It is Monday, December 12. This is a James Exchange QuickTake. I am your host, Nancy Gill.
Decision time has come for Scottsville Town Council to vote on Echelon Resources application to rezone the tire factory from industrial to commercial and a special use permit for 205 apartments. They can vote tonight, after their public hearing. Or, they can defer the vote.
I have reached out to Bill Hyson and Dan Gritsko to come on the James Exchange. Dan was willing, but not Bill. In fairness to the two sides of this issue, I made the decision not to have Dan on if his view was not opposed.
Well, disappointed I am. However, tonight is the real debate on the future of the town and the legacy of this Town Council.
Yesterday, I started a rather lengthy newsletter with the intent of including the entire Town Council packet online. Halfway through, I decided not to. Here are the links:
Agenda —5 pages
Factory Fiscal Impact Report —9 pages
Factory Questions Response —2 pages
Factory Voting Item —1 page
Letters Emails Submitted— 15 pages —both in favor of and not
Echelon Resources’ Rezoning Application —7 pages
Staff Report — 13 pages
On quite a different front, I went to a Bell concert yesterday evening. If you have yet to experience a full bell orchestra, it is breathtakingly awesome. Prior to the performance, one of the ushers started a conversation with me. For those of you who know me well, you know I enjoy meeting new people and starting a dialog. My usher did not disappoint. We talked about the theater we were in and theater. I told her about Victory Hall’s history of the floods, the fire trucks, the ambulances, and the arts. She mentioned that the one thing the town she taught in (creative writing) refused to cut the arts when our country was facing a turbulent economy. We talked about how the arts define culture.
The concert started with the conductor, alone on the stage, turned toward us and raised his arms. As he did we heard the bells at the back of the theater. He conducted the processional of “Gloria” or “Angels we Have Heard on High.” It was beautiful. A warm nostalgia swept through me as memories of playing this song with Mary Hardy and her merry gang of musicians in Scottsville’s Victory Hall.
So, I wish Town Council the best in their meeting this evening.
As always, if you have a song, a story, an event, an issue, or just want to have a conversation, contact me!
Visit The James Exchange website! You can submit an event here.
A Public Hearing and Angels