« Lake men on medical mission help poor villagers hear better | Main | Providing a means to hear »
July 22, 2005
Rounds weighs in on plan for sign-language town
Individual development projects such as a sign-language town proposed near Salem should not referred to a vote of the public, Gov. Mike Rounds said Wednesday.
Instead, referendums should be reserved for times when local zoning laws are created or modified, he said.
Once those laws are in place, developers should be allowed to comply with them and move forward without the threat of a public vote, said Rounds, who declined to say whether he supported or opposed the town, to be called Laurent.
"If every single new business coming in was subject to a vote of the people around them, then it's a matter of do we like the person or do we like the business, and now we start limiting based upon the color of a person's skin or the location of where they come from and so forth," Rounds said in an interview. "And that is not appropriate."
As proposed, Laurent would be built at an interstate exit three miles south of Salem and cater to sign-language users.
But some residents and landowners near the site have opposed it and the McCook County Commission has been caught in the middle.
During their discussions, commissioners have debated whether to create a zoning "overlay" to allow the town's construction.
If the overlay ordinance wins approval from commissioners and is upheld by voters, developers would need to apply to the county for an overlay permit. Commissioners would then approve or reject the application.
Under existing law, that decision could not be referred to a public vote. But some commissioners have suggested an amendment to allow a referendum on the application.
Rounds said developers and the people who want to live in Laurent should be treated fairly.
"If they believe that it could survive economically, then they should have the opportunity to explore it, to follow the rules and the guidelines that are currently in place, and have an opportunity to try," he said.
By Associated Press
Followup:
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/06/laurent_looms_l.html
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/06/panel_delays_ac.html
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/06/planning_panel.html
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/03/designers_share.html
http://www.4hearingloss.com/archives/2005/03/town_designed_f.html
Posted by 4HL on July 22, 2005 8:36 AM
Send this article to a friend