Editor's note: The following letter, written by Camden County 2nd District Commissioner Cliff Luber is in response to a letter submitted by Joe Roeger to the Lake Sun Leader. Read Roeger's letter here.

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It wasn’t so easy on the eyes to envision Joe Roeger with his pom-poms, cheering for the current planning and zoning administration and board over their compromise regarding the Paradise restaurant and nearby neighbors.  Mr. Roeger’s sudden embrace of “compromise” is a welcome change from his position earlier this year. To be certain, in my view it was a high probability if Paradise's request for a CUP was not granted, there would be another expensive and drawn out lawsuit against Camden County. 

I also trust Mr. Roeger will choose planning and zoning compromise in his own neighborhood. 

The Camden County Commission and the planning and zoning administrator were present in a meeting with the Four Season Property Owner’s Association board when the word compromise was not uttered. Mr. Roeger, a former POA board member and spokesman, was seated beside Commissioner Kris Franken, a politician he supports. Mr. Roeger was not so compromising when he drew an imaginary line across the table and told the group that “we (POA) are drawing a line in the sand and that property (Lazy Gator) is to be zoned R-1.” (single-family residential) It was also said during this meeting, almost unbelievably, that Lazy Gator’s property should be zoned and utilized as a park. I didn’t hear anyone offer to buy the property to turn it into a park.  

It appears that staunch advocates of planning and zoning wish to stand by it when it suits their goals. However, if those same advocates apply the Camden County Master Plan to Shady and Lazy Gators, they will find that those businesses are in designated commercial zones. That’s right, a business in a business zone.  

The master plan is being used and abused of late, with businesses being approved in residential areas and vice versa. So what good is it? This has been a total waste of 160,000 taxpayers’ dollars and they should be mad as hell about it. Yet, it is still constantly referred to in planning and zoning documents. 

Shortly after taking office I received a call from an associate of Gator owner Gary Prewitt wanting to meet with the commission to discuss a possible settlement of the ongoing lawsuit. They advised me that they thought I would be an honest broker in working toward a settlement. During our meetings, it was learned that Mr. Prewitt also wanted to purchase property use as a parking lot for his businesses. That property has no Camden County zoning. Given the obvious ongoing parking problems, this appeared to me to be a win for the residents who have suffered with traffic problems and Mr. Prewitt. 

To be sure, in my view, we are a very unique area with businesses and residences so closely intertwined.  Both must be willing to recognize the others’ right to be there and work together as neighbors not adversaries. Unfortunately, in politics and when a re-election is on the horizon, too many times the right thing to do, is not done for all of the wrong reasons. 

I welcome the new attitude of compromise. I would hope that Mr. Roger’s neighborhood, or should I say Mr. Roeger, will embrace the word compromise. That attitude is needed in all neighborhoods of the planning and zoning district and not just on one side of the lake. 

Cliff Luber

Your 2nd District Camden County Commissioner


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