For those of you who don’t know Greg Reynolds, he and his wife frequently appear before the BOCS to attempt to make things right, especially for those who are least able to defend themselves.  He has gone to bat for the elderly, kids and immigrants, just to name a few groups of folks.  He was particularly vocal about getting the transportation to the senior centers back up and running.  He bids us all not to leave our religion at the door of the Supervisors Chambers. 

A correspondence from Greg Reynolds:

The Holly Acres Mobile Home Park story continues to unfold.
 
In the latest development in the Holly Acres Mobile Home Park the homeowners went to get the permits to proceed with the repairs to their damaged homes but the County denied the permits immediately after (and even though) the Board of Zoning Appeals had overturned the Zoning Administrator’s order preventing the repair and replacement of their damaged mobile homes.
 
It would be very helpful if you can attend the Board of Supervisors meeting this Tuesday, 11/29/2011 at 2 PM, to ask the Board members to help restore Holly Acres.
 
These 70 affordable homes do not seem to be a priority for the Board of County Supervisors but they are very important to the families that need permanent affordable housing. 
 
It seems unjust for the County to spend millions in upscale neighborhoods to restore slope failures but refuse to install a culvert of sufficient size under the CSX railroad tracks to save these 70 mobile homes.
 
Their past failure to act cost 70 homeowners and 16 small businesses millions of dollars in damages and the loss of permanent housing for hundreds of people. 
 
Please continue to monitor the situation and help in any way you can.  The 2 PM Board meeting is not a good time for people that work. John Steinbach and I will be there to speak out again.  We are trying to get our faith leaders and many other people to do the same.
 
In an added note, I am told that Corey has vowed to fight the Board of Zoning Appeals decision.  More from Greg:
 
Chairman Stewart has vowed to fight the Board of Zoning Appeals decision to allow the homes in Holly Acres Mobile Home Park to be rebuilt and/or replaced. When the home owners went the next day to get permits they were denied. We are trying to get as many people as possible to speak at the next Board of county Supervisors meeting on 11/29/2011 at 2 PM on behalf of the Board of Zoning Appeals decision to allow the homes to be rebuilt and replaced.
 
This one is fairly transparent, or is it?   This land may very well be “unbuildable” as it is in a flood plain.  However, given the county did and continues to approve housing on flood plains,  aren’t they culpable to amend this situation?
 
Developers obtain their OWN environmental engineers to determine what land is suitable for being built upon.   Isn’t that like asking the fox to watch the henhouse?  
 
Wasn’t there  a recent story in the news where a retaining wall was unable to sustain the mudslide in a fairly new community and the residents wondered who would pay for their needed renovations?  It appears as though the county is grossly remiss in its standards and citizen are paying with their housing.
 
These people in the trailer park deserve leadership.   Residents in low income housing are the most vulnerable in the aftermath of natural disasters.  Is our Chairman preserving quality of life for all PWC residents?  We know he is capable of addressing this issue and being the good guy.  I  firmly believe our county has an obligation to intercede and fix their mistake by allowing Holly Acre residents to either rebuild or find another location for them.
 
I hope Corey will take this opportunity to demonstate his leadership skills.

10 Thoughts to “A little Holly Acres Push me/Pull me”

  1. TWINAD

    I agree…he stands up and speaks for those who feel they can’t be heard or don’t know they CAN be heard. He does a lot of good in this community. I don’t know him personally, but I do know this country would be a lot better off if there were more people like him.

  2. Elena

    I wonder why the county isn’t interested in righting this poor land use decision. 70 famillies without homes seems like a PRIORITY to me!

  3. marinm

    I think the government should follow it’s own laws. The law allows them to rebuild.

  4. Mom

    Haven’t looked into this in a long time (perhaps because no jurisdiction I know of is stupid enough to ignore a BZA decision prior to litigation) but as the BZA has overruled the zoning administrator, I would be really curious as to why the permits weren’t issued. The BZA has already noted that Nick Evers didn’t comply with state code, there is no reason that the permits shouldn’t be issued. Taking it a step further, my guess is that denial of the permits will just make the property owner’s case even better and the county may end up paying damages for being pig-headed. More wasted tax dollars.

  5. George S. Harris

    So some of you want the folks to be able to rebuild on the flood plain–right? And what happens the next time they are flooded out? Will everyone moan and gnash their teeth about how these people were flooded out and demand the county to do it all again? This sounds like New Orleans where people were allowed to build 30 feet below sea level. Does that make any sense?

    Maybe, if folks want low cost housing, then maybe the county needs to get into the low cost housing business and build tenaments above the flood plain. Maybe they can use some of those hoarded “discretionary funds” to prime the pump.

  6. George S. Harris

    P.S. Why is it the county’s responsibility to replace the culvert under the CSX tracks. What is CSX’s responsibility? It seems to me that the same people who bitch and complain about too much government are the same people wanting the government to do more. Are you trying to have your cake and eat it, too?

  7. Mom

    I’m not questioning the wisdom of rebuilding on the flood plain, personally, regardless of whose “fault” it is (mother nature, the property owner, CSX or the County), rebuilding in that location is probably folly. I just question the wisdom of denying the permits subsequent to the binding ruling by the BZA. This gets down to issues of statutes not common sense. I just have a sense the BOCS is digging yet another expensive dry hole because they didn’t get their way.

  8. Censored bybvbl

    It’s a complex issue. Is the owner of the property the person applying for the permits? The process usually will involve site approval and building permits as well as meeting zoning requirements. The site permit may hinge on whether enough of the infrastructure survived (roads, access for emergency vehicles, etc.) as well as the big hurdle – the storm sewer size. The building permit should allow replacement of the structures – if they are safe. And safety may hinge on flood resistance.

  9. marinm

    I agree with Mom. I think they’re dumb. I think anyone who knowingly lives on a flood pain is almost asking for trouble. I think that we should get rid of federal flood insurance (which provides for the moral hazard of building in flood areas) but the law is the law and if the property owner is in compliance then the govt damn well should comply as well.

    I believe that people should be allowed to make bad decisions and face the consequences of those bad choices.

    Is it too much to ask for the government to follow it’s own laws?

  10. Mom

    Marinm, you’re absolutely right, sort of Caveat Emptor with regard to the property owners. As to the BOCS acting in accordance with statute, they don’t have a real good track record when it comes to that. They often play fast and loose with the rules and have (and have had) legal counsel that often provides substandard legal advice (our current county attorney is a laughingstock in the express view of many members of the bar) as well as a Zoning Administrator and planning office staff that bend the ordinances and their rulings to reflect the desires of some BOCS members. As a result, the county frequently finds itself in court defending itself against actions which never should have occurred, and subsequently sufferring embarrassing losses or quiet and expensive settlements.

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