Amherst County development proposal sparks concern
NewsAdvance.com | Amherst County development proposal sparks concern
The county has been figuring a 2.5 percent annual growth rate, but Cash said that has increased since the bypass opened.“With the inquiries we are having, that could almost double,”he [Troy Cash, chairman of the Amherst County Planning Commission] said. “We are feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for development.”
I know that’s a shocker, a Planning Commission being unprepared for something.
Amherst County Administrator Rodney Taylor said the plan has to be reviewed by the technical review committee, which looks at the impact the development will have on the county’s infrastructure and residents. The committee will determine whether the development meets all codes and regulations.
The subdivision is allowed under the property’s current zoning of agriculture, Taylor said. The zoning allows for subdivisions as long as the lots are at least an acre.
Here we go, those magik words “codes and regulations”. Let me translate for you: If you grease our pockets enough, we’ll let you build these houses you’re planning on building. If you don’t we won’t let you build and you’ll have bought that land for nothing. This is governments way of maintaining control over you even when they don’t own the property. Just look at all the codes and regulations, permits and licenses you have to obtain just in order to build a house on your own land. Now, they will tell you that these codes, etc. are so builders don’t try to pass of shoddy and unsafe work to their consumers. The private sector can and does handle this much better than government. When you buy a house that isn’t new, the county doesn’t come inspect it for you, you have to go and hire your own inspector to look at the house and let you know if something is wrong (the corruption in this industry is a whole other issue, and is rampant in both the public and private portions of it). Why isn’t this process the same for building a new home? When you contract with a builder for you home, it should be your responsibility to either hire someone to inspect it to make sure it is up to specifications that you specify, or to do it yourself. I’m not even going to get started on the school system aspect raised in the article. Sigh.