Comments on: Online Petition to Stop Concrete Plant at Murphy Hill Road http://myweaverville.com/2008/03/06/online-petition-to-stop-concrete-plant-at-murphy-hill-road/ your online guide for all things Weaverville, NC Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:18:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: cecilbothwell http://myweaverville.com/2008/03/06/online-petition-to-stop-concrete-plant-at-murphy-hill-road/#comment-179 cecilbothwell Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:22:31 +0000 http://myweaverville.com/2008/03/06/online-petition-to-stop-concrete-plant-at-murphy-hill-road/#comment-179 Not in my back yard, no. But in someone else's. NIMBYism is only a pejorative if the practitioner doesn't add, and not in YOUR backyard, either. What I see happening in Buncombe is a rising awareness that we are all in this together. We need to shape planning to benefit as many people as possible. When we have zoning rules, as in this case, there needs to be a VERY strong argument for granting a variance. Else, why have rules? If "speakout" lives near the Grove Stone plant mentioned in the comment, my sympathy. If the plant was operational when you moved there, at least you knew the score beforehand. If the plant arrived later, and you are glad it's in your neighborhood ... then, great! But past mistakes are never sufficient argument for tomorrow's decisions, just as "everyone does it" is no defense for violation of the law. I'm with the Weaverville folks seeking to block this one, as I'm with the Swannanoa folks worried about the Cliffs, as I'm with the folks in Woodfin who decried the proposed diesel-fired power plant. We know our own backyards best. Where else is grassroots political organizing supposed to start? Not in my back yard, no. But in someone else’s. NIMBYism is only a pejorative if the practitioner doesn’t add, and not in YOUR backyard, either.

What I see happening in Buncombe is a rising awareness that we are all in this together. We need to shape planning to benefit as many people as possible. When we have zoning rules, as in this case, there needs to be a VERY strong argument for granting a variance. Else, why have rules?

If “speakout” lives near the Grove Stone plant mentioned in the comment, my sympathy. If the plant was operational when you moved there, at least you knew the score beforehand. If the plant arrived later, and you are glad it’s in your neighborhood … then, great!

But past mistakes are never sufficient argument for tomorrow’s decisions, just as “everyone does it” is no defense for violation of the law.

I’m with the Weaverville folks seeking to block this one, as I’m with the Swannanoa folks worried about the Cliffs, as I’m with the folks in Woodfin who decried the proposed diesel-fired power plant.

We know our own backyards best. Where else is grassroots political organizing supposed to start?

]]> By: speakout http://myweaverville.com/2008/03/06/online-petition-to-stop-concrete-plant-at-murphy-hill-road/#comment-175 speakout Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:31:16 +0000 http://myweaverville.com/2008/03/06/online-petition-to-stop-concrete-plant-at-murphy-hill-road/#comment-175 hell let them build ! Is this area any different or any better than swannanoa's owen high school owen middle school, the presbyterian home for children and the youth development center 4H education center all mixing traffic with three concrete plants, asphalt plant and a rock quarry. I'm sorry I must have lost my head for a second. Thats not your back yard is it? hell let them build ! Is this area any different or any better than swannanoa’s owen high school owen middle school, the presbyterian home for children and the youth development center 4H education center all mixing traffic with three concrete plants, asphalt plant and a rock quarry. I’m sorry I must have lost my head for a second. Thats not your back yard is it?

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