Letter to the Editor: Where’s the Line?

    Can you tell me where the line is drawn? What about where the line forms? Both of these clichés have been running through my mind for months. My concerns lie in the hope of maintaining the integrity, or character, or charm (whichever adjective you relate to) of our city, Central, for not only the current generation, but for the future generations. I want my children to feel the tug to their hometown as I did. You see, I was born and raised in “Central.” Yes, I said it with the quotation marks, because, back in the day, it wasn’t official. When I was growing up, you knew it was Central by the bridges you crossed and, even more, by the people you encountered. There were a few country convenience/grocery stores dotted around the town. If you were like me, you were fortunate enough to live close enough to walk to the store on a hot summer day just to get out of your momma’s hair. I remember walking down to Cortez Grocery and thinking it was named Charlie’s. You know, because my family always said “Hey, while you at Charlie’s grab me xyz while you’re at it.” It dawned on me as I got older to actually pay attention to the sign… It WAS Mr. Charlie’s store, but his name was Charlie Cortez, hence the name of the business.
    Now I know progress is an inevitable bill to pay. It’s especially true in a community that cares. A community such as ours is appealing to insiders, outsiders, and “been there done that, now let me back in” types. For this reason, we invested several years ago in a plan giving us a sense of security and control. THIS is where the lines are drawn. If these lines weren’t crossed, then we had our sense of security. We aptly called it the Master Plan. Grant and tax money as well as excessive amounts of hours were funneled into the plan for studies upon studies and drawings upon drawings. Once completed, one might call it the Sistine Chapel of Central. It is a work to behold, and we put blood, sweat, and tears into having ownership of this award winning masterpiece. Praises were sung from beyond the boundaries of Central about our Master Plan. We had done it. We had a plan to protect and ensure the future of our beloved (now) city.
    Doesn’t that sound like a sweet little fairytale? I might consider pretty-ing it up & telling it to my grandkids one day… If the hero can save the day first, leaving the story with a happy ending. But wait… Where’s the conflict? The turmoil? A villain? If you haven’t noticed from looking around, or reading the local papers, or browsing Facebook, then take a look around before it’s too late. The obvious is that Central has grown through the years, but it seems the lines on the Master Plan have been smudged and smeared. I wonder how much longer it will be until the lines begin to be erased. I am not telling you there is “a” villain or “a” hero. No, the villain is an idea, an idea that bending the lines of the Master Plan won’t end up breaking them. It is an idea that when those lines are bent, they should be bent for those who have a stake in improving their bottom number instead of our community. Is our city going to continue to grow? Absolutely. Do we need some new commercial businesses to help fuel the economy and growth? Again, absolutely. Must we be inundated with new housing developments and high density residential areas? Well, if it is in accordance with both the Master Plan and our ordinances, within limitation, it’s plausible. BUT, should we be inundated with new housing developments and high density residential areas that are uncompliant with the Master Plan and sometimes uncompliant with the current zoning? Should we rezone the areas to make them comply with the law while still disregarding the Master Plan? I suppose that is a question that lies within each of us to find each of our answer.
    That’s where we find our hero. Our hero always has been and (I hope) always will be the people as a whole. It is up to us to decide what is worth salvaging of the masterpiece we invested in. It is up to us to decide if we still have the same goals for our city as we did when it was designed.
    At this point, I am beginning to wonder about the second of the two clichés… Where does the line form & how do we get a turn? It seems as though there is some secret back door line that gets our voices heard. Right now, it seems like it’s mostly compromised of developers, realtors, lenders, etc. Someone please point us concerned citizens in the direction of the line. I’ll make a promise not to throw any elbows or trip anyone along the way. Meanwhile, I’m opening every door & window looking for it. 
    With all this being said, obviously there is something worth fighting for here. It’s not a one on one fight. No, this thing has turned into a brawl. I’m pained practically on a daily basis in hearing the struggle between opposing sides. I am not sure how a middle ground can be found, but I sincerely hope it is found while there is still room for it.
– Erica Lee