To the Editor:

The August 17 Town of Waynesville Planning Board meeting provided first-time meeting participants a crash course in the government planning process. To the credit of the board, its chair and town staff, the special-use permit hearing for the proposed Shining Rock Classical Academy charter school was managed professionally and largely courteously.  This despite the highly personal and emotionally charged nature of the proceedings.  

As a meeting rookie, I was particularly struck by three aspects of the proceeding which I feel deserve more attention from town leadership and area residents. Since one of the options afforded the proponents given the negative result of this meeting is a re-submission of its request, it is important that these issues are considered. 

Traffic and safety are inextricably linked

The planning board is charged to make its special use determination based on six criteria. Two of the six, adequate means to deal with traffic and protection of public safety, are inextricably linked. The board was presented with a request in which the attention to implications on local traffic were not adequately researched. While significant time was invested in consideration of entry to the property (this analysis hastily provided just in time for meeting but not contained in the initial submission), little preparation or analysis was provided related to the access from U.S. 276.  The dangerous curves of the two roadways in question, proximity of two intersections, and high volume of traffic already present at this site were treated by proponents as minor details that could easily be addressed through the creation of phantom turn lanes.  

In their haste to meet a self-determined deadline, proponents have placed the planning board in the untenable position of assessing the overall impact on the public without the necessary information. Further, if in the end a plan is provided that somehow addresses the complicated, dangerous traffic environment, the school opening should not be allowed until the necessary traffic improvements are completed, not merely planned. 

The town has unfairly tasked the planning board

I was surprised and dismayed to learn that, at least in regards to special use school projects, the town has a byzantine, dangerously flawed planning process. The planning board was tasked with evaluating a woefully incomplete proposal. The flaws within the submission wasted the town staff’s time, the board’s time and the time of citizens forced to endure the hours it took to recognize the deficiencies. Town staff should be empowered to set a standard that requires special use school projects proponents to adequately address the six criteria prior to consideration by the board. The rushed and incomplete nature of this submission placed an unfair burden on the board.

The appointed members of the planning board should not be placed in the position of final determination of issues that impact citizens lives at this level. By design, the special use process for school projects unfairly limits citizen input. Decisions of this magnitude should be reserved for elected officials whose decisions are subject to voter review. Under the current process, the town board inexplicably retains authority over elements of this proposal, e.g. extension of sewer and water access, while delegating more sensitive and community impactful elements, e.g. location of the school campus. Leave final authority to elected officials who can be held accountable for the full impact of their decisions.

A righteous cause can lead to indifference to thers

The proponents of the Shining Rock are passionate about their school and their mission. One can only assume that it is this passion that has led to their apparent indifference to safety and community concerns. The degree to which their paid spokesperson artfully attempted to minimize the concerns of local residents and the future costs necessary to legitimize the site was disappointing to witness. There was no evidence that alternative sites which may not carry the burden of safety and infrastructure costs associated with this site have been evaluated. The state legislature in its wisdom has empowered groups like this to pursue their passion with little regard to local citizens or our tax dollars.

The planning board should be applauded for its attention and service. Hopefully they will be spared this experience in the future.

Dale A. Rehkamp

Waynesville