A puppy dog, not a dragon

Dear Editor:

Jim Dupont wrote last week that the proposed zoning ordinance, if enacted, would not remain a 75-page document in the future. This is a constant theme of the anti-zoners. To a certain extent, they are right. Documents change, they evolve with the times.

Our beloved Constitution started out as a document that did not recognize African Americans were equal human beings. It did not give women the right to vote. These changes required constitutional amendments. Is there anyone who believes we should repeal the amendments that corrected these major flaws?

Basically, the proposed zoning ordinance for Morgan County is just a warm little fuzzy puppy dog. It might be tweaked and changed over the years to reflect the changing population in our county, but it will still be a puppy dog. Don’t believe the anti-zoners that it will grow up to be a two-headed fire-breathing draconian dragon. That will not happen because no one in Morgan County wants that to happen.

The zoning administrator that will be hired by the county will not have carte blanche to rewrite the ordinance. The county commissioners are not waiting for the voters to approve the ordinance so they can rewrite it into an 800-page document that does not resemble the original document.

If zoning is enacted in Morgan County, the anti-zoners would have the same rights as the pro-zoners. We approached the commissioners to place the issue on the ballot for the voters to decide. If zoning ever evolved to be something that the voters felt was not working, the anti-zoners can approach the commissioners to have the ordinance repealed. In the alternative, they could collect the signatures of 800 voters and place the issue before the voters.

Zoning would be a positive change for Morgan County. And, yes, the document might be amended in the future to make it an even better document. Yet it is silly to think it will morph into something radically different than what the voters approve. If that ever happens, I’ll be happy to be the first person to sign the petition to repeal the ordinance.

Don’t let the emotional irrational arguments of the anti-zoners prevent the voters from enacting a moderate, well though-out and responsible zoning ordinance.

George Farnham
Unger