I watched the part of the County Commissioner's meeting about Pat Short's property rezoning last night while the rest of my family took in the last Friends episode which tells you more about me than you probably should know... anyway.
As the N&R reports this morning, the Commissioners voted 8-2 to let stand an earlier 7-0 County Planning Board rezoning decision to change Short's property designation from agricultural to light industrial. The reason the Commission was hearing the case was because of the Planning decision was appealed by the one year-old Greensboro Neighborhood Congress (GNC) who came out in force during last night's hearing on the matter to speak against the re-zoning. They were against the light industrial re-zoning, not because of the light industrial part, but because billboard placement is an allowable use under that designation.
The City of Greensboro designated the part of the new Painter Boulevard that lies within the city limits as a "scenic corridor" last year which restricts billboard construction. However, a large part of the new road is under County jurisdiction which has no "scenic corridor" restictions, including Short's property - so there lies the rub. To billboard, or not to billboard.
During and after the hearing many Commissioners said that the County needs to address the scenic designation, but that the case before them was not about that - which was kinda true, it was a rezoning matter - not a billboard matter - even though the latter comes with the former. So, as it stands for the time being, Mr. Short can place billboards on his property thereby watering down the efforts on part of the City to keep them at bay.
Although, as usual, the hearing provided great entertainment, some of the Commissioners were highly critical of the GNC for challenging the re-zoning. Especially critical was Board Chairman Bob Landreth who was downright indignant that the Greensboro based Congress was challenging the issue. "Why now? Where were you two years ago, and longer when this road was being planned?" he asked of the Congress. His attitude was clearly negative toward the group.
After a similar question from, my girl, Commissioner Mary Rakestraw (who voted against the rezoning), Westerwood Neighborhood president Marsh Prause came back to the podium and informed everyone that the Congress was not in existence during that time... so there.
I put Landreth's question right back to him because he was a Commissioner during the whole time that the road was being planned and built. As a matter of fact, Commissioner Thigpen reminded everyone that he brought the question up a couple of years ago but got no support for starting the process. The Commission has had time to act on making the highway a scenic corridor if they were so inclined way before now... and indeed they voted to start the process just last night.
Landreth should not be pointing fingers at a group of citizens who are attempting to make Guilford County a better place - he should be pointing that finger at himself and others on the Commission. By not taking a pro-active role in planning for the future of the County, the Commission brought this billboard issue upon itself in a re-active role.
True leadership does not act in this way, but this is what passes for leadership in Guilford County.
11:13:05 AM 
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