W. F’ville Bypass: County lacks common sense

I have become concerned about our current leadership and their strange application of what might otherwise be identified as common sense.

When a number of other Fayette County citizens, myself included, expressed concerns about the West Fayetteville Bypass, we were criticized because this had been decided some 20 years ago.

Yet, when we look for the basis of the decision-making process, there is nothing there. The best answer we have been able to get is that it has been decided, just read the 2003 transportation plan. And that is one reason why I question their common sense.

During my career with the federal government, I was involved with evaluation of the final plans for a large number of local, state and federal highway projects.

I can assure you that very few of these were planned in enough detail, early in the process, to be considered final or unchangeable. In most cases, there was consideration of multiple alternative routes right up until it was time to apply for the appropriate permits.

But here in Fayette County, the belief seems to be that drawing a line on a map in 1985 constitutes a decision, an unchangeable decision, and it is not appropriate to raise concerns or objections at this late date.

I continue to be concerned about this county spending SPLOST money on an effort that has serious flaws and will have to be studied again.

We have asked them to reconsider, to take another look at what it is that we really need in this county before they go to the next step, but the only response I have been hearing is criticism of those citizens raising the issues.

I have personally traveled the route that they say will be Phase II as well as Phase III, and there are a number of serious environmental, social and economic concerns related to what they propose.

I visited many of the stream crossings, walked along many wetland areas and took biological samples from the streams. I know what we will be losing, and it would be a lot!

A report that details all of those losses and probable impacts will soon be submitted to the agencies that will be deciding whether to issue a permit. Based on my experience dealing with wetland permits, they will listen to what we have to say.

My opinions, as expressed here, are not with the hope that the Fayette County commissioners will suddenly apply common sense to this issue, as that appears to be a lost cause.

Instead, my message is to provide information about our concerns directly to you. You, the taxpayers of Fayette County, are witnesses to the use of tax money for a project that will fail.

It is money that would have been available for preparing adequate plans for a bypass, assuming there really is a need for such a road.

It is money that could have gone toward completion of the needed analysis of what the true transportation needs are in this county.

I hope that all of you will remember what they say and do (or don’t do) in this process when it comes time to vote on SPLOST 2009. If this county can’t manage the first $100 million, doesn’t have sense enough to look again when informed they will be having problems, and simply rejects citizen concerns, then my recommendation is that we tell them there will be no more money from us.

We have had enough.

[Dennis Chase, now retired, was a fish and wildlife biologist with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 26 years. Since retiring, he has worked as a consultant for Fayette County on environmental concerns, is a volunteer with the Line Creek Association of Fayette County, and has published numerous newspaper columns.]

God Bless you Mr Chase

Submitted by mysteryman on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 9:11pm.

I pray you are correct. let us hope that is so.... I was not being critical of you in my previous post. Just the masses that all of a sudden want to jump on the band wagon, cause they see the bulldozer on the side of the road, when so many of us have been trying to get people to wake up and get involved since the beginning..GOD SPEED. See you at the meetings...

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Mr. Chase, you are so unfair

Submitted by Voice of Fayett... on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 9:19pm.

The county drew those lines 20 years and people have made some very big investments based on that road. You have to understand that there are more important factors involved here than just things like traffic flow, wetlands, and the effect on the homeowners. These are important people we are talking about !

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Land grab

Submitted by mysteryman on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 9:25pm.

This is what a select few of us have known from day one.. Its a shakedown. Just look at all of the largest parcels of land that are in the path of this project, for then you will know the who what where when and why of it all. Rest assured though the rest of us will not go without a fight...

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