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<DIV>After reading the e-mail from Judy Glaes on her recollection of the Town in years past, I felt the members of TownTalk might be interested in the dramatic change that took place in the east end of the Town (beginning in the 1960s) and the attempt to invade mid-Town (Taylor Road) that was stopped by action of the residents. </DIV>
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<DIV>If today's residents believe the proposed project for Dumm's Corner inside the Town's remaining historic core is a good idea then it will go forward. If, however, they believe it will result in a domino effect that will change the Town forever, they would need to do as we did those decades ago -- stand up and be counted.</DIV>
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<DIV>Below is the history --</DIV>
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<DIV>We moved to the Town in October 1955. In the next couple of years, I noticed signs on trees along Riverdale Road as I drove east. I had no idea what they meant and, after some time went by, I finally stopped the car and got a phone number. When I made my call (to Park and Planning) asking what the signs meant, the man said "that is to announce a hearing to rezone those properties for apartment development." I immediately said: "we don't want to lose those houses." He asnwered, "Too late, lady, your town fathers have sold you down the river -- it's a done deal -- nothing you can do now." That was a wake up call I never forgot.</DIV>
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<DIV>Within a year or two, one of those signs showed up on Taylor Road as you drive towards Edmonston (right across from the Lynch property where the tennis court is located). I called immediately and got all of the who, what, where and when, learning that the land was up for re-zoning for apartment development. We talked to residents in the area and they had no idea what was going on and did not want to see this multi-density development take place. With the help of a wonderful man (now dead) we got people to the hearing. </DIV>
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<DIV>This gentlman, an attorney who lived a few blocks away, presented our petition signed by many residents in the surrounding area, and had some of us testify -- the (then) County Commissioners took it under "advisement" and we learned soon thereafter that we had won!! Within a week the information came to light that two other properties (one behind and one next door) were holding offers to purchase and intended to sell at a high price as soon as the one we were opposed to was approved -- their money to come was contingent on that property being rezoned.</DIV>
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<DIV>What this all means, of course, is that if we had sat back and let a "spot" zoning get through it would not have just affected that one parcel -- the adjoining properties would have fallen like dominoes. Because we stood up to be counted, Taylor Road continues to be a quiet residential street.</DIV>
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<DIV>Sometimes history can help you see the future when the fact situation is similar --</DIV>
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<DIV> Ann Ferguson</DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>