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June 28, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 7, 2004 DeBoer house debate continues By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings The pro-DeBoer house faction had its say Tuesday night before the Ashland City Council. Those opposed will have their say when the meeting continues Thursday at 6 p.m. The Sid and Karen DeBoer home, slated to be built on the site of an existing structure on the property, has been much debated by many city commissions. Tuesday, it was the citizens' turn to appear before the council to voice their support and opposition. With Mayor Alan DeBoer recusing himself because he is Sid DeBoer's brother and with Cate Hartzell chairing the meeting, it got off to a rocky start. Procedural issues First, Bill Street, one of the original appellants, asked to be dropped from the appeal. He did so to allow himself the use of his full five minutes during the public forum section of the meeting to speak against the project. Then he accused councilor Chris Hearn of being biased toward the project and asked that he recuse himself from the discussion and vote. The accusations stemmed from statements Hearn had made and communications he had read and sent to other councilors, known as ex partite communication. That request was denied by the council after Hearn defended himself from the charges. He, along with councilors John Morrison and Don Laws, stated the ex partite communication accusation was not valid, as councilors had to read communications on the issue to prepare themselves for the discussion. Then it was time for those on the other side to turn up the heat. Their representative, Gary Peterson, said he was concerned that Hartzell could not be fair and impartial toward the project. And he questioned whether the council had any standing to hear the appeal. In an earlier letter to the council, it appeared that Nolte believed that once the Planning Commission Hearings Board made its decision, that was as far as the process could go and the council could not take up the issue. However, a further reading of the statute changed Nolte's mind and he told the council that they could indeed take up the issue. After some discussion, councilors accepted Nolte's reinterpretation of the statute and the discussion finally began in earnest. Plenty of support Once all the legalities were out of the way, Craig Stone, speaking for the DeBoers, reiterated their contention that the home meets all requirements of the existing codes when the application was filed. Then it was the citizens' turn, as 14 members of the community spoke in favor of the project. Among the comments were several speaking to the beauty and historic value the home will bring to Ashland. "America stands for private ownership," naturalized citizen Doug Forsythe said. "My home belongs to me, not the historic commission." He went on to add that it was a travesty that anyone could tell Sid and Karen DeBoer what kind of home they can build. William Patten wrote a letter to the commission telling them of his initial opposition to the home. "Our home is located directly above the new one planned on Glenview Drive by Sid and Karen DeBoer," he wrote. "Initially, we were concerned, fearing that the structure would be too tall and large for the site." He went on to state that after seeing the plans and drawings, he and his wife believe the home will be an improvement over the existing house and that the new home will lower the roof line that that of the existing home. William Sowers, who has lived in Ashland since 1978, said he does not like the attitude of some Ashland residents. "This town is a lot more negative and divisive than in the past," he noted. "I ask you (the council) to look at the plans as being reasonable, definite and not phony." Jerry Taylor echoed those sentiments when he noted that much good could be done in the community if only all the negativity that has been shown over the past nine months could be channeled into positive projects like a youth or community center. "All this negativity is going to make Ashland look like a really negative place," he said. Craig Pennington spoke for many in favor of building the home when he talked about the long-term effect the home will have on Ashland. "I believe that 100 years from now, residents will marvel from the beauty of this home," he said. Thursday's meeting will be held at the Ashland Civic Center in the City Council chambers. It will begin at 6 p.m. and must end at 10:30 p.m. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams