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View Full Version : I knew it would happeen sooner or later....



Terry Hatfield
08-26-2004, 9:18 AM
Howdy everyone,

Well Saturday we got the bomb dropped on us. A registered letter stating that the land directly in front of us had been sold and the new owners are asking for a rezoning to MF4. This would allow them to build 40 - 4 plex units on this 5 acres...gggrrrrrrrr :mad: :mad:

Here is my front porch view now...

<IMG SRC="http://www.terryhatfield.com/view.jpg">

I can't bear the thought of having to look at the back of these appartments from my front porch. :mad: The city does provide for some screening but these units are supposed to be 35' tall. Not many fences will screen that!!!

We've lived here for 11 years. We bought this place because it was in town but still had room around it. The city has allowed a liquor store to be build on one side of us, a grocery store right on top of us on another side and now this!!! I guess the bright spot is that I only have one side left to have to fight over.

I'm organizing the neighborhood. Starting a petition and will go and fight it at the planning commission meeting. Hopefully we can get something done about it. Sorry, I just had to vent.

Wish me luck,

t

Greg Heppeard
08-26-2004, 9:32 AM
Tell them to build a small motel...we could stay a lot closer then... :D :eek:

Terry Hatfield
08-26-2004, 9:37 AM
Tell them to build a small motel...we could stay a lot closer then... :D :eek:

Greg,

What a concept!!!!! :D Personally I prefer just the existing grass.

There's got to be something there sooner or later but this is a little dead end street. One way in and out. 160 more families is going to be a traffic nightmare. Perhaps the city will see the light, but I ain't counting on it.

t

Lee Schierer
08-26-2004, 9:55 AM
Its all about zoning. Obviously the zoning for your area allows mixed business and residential. You should try to get that fixed otherwise you could end up with a gas station or other industry across the street as well.

When we bought our one acre plot, we did it for the same reasons you cite. After living there for several years we heard the guy that owned the land behind us was going to build a sub-division. He even started an access road. Fortunately, he was too cheap to put in a sewer system and the zoning would not allow more than four houses on septic systems on the 40 acres he had. He gave up on the idea and I quickly approached him about buying the piece directly behind me. I now own the land behind me. Hopefully the farm across the road won't decide to sell any time soon, I'm not sure I can afford to buy more land.

Chris Padilla
08-26-2004, 10:05 AM
Location, location, location. Whenever you buy, you've got to be sure about the land surrounding you and investigate how it is zoned and what is allowed on it and what is not or your view could be compromised at any time.

I had some friends who bought a nice house at the end of a dirt road out in the farm country. They were surrounded by orange orchards...for about 5 years until the farmer sold out and now they will be surrounded by houses/condos/shopping centers.

Best of luck for your plight, Terry...fight, fight, fight.

Dennis Peacock
08-26-2004, 10:20 AM
Dude!!!!!!!! I'd be fightin' it too....and hard.!!! :mad: :mad:

Why don't you just buy the 5 acres and plant some turning stock....I mean, Cherry, Maple and Walnut trees and have it declared as a forrestry preserve for 20 years.!!! :rolleyes: Of course....you "could" move to Conway (where, as you would say, nobody wants to live) and not be threatened with business and homes moving in. :p :D

Sorry buddy....I just couldn't resist. I know, I know....
<b><i>It's NOT funny!!!!</i></b>

I honestly feel your pain. We'll just hope and pray that something works out for ya. But I do like Greg's hotel idea. Hm-m-m, Welcome to The Sawmill Hotel, oh yes, the BBQ is just across the street. We have a full commercial shop available 24 hours a day and any lumber or turning stock commercially available from around the world. Enjoy your stay.!!! (dream mode off now) ;) :p

Terry Hatfield
08-26-2004, 10:22 AM
Location, location, location. Whenever you buy, you've got to be sure about the land surrounding you and investigate how it is zoned and what is allowed on it and what is not or your view could be compromised at any time.

I had some friends who bought a nice house at the end of a dirt road out in the farm country. They were surrounded by orange orchards...for about 5 years until the farmer sold out and now they will be surrounded by houses/condos/shopping centers.

Best of luck for your plight, Terry...fight, fight, fight.

