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Editorial
For the public good
The Town of Washington, in the persons of its Town Council and Planning Commission, this week considered a request to rezone a parcel of land from residential to mixeduse.
As this editorial is written, there’s been no decision made. By the time its read, the council will have probably have ruled on the request. That’s okay — the point here is not to express an opinion on the particular matter before the two boards.
What is important to remember as the council wrestles with requests for rezoning — and as the county’s planning commission and board of supervisors consider the same problems — is the legal requirements involved. The decision must be reached after consideration of the PUBLIC good, but without consideration of the people or circumstances involved.
In a small community, that is often difficult. The people serving on our boards — largely unpaid (or compensated meagerly for the work involved)1— are the neighbors and sometimes friends (and sometimes not friends) of the residents who come before them with requests.
Human nature being what it is, it’s a tough task for the board members to block out the personalities involved in each request.
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