Over the past two years, I have tried (and failed) to work with the city of Fayetteville and the Southern Conservation Trust to preserve a rare natural area known as the Ridge Nature Area. During that time, many of my questions and concerns were ignored or rejected.
It is unfortunate that the city and Southern Conservation Trust do not seem to be interested in saving the area.
For the last two years, my efforts at the city staff level to change Southern Conservation Trust’s plans for the Ridge failed. I brought the problem to the Fayetteville City Council, and at the March 3, 2016, council meeting, there was a verbal agreement to put a six-month hold on the Southern Conservation Trust development of the Ridge. During that six-month period, I had committed to develop a Phase 1 environmental document.
The City Council appointed Councilman Jim Williams as a mediator to work out an agreement or settlement of the issues between the Trust and me. I was very pleased with this agreement and hoped we were finally on the way to working together to preserve this unique nature area.
After the meeting adjourned, Councilman Paul Oddo spoke personally with me and underscored his agreement with the decision to put the Trust’s project on hold and that he would be interested in receiving my recommendations.
Based on the verbal agreement from the City Council on March 3, I set about to find as much expert help as I could. I had talked to a number of people with environmental expertise, had written a planning document and asked the Environmental Protection Agency to join me in making this a truly workable effort.
So, imagine my disappointment when on March 18, Mr. Williams provided me a copy of Mayor Ed Johnson’s position document (which was presented at the March 17 meeting) that states that they fully support Southern Conservation Trust’s (damaging) projects that have taken place at the Ridge and gives them blanket approval to continue.
I was stunned to learn that Mr. Oddo seconded the motion, then voted for a “full speed ahead” when two weeks earlier he had agreed to put a hold on the Trust’s development. I suppose I should have known better than to trust a politician.
The mayor’s position document says a lot about the quality of his character — or is it lack of character? And my disappointment in Councilman Oddo cannot be overstated.
A lack of integrity within city staff, for the sake of keeping their jobs, is understandable. However, I cannot explain why the city would flip-flop, showing zero integrity. The Southern Conservation Trust’s lack of integrity has been evident for a long time, so having “conservation” as part of the title of their organization is a joke.
Equally disappointing is why neither Fayetteville or the Trust have the backbone to talk with me face to face to answer my questions as to why they are continuing with development that will destroy a rare natural jewel unique to Fayette County.
Dennis Chase
Fayetteville, Ga.
