the new city Web site better. Some of us would settle for being able to navigate across town with fewer obstacles.
But these are only my opinions. After all, what do I know?
MILTON JONES
Fayetteville
Opinion, Pages 11 on 12/27/2009