LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Whitewater Township board members silence the voice of the people!Dear Editor,
During a recent Whitewater Township Zoning Board of Appeals meeting to discuss granting a variance to a parcel of property that is in violation of two township ordinances, 13 written correspondences were read. However, our correspondence was not. We submitted the original code violation complaint. When a ZBA member was asked if he read the Hymore correspondence, he said he threw it in the trash! It wasn’t until later, we found that two board members meddled with our correspondence to the ZBA. The township clerk called it “Hymore ZBA Interference” (which is still visible on the township’s website). The township treasurer emailed ZBA members telling them not to read emails from the public. The public has the right to contact elected and appointed officials. As a matter of fact, it’s our duty! However, board members, who voted to send this appeal to the ZBA, against township ordinance, cannot. The Hymore correspondence contained a timeline of almost two years of investigation. It could have been helpful and may have avoided the ZBA’s error of granting a variance. In this particular case, a variance isn’t allowed per General Ordinance 26! Frank Hymore, Williamsburg Time for changeDear Editor,
Not only has the Whitewater Township Zoning Board of Appeals granted an illegal variance to developer Baggs Partners LLC for their planned site condos but now the Whitewater Township Board has named the parcel buildable? Did Developer Baggs Partners do an impact study of the surrounding neighbors, present any evidence that property values, health, safety, environment, use and enjoyment would not be affected? No! These are only some of the criteria that must be considered in order to grant a variance request! The Whitewater Township Zoning Board of Appeals ignored impact statements, and now so has the Whitewater Township Board. Did board members visit the site? They were supposed to! How would they have voted if the project abutted the long line of their own property? They had a chance to correct this comedy of errors but chose to avoid conflict and now we are suing ourselves. Whitewater Township residents: Are you tired? It is time to start paying attention! Come November 2024 all of the board’s terms are up and it’s time for change. Respectively submitted, Deborah Gale, Board Member, Keep Whitewater Rural LLC Whitewater Township resident Constituents must be defendedDear Editor,
How can a builder waltz into a rural community and take over like they own to place? Change ordinances to meet their urbanized vision? Don’t they have to be a good neighbor and follow the same ordinances the rest of us? Is it all just for profit and to fill their pockets? Here in Whitewater Township, Baggs Partners has caused such problems the taxpayers now have to sue themselves. The 8/24/23 ZBA meeting, they claimed they’ve “dreamt about owning property here.” yet not one of them could even pronounce Skegemog let alone know that was the beautiful lake they’ve been dreaming about! It seems these developers don’t care how they impact our quality of life, safety, or the displacement of wildlife. We have seen an eagle’s nest on the ridge they plan on leveling. Eagles are protected by two Federal Acts! Why didn’t WWT fix their zoning mistake? Don’t they have to follow Federal Acts, state/local ordinances? It seems easier to pass the problem on to the people! If our elected officials can’t stand and defend their constituents, maybe they aren’t the right people for the job! Please attend/zoom future and past meetings! See how your taxes are being spent! Michelle and Michael Pescatello, Williamsburg |
Annual paddle Antrim Festival fabulous event thanks to many!Dear Editor,
Paddle Antrim was incredibly grateful to celebrate our waterways and communities at the 8th annual Paddle Antrim Festival held September 14-16 with over 160 paddlers for this non-competitive paddling event through the Chain of Lakes Water Trail. A special thank you to Short’s Brewing Company for continued support as our top sponsor and hosting an incredible Final Bash for all to enjoy. We are so grateful to all our sponsors, donors, paddlers, and volunteers who made it such a fabulous event, thank you. Through this event we raise awareness for our mission, which is to protect our lakes and rivers and connect people to our waterways. Deana Jerdee, Paddle Antrim Executive Director, Elk Rapids Libraries are for everyone!Dear Community,
Some of the best times of my life have been spent at the Island House. My family would rent it for gatherings like Easter Sunday (back when it was just a house with some books in it), and my sister and I spent so many Saturday afternoons there that we probably had a window seat named after us. Now, the Elk Rapids District Library has so much to offer to the community! There are computers, scanning services, a library of “things,” story hour, author readings, and so much more. Unfortunately, as it stands, many of these excellent amenities are not available to everyone because the Island House isn’t accessible to everyone. While it is definitely “quaint,” in the end, it’s an old house not owned by the library and not accessible to many people. The limited parking, lack of an open floor plan, and many other obstacles create barriers that prevent many in our community from enjoying our amazing library. “Quaint” is great, but accessibility is so much better! I applaud the forward-thinking staff, board, and volunteers for seeking a new location to ensure that our library is for everyone and that no one gets left out. Glori Crowell, Rapid City Letter to the Editor Guide
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