I thought I would put this in, I don't think the people wrote these would mind.
&&&&&&
Tyrone votes 3-to-2 to break land use vows
The Tyrone Town Council showed a remarkable lack of regard for the citizens of Tyrone and Fayette County in giving its nod of approval to the next large-scale subdivision in Tyrone.

In front of a large crowd of citizens, one after the other of whom expressed opposition not just to this subdivision but also to the way growth is being managed in Tyrone, council members Mike Smola and Paul Letourneau and Mayor Sheryl Lee chose to side with the developer.

Mr. Letourneau claimed his previous concerns about the development had been addressed, yet the concerns of the citizens who elected him fell on deaf ears.

The contention that many of the citizens who spoke out won’t be affected by the development because they don’t live near it is short-sighted and arrogant. Their voices were wrongly discounted simply because they don’t live in the immediate area of the subdivision.

ALL Tyrone citizens, no matter where they live, will be affected, faced with increased demand for police protection, overcrowded schools, and the cost of maintaining sewer service to be supplied by Fairburn’s trouble-ridden system.

Perhaps the icing on the cake for Tyrone and Peachtree City citizens alike will be the increased traffic on Ga. Highway 74, since cars from 160 homes will be entering onto Hwy. 74.

One of the most disturbing trends in Tyrone is the lack of regard by the town council for the town’s land use map. The land use map for this property was changed as recently as last July, and now yet another change has been made to accommodate the developer’s request for half-acre lots.

Wieland Homes could have developed the property under the current (pre-amended) land use map, which would have permitted zonings with minimum lot sizes of two to three acres or, if the recently approved Conservation Overlay District were applied, a minimum lot size of one acre.

According to a representative of Wieland Homes who was present at the meeting, development under the current land use map would have yielded 90 to 100 homes, or 60 to 70 fewer than what has now been approved.

In April, the Tyrone Planning Commission voted 3-0 to deny the developer’s request to amend the land use map, stating that the current land use map designation was more appropriate for the 217-acre tract, which contains a large amount of environmentally sensitive wetlands.

Their recommendation, however, was disregarded by our developer-friendly (or is it developer-intimidated?) mayor and town council.

It seems that Tyrone was being faced (again) with the threat of litigation by John Wieland Homes if the request for rezoning was denied.

Evidently, Mr. Smola, Mr. Letourneau, and Mayor Lee, who cast the deciding vote, would rather put up with one night of outcry from pesky citizens than stand up to Wieland Homes and actually represent those citizens.

Mayor Lee, who could not even articulate a reason for her vote, showed she has already forgotten her own campaign pledge last year to support low-density development.

Kudos to the Tyrone Planning Commission for their efforts to preserve the land use map, and to council members Lyn Redwood and Lisa Richardson, who did the right thing by representing their constituents and voting to deny the request.

The other three, by shutting out the voices of the community, have let this town down and have opened the door to similar projects that will lead us down a path of overdevelopment and all the ills that go with it.

Carrie Klarl

Tyrone, Ga.

Tyrone pro-Wieland vote ‘turning point’ for town
Thursday, May 19, 2005, was a real turning point for the town of Tyrone. It’s the day the mayor and Town Council, except for Lisa Richardson and Lyn Redwood, “gave up the town,” turned their backs on the residents of Tyrone, and turned toward the developers, specifically John Wieland.

Resident upon resident told valid reasons to deny the Wieland rezoning request with applause following each speaker.

The reasons against the high-density development on Ga. Highway 74 included the effect of overdevelopment on the infrastructure of the town, namely its schools, the roads, and the police; Hwy. 74 turning into a Memorial Drive or Tara Boulevard; the adverse effect on nature, etc.

The Mayor was even challenged to keep her campaign promise as stated in her own words: “We have a choice of continuing our long-held vision for low-density residential development or embark on a new vision of Tyrone. I believe it is my responsibility to the community as your mayor to continue with the existing vision of Tyrone. It is more critical now than ever before to continue to protect the rural character of our town.” What happened to her promise?

In addition, Councilman Mike Smola, who also based his platform on maintaining the established land use plan and on considering and preserving the infrastructure (schools, roads, etc.) of the area, voted for rezoning and for the developer’s plans. What happened to his promise?

As the residents spoke, the body language of Lisa Richardson and Lyn Redwood was open and receptive as they leaned forward and maintained eye contact. The body language of Paul Letourneau, Mike Smola, and Sheryl Lee and their intermittent eye contact showed that they were hearing, but NOT listening to those who spoke.

Could their minds have been made up before even coming to the meeting that evening? They turned deaf ears to the outcries of the people of Tyrone.

The vote was deadlocked: two against, Lisa Richardson and Lyn Redwood; and two for, Paul Letourneau and Mike Smola.

It was Mayor Sheryl Lee’s moment of truth, to be true to her campaign promises to the people of Tyrone and true to herself and her word.

With absolutely no hesitation and no explanation, she voted FOR the developer.

Is it time to hold politicians accountable for their campaign promises?

It is time to thank those who listen and care about Tyrone and its citizenry, namely Lisa Richardson and Lyn Redwood. It is time to challenge the mayor and other council members who do not listen and who do not make developers go back once again to their planning tables to create a plan that is for the highest good of all concerned.

Capt. John Russell

If Mike Smola is like his school board wife, vote him out! After my wife's arrogant deals with Janet Smola on redistricting, we were considering moving.

Vote Republican

We should not be shocked or surprised about this announcement. The Mayberry gang will do anything to keep their “good ol boy” network alive. Be prepared for the remaining Mayberry members to announce their candidacy for the council seats.

NEVER underestimate the Mayberry Gang!