There was a great deal of citizen discussion over one of the zoning cases, which is unusual. Usually, they fly right through, but Charles and Nancy Eanes wanted to zone their property over in the Rt. 58 area from residential to business (understandably, on their part, since that area is really starting to boom.) But many of the residents near that property didn't want it, because they said that the area was heretofore a quiet neighborhood without a lot of traffic. Hank Davis questioned this, since there was a trailer park on that road - he said there had to be a reasonable amount of traffic back and forth from that park. There was not a decision made that evening.
Yorktowne has not lived up to the requirements of their performance agreement - instead of the several hundred jobs that they promised by this time, they have only employed 87 people. The county is asking to re-establish their performance agreement to let them have more time. I personally think the more time the better, because the national econonomy has devastated businesses such as Yorktowne, who's cabinet business is almost totally dependent on the housing market.
The Tobacco Commission will finance bond payments for 10.5 million, for the Mega Park.
Mr. Ecker wants the waterline in the Grit area to be extended. There was some negative discussion on this, and finally Mr. Ecker said, "I supported waterlines for Whispering Pines, and I supported waterlines on Rt. 40 - why can't you support my constituents...this line is needed." The board finally agreed to have a feasibility study done and go forth from there.
The Board motioned to have a public hearing on the issue of freezing car taxes for disabled vets (surely that will be a no-brainer) and the entire board was, by the way, in favor of that.
The Northern Pittsylvania Food Bank wants a land donation - the 2 acres that was formerly the football field at the old Gretna Middle School. They want land to build a building for food storage. The board seemed to be in favor but wanted assurance that the Food Bank would build at some point, so the agreement should contain a stipulation that if a building was not built, the land would revert back to the county. A public hearing will be held at the next meeting on this issue.
The county hiring freeze (ha ha ha ha ha) was once again waived so that the Economic Development Director could hire a secretary. BTW, the Economic Development director was recently sent to the "Basic Economic Development" course. This course is held in Oklahoma or Chapel Hill. I assume he and Greg Sides were sent to Chapel Hill. Just for your information, most localities that hire directors look for people that have achieved economic development certification, which takes years and years. Basic is just the beginning. Why is the county paying $80K+ for someone that is so inexperienced that he has to be sent to Basic? Just so ya know - the old project manager for Econ Dev, Kyle Butler, had Basic under his belt, but he was thrown out with the bath water, and now he and his family are leaving for Hagarstown MD, where he has obtained a wonderful career opportunity. Once again, the county threw out a bright, intelligent young man and has the expense of starting all over - primarily because, in my opinion, Coy Harville wanted no one who knew more about Econ Dev than he thinks he does.
Opinion:
Two things - there is a lot of networking in the econ dev business, like it or not....and the old office employees had a lot of that already in the system...the new director will have to learn who's who and start all over making connections. This guy had to be hired because he sucked up to Coy and the four block.
And - the county complains about our intelligent young people leaving the area - but then they help throw them out, with their stupid decisions and egotistical self indulgences.
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It is my understanding the Tobacco Commission will finance bond payments for Berry Hill for the next three years after that it's on the taxpayers. I now better understand why Mr. Harville said we would be (the county budget) in a pickle in 2012. Of course he knew what the plan was with the Tobacco Commission as he is controlling everything in this county.
Mr. Harville had to give the Gretna Industrial Park to Gretna so the park would not have to compete with the county for tobacco money from The Tobacco Commisson. He would need all the county's allocation to pay the price tag for all the land Mr. Saunders, Mr Luther, Mr. Harville, Mr. Snead, Mr. Shanks and Mr. Barber have purchased at Berry Hill.
Mr. Harville and Mr. Snead have spent almost $1 million dollars more for the purchase of land at Berry Hill Industrial Park within the last month. This was told at the August 18th board meeting but no one is reporting it to the taxpayers.
The papers did not touch the story nor have you mention the purchase.
