One Small Voice
by Laura McGaffey Articles originally published in "The Voice in the Desert" Truth or Consequences "Sincerity is Subject to Proof" Thomas M. McGaffey, 1982 When first heard or read the above quote may seem quite cynical. In fact, almost every time I have seen my husband quote it to someone, the hearer's face has displayed a disconcerted disbelief. I admit the phrase does have a bit of a "demanding" tone to it. However, virtually all of our institutions have applications of this concept built into it. Take marriage. Just the act of getting married is "proof" that two people love each other and are sincerely committed to each other. At the ceremony certain symbols, like a ring on a certain finger and a white dress are used as "proofs" that a certain kind of ceremony has taken place and to solidify the union. A form letter came in the mail recently from Engineering and Environmental Consultants, Inc. out of Tucson informing me of a request that is being made to change the use of properties in the Sunsites area. Like many others I am not a member of the SCA. So I did not find out about the meeting that Bill Fisher and three other men from the Shadow Mountain Golf Course attended until two days after it occurred. Bill Fisher told me about it when I spoke with him at the club house. So I went online to do a little research and found some interesting information I decided to share with you. The following is a document I found on the Cochise County web site at http://www.co.cochise.az.us/P&Z/CitizenReviewProcess.htm: Citizen Review Report A Citizen Review Report must be submitted along with all rezoning or special use applications to include, at a minimum:
NOTE: A pre-application meeting with the Planning Department staff is required to go over the Citizen Review Report requirements. Pre Application with site standards Why is Effective Citizen Review Important? Effective Citizen Review gives the applicants the opportunity:
REMEMBER! Effective Public Input can go a long way in addressing the concerns of nearby property owners. A mis-informed or uninformed public can defeat a project. Commission meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 5:00 p.m., Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, Bisbee, 1415 Melody Lane, Building G. Submittal Deadline: 45 days before the Commission Meeting. The document describes the requirements of the Citizen Review Report process that the new owners of the Shadow Mountain Golf Course must follow in notifying the residents of Sunsites of their plans for development of their properties. Take note of the underlined passage at the top. It says that the applicants must go through the process of meeting with the citizens, getting their input, collatting their responses, etc. first and THEN they can prepare and submit their application(s) to the county for rezoning or for special use. So, you, as a citizen of Sunsites and neighbor of the golf course with a legal voice in the citizen review process you need to know what that process is. If you think that at this time you can just sit back and "see what happens next" and wait to express your opinions and ask your questions after the ink has dried on the parchment you are sadly mistaken. You are already sitting in a pew at the wedding and as they say at the beginning of a wedding, "speak now, or forever hold your peace." |