On August 13, 2007, the Flower Child attended a meeting of the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission at Macon's Historic City Hall. The second item on the agenda was a Proposed Day Care Center at Zebulon Road/Foster Road/Bass Road in West Bibb County. The proposed facility to be constructed on the Northwest Corner of this intersection which is bordered by single family homes on the West and North sides of the six acre parcel of land. The proposed facility to serve up to 267 Children on a daily basis during the normal work week. Each succeeding project appears to be more invasive than the previous.
The problem you face is "What development will be the most appropriate" while still meeting the critical criteria of 'the most benefit for the citizens' or to put it another way 'The common good.'
Looking back, maybe it would be appropriate to resurrect the "Funeral Home" project, a nice dignified and also relatively quite project.
After a considerable amount of comment from both sides of this issue the four Commissioners spoke out concerning their potential vote on this request. I was taken back to hear the comments of one Commissioner who spoke to the need to deny this request because of the grief he had experienced concerning this project.
The Commission went on to deny the request. The report in the local print media "The Telegraph" contained the following quote from the Commissioner who I heard during the meeting:
"I am going to surprise everyone. I am going to vote against this," Patton said, adding that some day "it's inevitable that the property will have a commercial use.
"I am going to vote 'no' because I'm tired of getting letters at home from anonymous people who threaten my family," Patton said. "I'm tired of having my integrity impugned in what I thought was a terribly unfair way. So I'm going to cave in. I'm going to do what everybody else here is doing and I'm going to represent my selfish interests and I'm going to vote 'no.' "
Admittedly those who spoke against this project were concerned about traffic patterns, the abundance of playing children in a residential area and the fact that this area has no commercial activity. All well meaning statements. However from the Flower Child's point of view the Senior Citizen Complex on the South side of Zebulon Road about two blocks to the East is a Commercial Venture. Admittedly there are single family homes in the complex, but there are also Apartments and Assisted Living Quarters in Apartment like structures in this complex, which is known as Carlyle Place. Nothing wrong with that. We need these type of facilities, but to stand up at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and state that there is no Commerical Development in the immediate area is simply a play on words, and an incorrect one at that.
Now from a future point of view. Yes, maybe a long term future point of view. Most opposing the Day-Care Project were Senior Citizens. Some even older than the Flower Child. At least they looked older than I. I am confident that they, just like I, will eventually pass on. Then their homes will be placed on the market to allow the heirs to receive their inheritance, that is if the heirs do not desire to live there themselves. Think with me for a moment! Who will buy these homes in an excellent Public School District or also very close to the Private Academies which abound in West Bibb County. I would suspect that it will be Young Families with children. Because of the appreciated values of these same homes that were discussed at the Hearing on August 13th will be beyond the means of single income families, I am confident that the buyers will look for areas where "Day Care" is available for their Children.
Therefore, as the Flower Child views the decision to Deny the Day-Care center as meeting the needs of the current home owners in the area of the proposed project they may have just denied their own heirs an acceptable and appropriate market value on these same homes upon their demise from Planet Earth. Thus, as I spoke in my comments to the Commissioners, which I printed above; the common good may not have been served at all when this project was denied.
I agree with the Commissioner who stated that some day the property will have a commercial use. I submit that it is unfortunate that those who opposed this project were looking at the short term future. The long term future for this area just may have been more appropriately served if the project had been approved.
Thank You!!!
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