Terry Cowgill

What A Week

July 31, 2008 on 1:33 pm | In Local, Main, Media |

Thanks to everyone who wished me well this week in my and my family’s (and my community’s) fight against one of the nastiest and most contagious flu-type viruses to hit this area in many years. Without going into stomach-churning details, I can tell you that it hits very hard but in most cases it passes quickly. Enough said …

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I’ve gotten some reax to a story I wrote for this week’s print edition on a group that has surfaced in opposition to Noble Horizons‘ plans to expand northward with a cluster of cottages for the elderly (similar to those pictured above on Noble’s main campus).

When I was on the air this morning with Marshall & Mike (and Mark?), Marshall was convinced that the opposition to Noble’s plans by Citizens For Undermountain Road was rooted firmly in a NIMBY mentality. [to listen to the podcast of that interview, click here and then click on the link at right with my name on it]

I won’t use that term because, this early in the process, it’s a bit too judgmental for my liking. But I do think it’s safe to say that Citizens For Undermountain Road would not be taking this action (including the lawsuit) if Noble had wanted to put the cottages off a comparably scenic road on the other side of town.

Similarly, the wealthy residents of Belgo Road would not have been so vocal earlier this year against the Luke and Fitting properties for a new Salisbury-Sharon transfer station if the proposed site had been on, say, Undermountain Road.

It’s human nature to respond to a threat to your own interests (i.e. “back yard”), more so than you would to a threat to someone else’s interests. So from that standpoint, I don’t have a problem with the group’s actions.

As for the traffic, wildlife and lighting issues, seems to me the proper time to challenge those would be during the process by which Noble will obtain a special permit from the P&Z, which will require a public hearing and lots of published notice.

Instead, Citizens For Undermountain Road has opted to challenge on procedural grounds the early decision by the Conservation Commission to award a permit for the drilling of the sewer line, which will never happen anyway without final approval for the entire project from P&Z. But, I’m not a lawyer and I’m sure the group’s attorneys have their reasons for employing such a strategy.

Personally, I wouldn’t have a problem with the cottages if I lived on Undermountain Road. But then again, I don’t live there, do I? Stay tuned. I’m sure it will get even more interesting.