Next battle: City Council meeting on January 21 at 5:30 pm in City Hall Rm 219 at the top of the stairs - this coming Tuesday!
Again, we need to write letters to the City and attend and speak. Whenever Markham Hill and issues affecting surrounding residential neighborhoods are put on the agenda, we want to show up. We will become experts on this and keep growing in our numbers who participate.
This will also show the City officials that residents are rising up more and more to resist the City's pro-development urbanization at all costs - destroying our trees, urban forests, historical places, Native American sites, and neighborhoods.
We oppose developer SREG's request for a variance to build 15 ft from the road rather than their CPZD-declared and promised 20 ft in their Phase 1 development plan to begin destroying Markham Hill.
We will oppose every developer request, no matter how small, concerning their destruction of Markham Hill.
End goal: Convince the out-of-state owner and his local developer to sell the entire Markham Hill property to a conservationist who will preserve it all.
Possible talking points in your emails and speeches to the City:
1. What else will they not keep their promises on in their specific CPZD, RIU, and RA rezoned development plan for Markham Hill that was approved by the City? What other variances will they request? What other promises will they not keep?
2. Seth Mims has fabricated information to residents and the City numerous times: about their original plans for Markham Hill, about the late Dr. Jamie Brandon's words on Native American excavation and artifacts, about promises under oath in the Federal Court, etc. Can we trust his, SREG's, and out-of-state owner Robert M Dant's information? No, we can't.
3. Seth Mims has also proclaimed he knows about every spring and significant tree on Markham Hill. Can we believe him? Can we believe what he says about protecting them? No, we can't.
4. What is SREG fearful about that they ask the botanists, wildlife experts, etc. they hire to sign non-disclosures? Are they afraid the public will learn about endangered species of plants and animals, Native American artifacts and burial sites, springs that will surely be built over and cause flooding issues on properties below?
5. What roads are they planning to exit their proposed sprawl (not infill) affluent development? How much harm will they cause the wildlife, urban forest, and surrounding neighborhood communities of people? At whose expense? Who will pay to maintain them? Our tax payer money? So, the people harmed will have to pay for something out-of-state owner Robert M Dant and local SREG developers Jeremy Hudson and Seth Mims benefit from financially? What is fair about that?
6. Do Robert M Dant, Jeremy Hudson, and Seth Mims really care about the trees and people of Fayetteville? With their Phase 1, they tried to cut down neighborhood-planted and nurtured trees in the City right-of-way on Cross Rd for their private development parking. That was stopped for now. What else will they try to do at the neighbors' and City's disadvantage in order to make money?
We are ready to fight for saving Markham Hill one battle at a time! We will keep asking out-of-state owner Robert M Dant and his local developer Specialized Real Estate Group (SREG), specifically Jeremy Hudson and Seth Mims, to sell the entire 144-acre Markham Hill property to a conservationist who will preserve it all.
I am unable to make Tuesday evening City Council meetings because of another commitment I can't get out of. I will be praying for you. I know you will write letters and show up and do a fantastic job. A few of you can hand out our flyer to those interested as they enter the room. Four of you can take turns holding up our two beautiful Save Markham Hill banners in the back or side of the room. You will do great!
Our battle cry:
Preserve Fayetteville heritage!
Conserve our remaining intact urban forests!
Save Markham Hill!
#SaveMarkhamHill #PreserveFayetteville #KeepFayettevilleForested