Ireally need this done : /
clashing opinions at controversial commissioners meeting
kyle ellington
sussex county, sc — tension oozed from the courthouse last night as debate raged during the bimonthly sussex county commissioner’s meeting, which centered on the most hotly debated topic in the area: a proposed strip mall. the development company, the county commissioners, and hundreds of concerned citizens gathered to deliberate on the issue.
while the meeting was intended to cover a plethora of topics, the proposed construction dominated the discussion. for four hours, attendees debated, discussed, and dissented from one another.
the michael denison development company—which began its battle to develop the strip mall over three years ago—had five representatives and a lawyer present at the meeting; however, the representatives were taciturn for a majority of the meeting.
“from what i gleaned from the report—which was filled with legal jargon—mr. denison and his company plan to destroy more than 200 acres of forest land in our county. to me, this is unconscionable! ” claimed local citizen andria meir.
meir is a member of the local chapter of the sierra club and has rallied against multiple development projects in the past. beyond meir’s remarks at the council meeting, the sierra club issued a press release decrying the construction plans.
another group represented at the meeting was the green brier country club. members of the country club pleaded with the commissioners to stop the encroachment of commercial buildings near their club. the members told the assembled group that over the past ten years the zoning around their club has changed drastically. the once lush and peaceful area has become a bustling business district.
“commissioners, you have an obligation to protect the rights of the citizens. we will not tolerate changing the zoning in the area. there are plenty of other areas on which to build these monstrosities—next to our exquisite golf course is not one of them,” said ronald nemitz, who is a member of the country club—and a lawyer.
while much of the public rallied against the construction of the strip mall, some citizens welcomed its development.
“the growth in this area has been slowing for over a decade. most of the commercial buildings in the county are dingy and decrepit. a modern, sleek commercial plaza is exactly what this area needs. all of the other citizens i have spoken to want this construction. they are appalled by the handful of troublemakers who are trying to thwart the effort,” said local citizen monica xu.
another citizen who supports the new strip mall is jerome washington. washington gave an impassioned plea to commissioners to allow the development of the commercial facility. washington spoke about his failing delicatessen business located a few blocks from the proposed building site. washington, who gave the most convincing speech of the night, eloquently stated that the new development would bolster business. he claimed that the strip mall would increase foot traffic in the area, which would his shop and other ailing establishments.
after the meeting’s conclusion, county commissioner nina torres told reporters, “at every meeting we try to allow equal time for representatives of all sides of an issue to speak. we try to keep the proceedings calm and fruitful. tonight, we had a difficult time doing our jobs.”
the meeting ended with the commissioners tabling discussion for subsequent meetings slated for next month. until those meetings, the debate will continue to play out in the public arena. the commissioners hope to have this issue resolved by end of the year and the michael denison development company hopes to break ground for their mall early next february.
another citizen who supports the new strip mall is jerome washington. washington gave an impassioned plea to commissioners to allow the development of the commercial facility. washington spoke about his failing delicatessen business located a few blocks from the proposed building site. washington, who gave the most convincing speech of the night, eloquently stated that the new development would bolster business. he claimed that the strip mall would increase foot traffic in the area, which would his shop and other ailing establishments.
the article does not quote jerome washington's speech in its entirety. but if it did, which statement would serve as the most effective conclusion to mr. washington's plea?
a) allow the builders to build this strip mall because it will really my business a lot.
b) if you allow these builders to build this strip mall, then i know things will get better for everyone involved.
c) whatever you do, ladies and gentleman, do not allow this corporate monstrosity to be built near hard-working small businesses.
d) this strip mall will not only me, ladies and gentlemen, but all other struggling businesses in this difficult economy.