The Planning Commission's Public Hearing

On January 26th, the Vincent Planning Commission held a public hearing at Vincent High School so that people could voice their opinions about the quarry.  The turnout was impressive.  More than 300 people came, and many of them stood before the Planning Commission and their fellow citizens and spoke their minds.

One thing was abundantly clear: a majority of the people in Vincent do not want a quarry in their town.  They enjoy the peace and quiet Vincent offers and they question White Rock's claims.  The question now is what happens next?

 

What happens after the hearing?

The important thing to remember about Planning Commission's hearing is that it's part of a larger process. The Planning Commission has heard the concerns of Vincent citizens.  At the next Planning Commission meeting, they will make a recommendation to the city council on whether the land should be rezoned so that a quarry can operate.  The city council, in turn, will then take up the issue, hold a public hearing of its own, and then cast a final vote on rezoning.

Because this process is long, convoluted, and sometimes downright confusing, it's absolutely crucial that citizens in Vincent stick together, stay energized, stay confident in their beliefs that a quarry is bad for Vincent, and keep the pressure on White Rock.  

White Rock has found that the citizens of Vincent don't take kindly to being spoon-fed anything from anyone.  In the coming weeks and months, it's important that both they and the members of Vincent's government realize that when the people of Vincent say that they don't want a quarry, they mean it.