Why Central Speaks Is Highlighting the Shoe Creek TND Issue

    Central Speaks is not anti-development, and we do feel that the Settlement on Shoe Creek has the potential to be beneficial to this community. However, we are convinced that the building of 250 apartments violates our ordinances.  If Central allows the integrity of its zoning laws to be compromised, those laws become unenforceable, opening the door for future developments to demand the same apartment density and the same favorable treatment in the approval process.
    Perhaps the question to be directed at our city officials is: Why did you feel it necessary to take the actions that led to this investigation and this resulting newspaper coverage?
    Most importantly, it is crucial that we follow the rules, for all city policies and procedures, especially for a project that will have such a huge impact on our future. The citizens of Central, as well as the businesses wanting to come here, need and deserve to be able to trust the clarity, consistency, and character of the process and the individuals involved.
    In our opinion, the decisions, misdirections, and questionable communications involved in this particular development approval set a very dangerous precedent.  The problems with this issue may appear to some to be minor and correctable, but how do we decide which laws and processes to follow, and which to ignore?   It’s always better to do something right in the first place, and much healthier for our city.