Greenville News Letter to Editor - Follow plan for Woodruff Road Rezoning Jan 14 2011

January 14, 2011 Letter: Follow plan for Woodruff zoning Greenville County Planning and County Council requested area citizens to develop a land-use plan for the East Woodruff Road area that would prevent the chaotic unplanned development on Woodruff Road east of Highway 14 that had occurred west of Highway 14. This plan is called the East Woodruff Road Area Plan and its intrinsic value will be tested by a County Council vote on Jan. 18 due to one homeowner at Woodruff Road requesting property be rezoned from residential to a large office building that does not comply with the plan. There has been outrage over this request by citizens in 14 subdivisions within two miles of this property who have children that attend the 10 private schools and seven public schools in the area. The Planning Commission and Public Works Committee have already recommended the plan be implemented. This plan cost thousands of taxpayer dollars. These types rezoning requests do not comply with these citizen-driven plans and it has to stop. It is a simple decision going for County Council: Implement the EWRAP for this request and all other requests in the future. If the East Woodruff Road Area Plan is not implemented on this property, how can we ever again use the EWRAP as the standard for other requests? Not implementing this plan will establish a precedent and there is going to be a domino effect going forward. What is the justification for modifying the EWRAP for one homeowner’s request? How can County Council approve this homeowner’s request with hundreds of citizens in opposition? If it does, it will override the will of property owners who pay millions in property taxes, and the professional planning staff’s recommendation. Bruce W. Chambers Simpsonville