WHY?
It is true.
Check it out in the clerk's office or on line at the county's GIS site. GPIN # 1367-05-8278 and 1367-01-8739, Deed date 8/3/09. Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facilty Authority. I did.
Thank you for the comment - and my answer to your question is that I didn't know it...I am just doing the best I can to tell what's going on, but I don't know somethings and others, I guess I just miss - you know, I guess I glaze over or something. Another reason I guess that I don't know all these details is because my "real" job is taking more and more of my time and strength (I'm doing about three people's jobs in one)....so I'm just doing the best I can to at least put the main details on the blog....I know it's lacking in detail, but at least it gives an overview, I guess. Plus sometimes, although I try to get it all down at the meetings, sometimes I misunderstand or just miss something.
were there any public hearings for this mega park? and if they keep purchasing land and changing the plan, shouldn't it have to go back for another public hearing??
What kind of business did the folks on 58 want to start. I am sure if it went to a vote Tim was going to obstain cause he owned property near by or something would cause him not to vote. It seems no one wants 58 West to grow past the industrial park. I wonder why that is?
There have been no public hearings nor will there be any for the Berry Hill Mega Park. The joint (city & county) Regional Industrial Authority rules are different than those of the county. As long as Mr. Harville, Mr. Snead and Mr. Barber are on that board the citizens will know only what they want us to know about what their plans are. A lot of people may be in for a great surprise.
Yes, Mr. Barber would abstain from voting on anything that the county attorney tells him could be a conflict of interest.
Mr. Barber has yet to abstain from voting on anything to do with the Mega Park.
Mr. Barber was going to abstain from voting on a rezoing case because he had property nearby. The case for rezoning was near or at the entrance to the Route 58 bypass east of Mr. Barber's shopping center at Brosville Station. This rezoing case was withdrawn.
The county's Brosville Industrial Park is adjoining Mr. Barber's shoppping center and there seems to be no interested clients for this county industrial park, as the only business there is the truss place.
I would love to see more growth around Brosville. A grocery store would be wonderfully, a drug store, other retail stores and small industries.
Of course there as some things the citizens do not want in this area as seen from the residents of Berry Hill. They were not happy about the brick company mining there. One wonders what happen there, why they have backed away. You assume the ecomonic was the reason but the talk is NO. The reason had to do with the future plans for the Berry Hill Mega Park. Time will tell!
Don't be too hasty to judge Ken, the new econ dev director.
True, he doesn't have his CECD accreditation, but he does have quite a bit of municipal service. County residents may, in fact, be able to take advantage of the fact that he is a county employee and not an employee of a private organization like PEDO/PCED. It doesn't seem like the administrator and his development director would be able to ignore feedback from the people they are paid by (let me rephrase...."logical, educated and rational feedback"...there is a difference).
So, write letters to the county administration and economic development offices with your questions and thoughts. Send a copy to your supervisor. Create a groundswell of activism. Have a town hall meeting for county residents to talk about the future of the county, and then invite Ken, Dan and the supes to attend.
Or, sit back and complain that nothing different ever happens.
As an outsider to the region and a newcomer to the blog, I have one burning question...
Why do you keep re-electing these people?
As Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
They get re-elected cause this county is stupid. Good people run against them but some how they pull it off at the last minute. The last election in the westover district it was close but the last precinct put Coy over. The tunstall district may see someone come out that will suprise everyone in 2011. We need people on there that are not scared to speak their minds and not scared of what the church people say.
We- the citizens of this County- should be allowed to see what this mega park will look like, where it is exactly and what will be there!
Why is it such a secret? Someone please help me out here!
I tried to find it myself. I have not seen any signs up saying coming soon Mega Park.
Also how can the Tunstall District be represented by someone that has to obstain from voting most of the time or votes with 3 other people. It is time they had someone that was voting for them and not voting at all. Time they had a VOICE on the board.
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