Dear Editor

Phillip Bowers wrote an op-ed about the comprehensive plan that is currently being developed for Pickens County. Two key sentences in his article were: We shouldn’t waste time arguing. We should focus on the big picture. He’s right.

I’ve heard people talk about having County Council force people to clean up the junk in their yards so nobody will have to look at it. It doesn’t matter whose money bought the land, nor who pays the taxes. I’ve heard why we have to have zoning to keep anything from encroaching on the gated communities. It seems there is a need for invisible walls outside the gates. Someone said that without zoning, there wouldn’t be any legal teeth in the plan. I guess they’re planning for the day when they’ll sue someone over an encroachment infringement. These issues should be taken up with the Planning Commission or County Council at some other time.

Then there are the whisper meetings going on in the back rows. I overheard one person say that the words in the vision statement are too big for Pickens County folks. Another was telling how he and “Neil” agreed that there should be an overlay district for the area around the gated community where he lives. More zoning. Some of the zoning talk is wrapped in the guise of protecting the natural resources in the northern part of the county. Really, it all boils down to getting laws into place for a future that puts schools, roads, businesses, etc., in or near someone else’s yard. And the underprivileged should be told how their property must look. I guess I’m not supposed see that, since I can’t even understand big words.

If we built a new four-lane highway in Pickens County today, would it go through the Cliffs or maybe the Vineyards or through a trailer park? Being uprooted is a bit more serious than giving up an old truck. The future of the county should be bright for everyone, not just a privileged few.