Posted on 08/19/2008 6:18:37 AM PDT by rawhide
Walt Neidlinger spent years trying to keep a Wal-Mart-anchored shopping complex from being built near his Wind Gap home.
The traffic would have been suffocating for their little community, neighbors argued, so when the massive retailer and its partners packed up their plans and left Plainfield Township last year, Neidlinger was ecstatic. He figured he'd wait for the next plan to come along and remembers thinking, ''What could be worse than Wal-Mart?''
Over the past year, Neidlinger says, he's gotten an answer: RPM Recycling -- the metal-shredding plant on the same land -- causes daily noise that sounds like a freight train rumbling down the street, and frequent explosions that shake his walls.
Last week, a fire at the recycling plant inflamed growing tensions between residents, who say the plant has ruined their neighborhood, and RPM co-owner Nolan A. Perin, who says he's spent $200,000 to help calm the noise and wonders why he's being criticized for bringing industry to an industrial park.
Neidlinger said the shredding operation is a payback for opposition to the Wal-Mart project.
''The noise is a constant nuisance and the explosions make our windows shake,'' Neidlinger said. ''I just feel Mr. Perin put this there out of spite after the shopping center development fell through.''
Perin, who owns the 200 acres near the Wind Gap border, denies that.
''That's about as childish a thought as a person can have,'' Perin said. ''We proposed that recycling plant long before the [Wal-Mart] retail development fell through. I want to be a good neighbor, but I wish people would bring their complaints to me, rather than the media.''
(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...
If you live next to an open lot, the only way you can control what goes there is to buy the lot.
This is pure private property rights. The owner of the land next to yours is free to do with it as he wishes, subject only to zoning restrictions. And if the owner gets that property re-zoned, tough turkey! It’s his land, not yours! This whole concept of having the government decide what goes where is not only un-American, it’s anti-capitalist. Governments deciding what goes where was tried in another country. Anyone remember it? Anyone? Anyone? Yes, that’s right, it was called the “Soviet Union.” Hey, guess what? That country went out of business because it had a bad business plan.
So if he wants to put in a Wal Mart, take it. If its a metal recycling center, take it. It could be the men’s sex offender work release toxic waste disposal paper mill, separated from you by a rusty four foot high chain link fence overgrown with weeds and littered with empty 16 oz. cans of Schlitz Malt Liquor.
Since windmills and recycling plants are so bad, we’ll just have to build nuclear generators and landfills instead.
Everything is going to be okay. The latest news is that the recycler is going out of business, and the land will be rezoned for rural use. AgriOink, the new owner, says the site is perfect for for their pig farm expansion.
Reminds me of the Simpson’s episode where Homer lobbies to stop a stamp museum in his neighborhood and ends up with a cemetery instead.
Read the comment section at the artcle. There are some funny comments.
Better yet, check out the video in the opinion section that deals with the Sgt Nazaro trial. What the judge has to say is chilling.
The neighbors complained, so he announced that he was canceling his plans.
Now for the rest of the story...
Since the property zoning permitted agricultural use, he also announced that he was putting in a pig farm.
The apartment complex went up!
If anything they bring traffic/shoppers.
All the Walmarts and other large “anchor” stores around here are surrounded by smaller retailers and restaurants. The supercenters in fact have a fast food place in them employing even more people. The one closest to me has a Subway and the further one has I think a Blimpie or something.
Walmart is great but they don’t have everything. For instance the Aldi across the road from the supercenter is very busy (I love Aldi’s!). I don’t think either store suffers being near the other, what it does it make it convenient for shoppers who save gas by shopping in one area.
Or perhaps they can man up and blame themselves for buying houses adjacent to property that's zoned industrial.
The newspaper mentions the Lehigh Valley. Wind Gap is a town in Pennsylvania. I would bet on PA.
Yes, I already corrected my error. Thanks.
Well we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line
Whenever I start to feel gloomy about the deterioration of America, and the tyranny of the overly vocal minorities and other whiners, something like this comes along to cheer me up and remind me that now and then fate itself metes out some rough justice.
‘’I can’t guarantee there will never be an explosion,’’ Perin said, noting the new machine is already working. ‘’But I think there won’t be as many”
I smiled while reading the whole article, but this part made me laugh out loud.
I wonder what came first, the industial zoning of the property or the homes.
I’ve heard of people complaining about airplane noise, after they move into a home by the airport.
I’m going back to read the comments after reading this thread.
Next time I read about someone complaining about WalMart, I’m sending them a link to this article.
''I can't guarantee there will never be an explosion,'' Perin said, noting the new machine is already working. ''But I think there won't be as many.''
I love that line. The Chinese nailed it - Be careful what you wish for. ROTFL
Walt's an idiot! Tough luck old man. "Spent years!"
Why can I get it, but LIBERALS can't?
Not if the plant is in their backyard - (for more Hyprocity, see Ted 'the Swimmer' Kennedy, opposition to the windmill project!)
Zoning can be changed. Strikes me that if people want to change land use from commercial to residential, then they need to petition their local governments....before the land gets developed. Complaining to the companies after the fact strikes me as shouting at the rain.
And, CaliGirl, we're having a local tempest in a teapot about Airplane noise. Local airport wants to expand....people who bought houses next to it are complaining about increased air traffic.
It's funny...other than the few loudmouths, local sentiment is "If you don't like airplanes, don't live next to an airport". The fact that the airport expansion and resulting additions of companies will add Billions to the local economy makes for fairly unsympathetic ears.
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