On 2-21-08, the Board of Commissioners will vote on ZA 3438, to rezone TM128-063 from A-1 (Residential) to Neighborhood Commercial to build a shopping center on a sharp curve with limited sight view on Castleberry Road., in the Big Creek Watershed, in a groundwater recharge area.

On 1-17-08 Commissioner Richard, District 4, made a motion to deny ZA3438, seconded by Jim Harrell, District 3, but this motion failed, 3-2, following a motion by Commissioner Laughinghouse to approve ZA3438 which didn’t receive a second, so no vote was taken.

In districts 1 and 2, ask commissioners to put the sway of duty first

80 homeowners requested the BOC to deny this application, because:

1. It is 2/10 mile from an intersection, contrary to the Unified Development Code, a Forsyth County-enacted law, which states in Chapter 12-1.1 that Neighborhood Shopping districts “are intended to discourage the random sprawl of commercial development by concentrating neighborhood-serving businesses in activity centers at road intersections rather than in a strip or linear pattern…”, and,

2. In 2004, the then BOC approved the NC use. In 2006, land was purchased .5 mile south and school buses, etc., will transport over 1,000 children on 2-lane, minor arterial Castleberry Road to Whitlow Elementary in 2009. 328 homes near this school, when developed, will ingress and egress Castleberry. Presently, over 4,000,000 vehicles a year travel Castleberry, ¼ going 55 mph. The FC Staff Report states, “The proposed rezoning could cause an excessive or burdensome use to local infrastructure….”

To request denial of ZA3438, before Thursday, 2-21-08, at 5 p.m., contact:

Charlie Laughinghouse, 770-886-2810, cllaughinghouse@forsythco.com, and Jim Harrell, 678-513-5883, jwharrell@forsythco.com. Prospective Whitlow ES Students live in these two districts;

Linda Ledbetter, District 5, 678-513-5885, lkledbetter@forsythco.com and Brian Tam, District 2, 678-513-5882, brtam@forsythco.com, who both told my husband they would research this rezoning.

And, pray that all Commissioners will vote 2-21-08 as Commissioners Richard, 678-513-5884, dwrichard@forsythco.com, and Harrell did to deny ZA 3438, “not doing what they can do”, but instead “choosing the sway of duty by putting the safety of FC children and adults first”.

Respectfully submitted,

Pastor Jo Ann Leifeste, 

678-232-9258 Cell