Chris,

That's the problem here too. None of these houses were in the city when they were built. They were annexed as A1 agricultural uses. Now the city "master" plan...hahahahahaha...shows this entire area as medium density housing even though the etire shebang already has single family houses with a few duplexes. Go figure.

I have spoken to most of the planning commission members and they are not in favor of the rezoning. Hopefully I can get it nixed.

t

Dennis Peacock
08-26-2004, 10:23 AM
Terry...fight, fight, fight.

Oh he will....HE WILL!!!!!! You just need to know Terry a little more. He's not one to take it laying down either.

Kevin Gerstenecker
08-26-2004, 10:38 AM
Terry, you are on the right track by organizing the local residents. When dealing with re-zoning issues, there IS strength in numbers. I was involved in something similiar with a Landfill Expansion about 20 years ago. I was in the Landscape Contracting biz then, and they wanted to expand a local landfill that was across the road from a very good client of mine. They asked me to get involved, and I did. We organized, did our homework, and eventually defeated this large, East Coast Refuse Disposal Conglomerate and their HIGH priced lawyers. By having some of the Zoning Board already leaning your way is a HUGE advantage. Make sure you bring as many people to the Zoning Hearing as possible...............this should be relatively easy to shoot down. Good luck Terry......................this CAN be defeated, it happens all the time. (Uh, don't forget to get Payton all fired up about it, and make sure you take him with ya!) :D

Steve Jenkins
08-26-2004, 11:04 AM
Terry I hope you can get it sorted out. Just in case though it might be a good time to plant a row of trees along the fence line. If things are delayed long enough the trees will mask the houses and if you can get it changed permanently, when the trees get too big and start blocking the view you can always chop them down for lumber and turning stock. Tongue semi in cheek.
Steve

Jeff Cybulski
08-26-2004, 11:28 AM
Terry - I just went through something similar. A guy down the street wanted to but double-wides and a 3 acre lot he had. We fought it and won.
Keep in mind that if the planning commission denies the re-zoning, he probably can appeal it to the county commission. Here in OK (Rogers County) if he's granted a new appeal hearing the is no notice posted or listed in the paper - so you'll have to stay on top of it to fight the appeal.

Good Luck!!

Jeff

Greg Heppeard
08-26-2004, 11:41 AM
[/QUOTE] Hm-m-m, Welcome to The Sawmill Hotel, oh yes, the BBQ is just across the street. We have a full commercial shop available 24 hours a day and any lumber or turning stock commercially available from around the world. Enjoy your stay.!!! [/QUOTE]


I kinda like your thinkin too...we could just build a big shop over there and have Terry run it for us...It's really not too far away for a weekend get-away for me. We'd have to import some hound dogs from Georgia to make the place feel homey tho. :D

Don't give up, Terry. There's gotta be a loop hole that no body on the planning commission thought about. If all else fails, maybe you and your neighbors could get a lawyer and tie it up til the other guy gives up.

Brad Risley
08-26-2004, 12:14 PM
I live in an area of 1 acre and larger lots (I have 2 acres) but there is a open parcel of 250 acres behind us. We live in the county but on Tuesday night the city annex the open land but not the existing homes and they want to rezone. The plan is to build 1000 houses on this land. The only access road would run right past the back of my house. We could not stop the annexation but we have delayed the rezoning. The area residents are trying to either stop development (in my opinion not possible) or to limit the lot size to 1 acre minimum.

So Brother I feel your pain. Organize, organize and organize. Raise money and hire a lawyer its your only hope.

Hal Flynt
08-26-2004, 6:59 PM
File a permit to build a crematorium or something on your land or some other less desirable enterprise and see what they do :cool: Of course you never have to build.

Rich Konopka
08-26-2004, 7:17 PM
Terry:

You have to be tough and fight like hell. The developer will have the bucks. Look at every aspect, density,environment, light,noise, endangered species, water & Sewer,schools. Look for influential friends in town and don't ever give up.

I know because we successfully fought 3 attempts by the town to scew our neighboorhood. We won, it wasn't easy, it was ugly, and I wouldn't want to do it again.

Greg Heppeard
08-26-2004, 7:37 PM
Terry:

Look at every aspect, density,environment, light,noise, endangered species, water & Sewer,schools.

