At a recent 8-30g Hearing where a developer wants to replace a single-family home with 30 condos, Attorney Bob Jewell said not to blame the developer, blame the state for the rule. Maybe we should blame Bob for all the controversial projects he makes a living by representing. Maybe we should blame the current home owner who is going to be selling his neighbors out. Who do we blame for the Winter Club application? Do we blame the seller who’s trying to get as much money as he can? Do we blame the real estate agent (who just so happens to be on P&Z) who found a buyer that found a way to take advantage of vague regulations? Or do we blame Bud Brown and his silent investors who don’t care that he will ruin a neighborhood? Do we blame the regulations or those that made them?
And it goes on. Do we blame the lighting consultant for testifying that there are 4 units per pole when the plan shows 5 or for pretending that white ice will absorb light instead of reflecting it? Do we blame the architects for pretending that the Club fits in with the neighborhood if it needs highway sound-walls? Do we blame the sound consultant for saying that the current ambient sound at the nursery is louder than it would be with the Winter Club and then admitting the current sound was just birds and traffic? Do we blame the sound engineer for testing the loudness of a slapshot against plexi-glass on a rink without ice? Maybe we should blame the applicant. Maybe we should blame his attorney, Bob Jewell. Maybe we should blame all of them. This is where we end up when no one has integrity. We end up with people lining up to take advantage of our town.
