Faith Mountain's Plans

Faith Mountain's Plans

Now that Faith Mountain Corporation has received the recommendation of the Planning commission to rezone for expansion, they only need to receive a favorable decision from the Board of Supervisors before they can proceed with the project.

That approval may come as early as the Supervisor’s meeting this Monday.

We think that the rezoning should be approved, and that Faith Mountain’s expansion will be good for the county.

There is no legal or adminstrative reason to oppose the alan. The area for expansion borders land already zoned commercial, and it is consistent with the 1989 comprehensive }lan for the county.

Faith Mountain’s catalog and marketing business is nonpolluting and non-intrusive, just the type of employment the county needs.

Expansion will provide additional employment opportunities in the county, and may enable many young high school and college graduates to remain here rather than move to an available job some place else. The corporation also supplies seasonal Christmas-time employment, a boon to many residents during the slack tourist season. Its payroll within a few years will be add more than $1,000,000 to the local economy annually, and it will pay more in property tax.

Faith Mountain has guaranteed landscaping, screening from the highway arid no light pollution by agreeing to post performance bonds for this work. The bond will be forfeited if the work is not done.

Not everybody is happy with the proposed rezoning. Nearby neighbors worry about degradation of their view, wetland destruction, increased traffic and possible light pollution for parking lots and and security lights. Some folks may be against the expansion simply because they resent the success that Martin and Cheri Woodard have achieved from scratch.

We think the final results will be an addition to the county, and we urge the Supervisors to approve Faith Mountain’s petition.