Three planning and zoning members resign By CINDY DIFAZIO Monday night’s Carrollton Planning and Zoning Commission ended with three members submitting their resignations and leaving the board without enough members to hold a meeting. Chairman Bob Young, Mary Francis Mefford and Sandy May each resigned, effective immediately. This comes on the heels of two other recent resignations — Richard Kates and Jeff Fremin — from the eight-member commission. All five of the recently resigned members have served for at least three years — many more than that — in the unpaid positions and have expressed frustration at the lack of progress made in improving the city of Carrollton. In October 2007, the planning and zoning commission presented several resolutions to city council for consideration that would have rezoned portions of Second, Third and Fourth streets and Polk, Clay and Taylor streets from I-2 heavy-industrial use, to R-3 residential use. City council gave Chairman Young less than one minute to explain resolutions the commission had worked on for over two years. The council voted against accepting any of the proposed re-zoning issues the commission presented. “It wouldn’t have surprised me if the entire commission resigned after that meeting,” Mayor Dwight Louden said. “It has been obvious planning and zoning has been very frustrated and their patience is running out. They were very concerned that they couldn’t get things through city council.” During the April planning and zoning meeting, Louden asked the commission to stop worrying about enforcement of ordinances. “That is Code Enforcement Officer John Welch’s and my job, “ Louden said. “That statement wasn’t the straw that broke the camels back, but it confirmed to me that’s what I needed to do,” Mary Francis Mefford said. “The statement of the mayor and the attitude and demeanor in which he delivered it was completely inappropriate,” Young said. Young, who has served six years on the commission, said he believes the mayor wants to control everything that comes before council. In his letter, the former P&Z chairman expressed concern for the city of Carrollton and its residents and not for the special interest of a few individuals. Both May’s and Mefford’s letters of resignation quote the lack of enforcement for city codes and the mayor’s statement about enforcement as contributing factors for their resignations. Both women have lived in Carrollton for a long time and had hopes of making a difference in improving the city when they agreed to serve on the commission.
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