County overlooked protests in nursing home decision
Published December 7, 2003
Editor: What the Pasco County Commissioners did to this community early Wednesday Dec. 3 was terribly wrong. After starting the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday with an overbooked agenda, we were not even heard by the commissioners until 1:30 a.m.
They had the option to leave the zoning (as grandfathered) as is for a locked down skilled nursing home at 8158 Treelet Court. However, they chose not to do this and rezoned it for an assisted living facility. This is after the planning board recommended to not change the zoning.
We provided the commissioners with not only a petition of 100 percent signatures from the community pleading to not change the zoning of this facility but also, over 300 pages of evidence supporting our claim of this facility not being a good neighbor. It was to no avail. None of this information seemed to be of any concern due to the fact that it was not even mentioned by the commissioners at this meeting.
They sure pulled in their horns when the building industry protested the changes proposed affecting them, but apparently knowing we did not have the resources to hire legal help in our case, they pushed it right through even though we had asked for a continuance.
I guess it would be nice if we had an attorney to volunteer to help us with our situation. For the past 41 years I have watched a beautiful area deteriorate by stupid decisions of local government. However, I still keep voting and hoping!
-- R.R. Campbell, New Port Richey
Inflatable snowman robber also took one mother's peace of mind
Editor: Thank you thief for breaking my mother's heart.
Last year, my father almost died and spent four months in the hospital. He finally came home a few days before Christmas. My mom had neither the time, energy or the enthusiasm to decorate the outside of their home.
This year with dad being better, she decided to really do it up. Mom shopped for weeks for exactly the right lights and yard decor and spent all day Saturday, Nov. 29, with her husband, son and grandsons decorating the house. Her biggest delight was the 8-foot inflatable, lit-up snowman. It was on Louisiana Avenue smiling at all who drove by. She went to bed around 12:30 a.m. and guess what happened? Someone stole the staked-down snowman and even the extension cord before she woke up at 7 a.m.
It was not even in the yard for 12 hours. She is so upset that she wants to take everything down before her other Christmas treasures get stolen. So, whoever you are, I hope you could look your children, your spouse or your parents in the eye when you brought home your new snowman.
-- Patti Molnar, Hudson
Pointe West manager responds to letters, accusations over rule
Editor: I am the manager of Pointe West Condominiums. This is a response to all the letters to the editor from all the ignorant non-Pointe West residents.
Webster's defines ignorant as "having little or no knowledge; unlearned. Unaware; uninformed." All the non-Pointe West residents who have written in using slogans about our troops - who by the way, I support 110 percent - and "absurd intrusions" and "ruling junta" should have all the facts before making absurd accusations!
I invite any member of the press or the letter writers to come talk to our residents, not just the four quoted in the news. Pointe West is a democracy, not a communist state as accused in some letters. In February, the unit owners will have the chance to vote to keep or do away with this new rule.
I want to make it perfectly clear to the ignorant masses that sitting in your front yard or talking to your neighbors in your front yard is not a violation of the Pointe West rules. Having a tailgate party at the streets edge is!
-- Jack Smith, New Port Richey
[Last modified December 7, 2003, 01:34:09]
