Close your eyes for a moment and contemplate what could be the most terrifying and agonizing life event to occur. Now imagine it is not just a nightmare, but its reality.
Mine would relate to the health and welfare of my children. If the health of your child was an issue, who would you pursue for help, support and guidance. Doctors, family, friends and co-workers? What if there was a way our Village elected officials could help? What if there was a way they could help but the refused?
Below is a quick snap shot of what occurred in the Village of Palmetto Bay, December 12th 2011.
A Doctor, with a 10-year-old son who is chronically ill, was seeking a routine variance for 5% more lot coverage than is permitted under the zoning code for his home. Variances as such were granted routinely without a hearing when we were unincorporated. The 5% more was not to cram a McMansion or a gigantic garage to house motorized toys; he wanted to make room for his extended family to be able to all fit on the ground floor of his house. It’s this family that would take care of his son who is afflicted with cystic fibrosis.
Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults. It is a life-threatening disorder, but given proper care, the child will have a chance to live to adulthood.
The variance request was denied. Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsay rejected the good Doctor’s application. They had very little empathy for a family struggling with their 10 year-old son’s potentially fatal disease.
To add insult to injury the variance process cost thousands of dollars because it requires attorneys, architects and other expenses as part of the process. Variances as such, in our Village of Palmetto Bay, include the requirement of having surrounding neighbors approve and sign off on the request. The Doctor did just that and had all of the signatures of his neighbors for approval at the zoning hearing. I would have considered this a legitimate request and it should have been a slam-dunk, right?
Well it wasn’t a slam-dunk, because certain members of this Council don’t really care about anything unless it’s one of their pet causes, which, apparently, does not include a chronically ill minor.
The entire December 12th, 2011 Palmetto Bay Zoning hearing is available to be viewed on the Palmetto Bay website. Be prepared to be outraged. While my opinion is clear from what I have written above, if I was to express myself without reservation this email would be nothing but expletives.
There is a line in Spiderman that fits: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Whoever wins the Village election this time should memorize that line and repeat it to themselves each day they serve in office. This is necessary because the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Councilwoman shirked their moral responsibility. If they cannot look out for the weakest of us all, then what do they stand for and why do we need them?
David Singer
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