SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT,
from page one
Headlines in the Daily Globe read "Ironwood Planners
reject Wilson Street Rezoning" " In truth it should
have read Zoning board chickens out and changes its mind.
A large contingent of Wilson street residents showed up
at last weeks planning and zoning meeting to protest the
proposed zoning change to their neighborhood. Faced with
reality the Zoning board took cover and in true political
fashion looked for a scapegoat for the fiasco they had
authored. What they stated for the reason of the zoning
change was far, far from the truth. New zoning Commissioner
Powers asked why this was even on the agenda? Chairman
John Wyssling responded that is was done because of a zoning
change request by local Attorney Marvin Marks.
Nothing could be further from the truth. It was Wyssling, a local realtor and other contractor/ real estate
investors on the board who proposed the zoning change. The
proposal was discussed at the October 17, 2007 board
meeting. The proposal was the brain child of Wyssling, Pat
Merrill (former development director) and Bruce Noren and Bob
Burchell.
Marvin Marks building at 501 Wilson street is directly on
US 2 and an obvious object of a zoning change. Mr. Marks did
not ask to change all of Wilson Street. He only request a
conditional use permit. The zoning board wanted to deny any
"spot zoning change" to the property, opting instead to wait
until the whole neighborhood. Mr. Wyssling clearly stated
that "we want to rezone the whole neighborhood". We being
the members of the zoning board and city officials.
Obviously there's a great deal of future profits to be made
in commercialization of Ironwood's residential
neighborhoods. Real Estate and contracting interest
stand to gain a great deal from
zoning changes proposed last week and the many others on the
city's development map.
The Daily Globe was well aware of who was responsible for
zoning change. Why did they fail to give the entire story?
Fortunately for the citizens of Ironwood the entire meeting was video and audio taped
by Superior Chronicle on-line news and
you are free to watch or listen those tapes
Click to
WATCH VIDEO
Click to
LISTEN
TO AUDIO
Complete coverage of last weeks meeting
can be seen at: http://superiorchronicle.com/archives/08_february/pc_02_06_08.html
Ironwood
taxpayer advocate Arvo Toolanen is sending a Compact Disk of
the October meeting to each of the Wilson Street
residents. He wants them to know who was really responsible
for the ordeal that they were unnecessarily put through.
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