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I don't know when a letter has so adversely affected me as much as Brian Beddow's letter of July 16 about Carroll County's proposed Pathways plan.
What I objected to most was his callous, cavalier attitude when he stated, "I fail to see how replacing a trailer park and some trees south of I -70 with a coordinated employment campus will harm our town."
Pheasant Ridge trailer park is a lovely community of hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people in more than 100 families.
These people have a face, a name, a family and a story. Some are young people starting out, some are single parent families, and some are retired just trying to live on their Social Security.
Most of these families would be financially ruined if this rezoning went through and they had to leave. Most own their trailers and rent the land they sit on. They have loans on their homes, however they could not sell because no one will buy and they cannot move them because parks even in other states do not take in used trailers.
I wonder how Mr. Beddow would feel if he was forced to leave his home, but had to continue to pay for it. He remarked about losing trees on the south side of I-70.
Does he not realize, this land is home to the head waters of the Patapsco River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay, now they are pristine, but with all the runoff from parking lots they will be no longer?
Does he not know that this area is zoned conservation, because of this? What of the property rights of those who own this property? If the county can trample their rights, they can trample yours, too!
And what of the wild life? Does he know this is a home to deer, beaver and much more? We don't have the infrastructure that would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
What studies have they done that shows they can even attract businesses? There are none!
He talks about a High's store that is impossible to reach. We buy gas there every week, with no trouble at all. And if you can't find your way to Five Guys, maybe you need to stay home.
He gave two scenarios, drive an hour to work or flip hamburgers. But there is a third: move!
Martha Manhollan, Mount Airy