Enviros preview legislative session Monday evening
The North Carolina General Assembly session opens this coming Wednesday, Jan. 24. If you'd like to find out what environmental issues are expected to be on the legislative agenda, make plans to attend the N.C. Conservation Network's Take Action Tour, which is making a stop in Raleigh on Monday, Jan. 22.
The group's legislative monitor, Erin Kimrey, and organizer Veronica Butcher will be on hand to talk about clean energy bills, landfill legislation and other pressing environmental matters expected to be addressed during the upcoming session.
The discussion will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cameron Village Library at 1930 Clark Ave., and light refreshments will be provided. If you'd like to attend, please RSVP by e-mailing veronica@ncconservationnetwork.org.
The tour will also be making stops in Charlotte on Jan. 29, Greenville on Feb. 5, Winston-Salem on Feb. 12, Asheville on Feb. 15, and Fayetteville on Feb. 26. For details, visit the group's Web site.
Labels: general assembly
posted by Sue Sturgis @ 12:46 PM
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1 Comments:
On Monday, May 7, 2007, the Committee on Appropriateness of the Raleigh Historic Districts Commission held a "public hearing" on the five proporals by the developer of the Blount Street Historic District Re-development project for the first of several tree demolition projects, this one for the demolition of 47 of the largest of the trees in a four block area of downtown Raleigh. This "hearing" was publicised for six days with multiple signs around the four-block area. Upon arrival at the "hearing" one found that all of these items were on the "consent agenda" which meant that they had been taken off the "hearing calendar altogether. Because of this, representatives from the State's Oversight Committee's staff and membership did not show up. A rump hearing was nevertheless held. It was simply "pro forma" because the staff explained to the committee's membership that they had "no choice" but to approve the demolition of the trees because they were in the planned path for moving structures or for planned carriage ways that the committee had already approved when adopting the proposed master plan; although, when the master plan was presented, no part of the discussion involved what, if any, trees might have to be demolished to accommodate the proposal. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the demolition of the trees without receiving any expert testimony as to the real need for the tree demolitions nor seeking any evidence as to whether or not there might be some alternative paths for relocating buildings that wouth avoid the necessity of demolishing many of the trees.
The fact is that the State moved the "Smith House", for instance, from the present location of the Archdale Building to its present location on Blount Street without demolishing the 300-year old oak that today sits immediately behind the "Smith House" in what had been directly in the path between the sites involved in the move. Now this tree is to be needlessly demolished. The two trees between the Smith House and Blount Street are also to be demolished. The impending tragedy should be avoided and Monday's decisions reversed. An appeal will be filed with the Raleigh Board of Adjustment. Please help save these trees.
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