Blanchard and Calhoun will establish legacy with Evans Middle plans

Editor:

The News-Times has rightly addressed the attack on the Town Square vision and the nodal concept (editorial, June 25, "Evans town vision takes big-box detour").

Some builders, without vision and public responsibility, grandfathered their businesses in. Another seems ready to destroy the node with a wrong decision. What we need are true partnerships between the builders and the county officials - but also foresight on the part of the latter.

We should first understand what a medium or major node, which normally is centered on the intersection of two road, should be like. Different medium-sized uses on different corners should be the goal, so that they don't compete and cause traffic snarls and hazards, but also so that there is a balance of services to the community.

In 2004 the parcels in the main node were mostly zoned C-2. Truly aggressive! What possessed the county in approving such? Of course, developers without vision can come in and destroy the balance if legally they can get away with it. Those with experience in these matters would know that you rezone any part of a node to a more aggressive category only as a request for such is presented. In that way the county can accept or reject according to the contribution the particular developer intends to make to that vision. In most cases, PUD (planned unit development) zoning for a node is sufficient. Big-box businesses should not be located in it.

Blanchard and Calhoun stands literally at the crossroads. The company's original plan for a series of small-box businesses - some retail, perhaps some professional - is consistent with the Town Center plan. That should be its legacy, by which the citizens will remember and appreciate the company.

John Graham, Evans