Editor:

I have been out trying to drum up support for the District 14 zoning referendum upcoming on the April 13 ballot. I never in my wildest dreams thought there would be so much confusion and misunderstanding about something as relatively simple as zoning. I encourage anyone who has Internet access to go online to: www.fishriverzoning.com. If you don’t have Internet access, ask county officials or your friends and acquaintances in Baldwin County districts that are already zoned.

The most common negatives I hear about the zoning issue are:

•“It is just another government take-over. I have worked hard to acquire my property and no government official is going to tell me what I can and can’t do with it.”

On the contrary, introduction of zoning regulations is more like a take-over by the citizens. It will give citizens a voice to object (or support) a proposed neighborhood land use. A proposed land development just might negatively affect your quality of life and property values: increased traffic congestion, noise, land and water pollution, unsightly buildings or equipment or just some examples. Without zoning regulations, the citizens are muted in fighting these incursions. You will have no voice in the matter, just sit down and shut up.

•“We have lived this long just fine without any zoning; we don’t need any more regulations.”

To the first point, District 14 has seen only a moderate amount of development. However, our area is a prime target for rapid development as economic conditions improve. Water access is high on the priority list for potential developers. Locations on Fish River will be seen as a gold mine. If you don’t believe this, just think about all the proposed development before the economic downturn. Things will not be the same as they were five or 10 years from now.

In order to live in a community, laws and regulation are a necessity. After zoning is in place, you can do with your property whatever you darn well please, assuming what you want to do does not adversely effect someone else’s quality of life or well-being.

•“How did the referendum get on the ballot in the first place? I thought a signature of 10 percent of the registered voters in the district was required to put zoning to a vote. I hear the petition fell short and somehow or the other in ended up on the ballot anyway.”

A petition was competed by a group of concerned citizens to get zoning on a ballot. It fell short, not because of a failure to get signatures, but misinformation from the county as to the number required. Alabama law allows the County Commission to overrule the 10 percent signature rule and put the issue on the ballot for the citizens to decide. Because Baldwin County is one of the fastest growth areas, not only in Alabama, but the entire country, the County Commission decided the institution of zoning regulation was too important an issue not to have the citizen of the district decide. Therefore, they exercised their prerogative to put the issue on the April 13th ballot. It was done completely above board with no subversion or underhanded coercion.

There are 30 voting districts in Baldwin County, 18 of which are zoned. This means approximately 80 percent of the population are already living under zoning regulation. If all or even some of these assertions were true, there likely would be daily riots around the county courthouses.

Fairhope