UPDATES
11/4/08
Since Pershing Avenue Christian Church is a voting place, we were able to spend some time there educating the voters about
the proposed tower. Also, during the course of that day, we learned that Gilly Development has a contract through May
of 2009 and after that they only have a ONE YEAR option to extend the lease.
10/25/08
· Mr. Gilly, of Gilly Development, contacted members of our community group with
an offer for us to reimburse his company for the money they have already invested in exchange for his abandonment of the project.
We obtained counsel regarding his offer and were advised to decline it, which we did.
As of End of October 2008:
·
Despite our efforts,
Pershing Avenue Christian Church IS STILL PLANNING to allow Gilly Development to build a 16 story
(165 foot) cell tower.
·
Mr. Gilly, of Gilly
Development, contacted members of our community group with an offer for us to reimburse his company for the money they have
already invested in exchange for his abandonment of the project. We obtained counsel regarding his offer
and were advised to decline it, which we did.
· Gilly Development HAS NOT YET filed
an application with Orange County Board of Zoning for a variance hearing. We are checking weekly for this
application. ONCE the application is filed with the county and a hearing date
is set, we will do the following to prepare:
o Organize a community meeting.
o Submit a community petition against the building
of the tower.
o
Continue peaceful
protesting on Sunday mornings in front of the church.
o Involve the media in our efforts. (More news stations have
expressed interest in covering our story once an application has been filed.)
o Continue letters, emails, and phone calls to County Commissioner
Linda Stewart, Mayor Crotty, as well as, other county commissioners.
o When the Board of Zoning hearing occurs, we will have a number
of people speak on different topics of concern to our community.
o We will need EVERYONE in attendance at the hearing to show the
Board of Zoning our strong opposition to the construction of the cell tower.
· IF Gilly Development meets all requirements and is granted a variance,
this project would then go to the Board of County Commissioners for a vote. For more information
on the Orange County Code for construction of cell phone towers, please call Linda Stewart's office (info below).
9/08 CJ Maier left a message with Christopher Hagy that the church is decline our offers of financial
and legal assistance to stop the cell tower from being built. The church would like to remain "neutral".
8/21/08 Brandon Slauter, Susan Fernandez, Deborah Winterhalter, and Christopher Hagy met
with several individuals from Pershing Ave Christian Church (PACC): Bill Underwood, Scott Hazelwood, CJ Maier, and Sandy Sikes,
who is the current president of the church council. The pastor of the church had originally scheduled to meet with us
as well, but sadly due to an unexpected death in the church family, was unable to join us.
To summarize this meeting
succinctly, here are the key points from each side:
PACC - the agreement has been entered into, and breaking it
now would be morally wrong.
- PACC - during the due diligence process no animosity towards projects such as these
was encountered by other local churches, so the assumption was made that none would be experienced here, either.
- PACC
- by erecting this tower they would actually be helping the community, by increasing communication capabilities in the area.
- Conway Community (CC) - at this point PACC must choose between two wrong decisions: break their commitment to Gilly
or alienate the community by building a controversial "blot" on the Conway landscape.
- CC - if the
church chooses to break the contract, members in the community are willing to assist with the legal issues that course of
action will entail; further, only those individuals directly involved with assessing the contract need see it (i.e.: it will
NOT be circulated.)
- CC - if PACC chooses not to break the contract and allows Gilly to proceed, then we as a community
will continue to work to stop this project by lobbying our elected officials, speaking at the BZA hearing, and conducting
protests (with each person participating in those activities he or she feels willing and able to do.) However, if PACC
chooses to discontinue its support of this project with Gilly, then as a community we will publicize the fact that PACC is
a church that listened to its neighbors and did the right thing for our neighborhood.
Mrs. Sikes agreed
to take this matter to the full council, which meets one week from today. One of two outcomes is possible: 1) the council
decides to do nothing, and allows the contract to stand; or 2) they decide that terminating the contract is the best decision,
at which point the matter must then be put before the full congregation for a formal vote. On next Friday CJ Maier will
update me with the outcome of the council meeting, and I in turn will update all of you.
CJ Maier informed Christopher
Hagy that the church will continue its plans to lease the property to Gilly Development and that the church wishes to
"remain neutral" and allow this to play out as it will in Board of Zoning.