You know...there is the rare and endangered Hatfield sawdust maker that would have it's environment disrupted.... :D

Jim Becker
08-26-2004, 8:18 PM
Terry, I'm glad to hear that your local commissioners are inclined to disallow the zoning request from the developer. But it's a sad fact that in virtually every state, it's difficult for local jurisdictions to stem a lot of this kind of thing because the laws are very pro-developer. In my area, the townships have had to resort to buying up land when funding can be obtained and/or depend upon organizations, such as the Nature Conservancy, to obtain permanent easements that prohibit subdivision and development on farm land, etc. We have 110 new homes going up just around the corner from our house and although we cannot see them, they will likely exacerbate the traffic problem for us; particularly getting out of our driveway to the left during peek travel times. And we live in the country...as it were.

Somebody had a good idea...buy the land. Unfortunately, that might also require a visit from the Prize Patrol to pull off... :D

Terry Hatfield
08-27-2004, 8:35 AM
Thanks for the encouragement guys!!!!!

This is not my first rodeo of this kind. We have fought this fight before with the grocery store and the liquor store. I couldn't prevent them from being there but did manage to get the fences, lights and such done in a way that minimized the impact on our property. The advantage we have concerning this current deal is that the developer has pretty much worn out his welcome with the city. Many, many complaints from previous neighbors of his developments, code violations and just generally building buildings that look like army barracks has put him in a fairly bad position with the city.

I have nearly every property owner in our neighborhood's signature on the petition. Hopefully the rest will get done this weekend. The planning commision and city council's phones are ringing off the hook and it looks like we will have a BIG crowd at the meeting. I'm working hard to have all my ducks in a row for this one. Nobody at the city really wants this property to be zoned for multi family. The past couple of years our side of town has been flooded with these type of developments resulting in a lot of really mad neighbors. I think the powers that be are really tired of the complaints. Hopefully we can get this deal killed.

t

Terry Hatfield
08-27-2004, 8:37 AM
Somebody had a good idea...buy the land. Unfortunately, that might also require a visit from the Prize Patrol to pull off... :D

j,

Prize patrol indeeed!!! I think this land brought more tha 30K per acre and it doesn't even have sewer on it!! I would love to own it, but that is just not happening.

t

Rich Konopka
08-28-2004, 10:00 AM
j,

Prize patrol indeeed!!! I think this land brought more tha 30K per acre and it doesn't even have sewer on it!! I would love to own it, but that is just not happening.

t
Terry,

Just Curious are the units going to hook up to City Sewers or septic??

BTW, an acre up here goes for 150K to 300K.

Ernie Kuhn
08-28-2004, 10:03 PM
Terry,
Is it possible there might be a "wetland" area over by the trees, a creek, stream, etc.? Something that works out here would be to "find" a couple of arrowheads on that property, especially helpfull if you have the county commissioners out for a walk and "someone" manages to kick an arrowhead up out of the dirt. Make sure the newspaper is with you for a walk. Also, get a reporter to sit down with your concerned citizens so you get some "free" advertising/exposure for your plight.
Good luck,
Ernie

Terry Hatfield
08-28-2004, 11:44 PM
Terry,

Just Curious are the units going to hook up to City Sewers or septic??

BTW, an acre up here goes for 150K to 300K.

Rich,

No sewer on the poperty. The developer will HAVE to get sewer on the property. We are at max saturation level for lateral lines now. That's why this land has not been developed yet. It's going to be very expensive to get sewer where it will need to be. I'm sure that's why they are asking for 4 plexes. More bang for the buck.

t

Terry Hatfield
08-28-2004, 11:46 PM
Terry,
Is it possible there might be a "wetland" area over by the trees, a creek, stream, etc.? Something that works out here would be to "find" a couple of arrowheads on that property, especially helpfull if you have the county commissioners out for a walk and "someone" manages to kick an arrowhead up out of the dirt. Make sure the newspaper is with you for a walk. Also, get a reporter to sit down with your concerned citizens so you get some "free" advertising/exposure for your plight.
Good luck,
Ernie

Ernie,

I like your train of thought!! I'll contact the local papers on Monday.

BTW... LOML works for Wal-Mart engineering. In the real estate division. They have several stores held up because of endagered species etc... Perhaps we can find one of our own here. :) :D

t