What is behind the malicious attacks by Mr. Tarbox?

What is behind the malicious attacks by Mr. Tarbox?

“If you don’t like the message, kill the messenger”

Mr. Tarbox’s accusations in his letter to the Exeter town council are false, misleading and, in my opinion,written with malicious intent to undermine my credibility with respect to the exposing of the zoning and planning violations permitted for the construction of the Tarbox Hyundai Automotive Dealership. I did not appear before the North Kingstown Zoning Board of Review on behalf of the Town of Exeter or the Planning Board nor did I present or infer myself as such. I identified myself by name and to substantiate my experience and knowledge of planning and zoning regulatory procedures I simply stated my credentials of having served on the Exeter Planning Board and Zoning Board for approximately fifteen years.

The site for the Tarbox Hyundai Automotive Dealership is in the NK Groundwater (GW1) reservoir (drinking water) area in accordance with the NK Zoning Ordinance, Plat Map, and the official NK Groundwater Map. This is the same fact that Councilor Maloney stated at that Public Hearing for which he and Councilor Welch were unfairly rebuked by Tarbox’s attorney. The NK Groundwater Map undeniably shows that this site sits directly over the NK GW1 reservoir on which Automotive Dealerships are explicitly prohibited.

My primary reason for testifying was to support Councilor Maloney’s position that this site sits directly over the NK GW1 reservoir. This project displayed a pattern of exacerbating the already stressed domestic water supply in North Kingstown that began with the Preserve at Rolling Greens development and continues with the Tarbox Hyundai Automotive Dealership. Equally important was to expose and rectify, in my opinion, the intentionally convoluted review and approval procedures that allowed a prohibited use over a Groundwater (GW1) reservoir.

Additionally, Tarbox was not in compliance with the NK Zoning Ordinance requiring a Special Use Permit in ground water protection areas for the transferring of material in excess of 20 cubic yards off-site to another property on Quaker Lane that also does not have an approved Special Use Permit for earth filling and grading operations. These are not minor violations!

My prepared testimony at the NK Zoning Board highlighted several procedural irregularities that accommodated the approval of the Tarbox Hyundai Automotive Dealership. As I began to read my testimony I was abruptly halted first by Mr. Revens, Mr. Tarbox's attorney, followed by the Zoning Board solicitor, Mr. Donnelly and finally the Zoning Board Chair, Mr. Gibbons advising me that I would not be allowed to present my testimony.

An exchange of opinions occurred between the solicitor, the Zoning Board Chair and me as to my right to testify. Finally I decided to yield as they became belligerent. It wasn’t me that was belligerent as I was falsely charged in Mr. Tarbox’s letter to the Exeter town council. I have since filed a Complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union for being denied to present my testimony which is actively being investigated. It was obvious that they did not want the facts presented publicly and under oath. It is interesting to note that Chairman Gibbons stated that in North Kingstown they do business their way and in Exeter we do it our way. This is true unlike North Kingstown in Exeter we comply with and enforce our ordinances and regulations and allow public testimony pro and con.

The sheer number of non-compliance and lack of enforcement of the NK ordinances and regulations by the NK town officials is unprecedented and ominous. I hope this new NK town council will not fail to address and rectify these apparently intentional violations as did the previous majority council. These violations placed an irreplaceable groundwater resource at serious risk, as well as a RI icon, Allie’s Donuts, and set an ominous precedent for future violations.

Exeter councilman, Daniel Patterson succinctly summarized the situation that evening as a “political fiasco” for North Kingstown. These letters to the Exeter town council attempting to undermine my credibility together with the behavior of Tarbox’s attorney and the Zoning Board solicitor and Zoning board chair to willfully and intentionally deny my right to testify, and now to personally attack me is a classic example of “If you don’t like the message, kill the messenger”.