Thank you for printing at least the civil portion of my letter regarding Rose Hill Plantation (aka Bulldozed Hill Abomination) [“Mourning the Mountain,” July 11]. It was thoughtful and kind of the editor to remove the rabid insults that I fired at the developers.
Unfortunately, I feel that in the cleanup, the main intention was lost. Even the title “Mourning the Mountain” is [misrepresentative]. I certainly join my neighbors in feeling the loss, [but] it gives an air of resignation and sorrow. A more appropriate title would be “A Call to Arms,” meaning we, as a community, have to stand up against this nonsense and hold those in charge of land slaughter accountable.
It’s surrounding us. Not just in Leicester, but in Fairview, Beaverdam, Mars Hill, Spring Creek, Mills River, on and on. If this kind of destruction is within the boundaries of the law, then the law should be changed. As long as we sit passively by and quietly lament about the injustice of it all, we will continue to see our mountains plowed down to make room for those who have no respect or regard for the land or the people who dwell here.
Long live the resistance.
— Eva Scruggs
Leicester
Amen to that…I was utterly horrified when I saw what they had done to that previously beautiful hill. I still can’t believe it. I also can’t believe that developers still think that these horrible pre-fab-looking housing developments (where all houses are ridiculously huge, expensive, nearly identical, and are jammed together) are a good idea. Way to go.
like you i am sickened and becoming bitter more and more each day about all the raping of our mountains. i also realize the pepole we are up against long ago became rotted flesh and the only time they become human is if money is put infront of them. they are getting ready to rip my neighborhood apart, my mothers family was one of the first settlers in mills river. my fathers family from madison county and all now is nothing but a price tag on its head. not only are they taking our land but they are also filtering out our own appalachian culture. though i am normally a passive person i am seeing each day that words alone may not be how to stop these developers coming in. nor is it going to stop the “communities” that they are making.i also found it profound how the man from the sales department tried to justify what they were doing to your area.
fianlly i am here to tell you i am here to back you up 100% in whatever you think we can do to stop anymore devlopers coming in. also if i hear the response one more time of how it was the person who lived in thses mountians who sold the property one more time i will scream. the truth of the matter is we sometimes have no choice because of the high taxes the city and copunty has put on areas they know will be prime real estate.
i am proud of you for speaking up.
I most certainly understand your feelings towards the land that you have grown to love and call your “own.” Hailing from California I too have seen hillsides cleared to make room for growth. This is what happens when other people from around the country and world want to share in the loveliness of the area in which you live. Just where will we house the estimated 37,000 people that will be moving to the Asheville area in the next 10 years?
The better fight is to make sure that developers are upheld to a high standard of protecting what they can of the land and to ensure that the proper infastructures are in place to ease foreseeable traffic issues.
Growth, while many are threatened by it, is a good thing…it provides, jobs, security and choices. Let’s just make sure it is being done carefully.