Sunday, December 18, 2011 4:31 am

Your coverage of the proposed new quarry has given us all a harsh wake-up call. The sudden appearance of two new quarries illustrates our problem. We must put adequate zoning laws in place ASAP.

According to the expert our commissioners consulted the zoning process will require at least a full year.  Although a committee has been appointed to study zoning requirements necessary to protect our rural lifestyle, I believe our county has a serious shortage of resources necessary to solve this problem.

Fortunately, there are a significant number of rural counties with applicable zoning laws which can be used as our starting point. However, our commissioners have other competing priorities and a limited amount of time to spend on any problem.

As voters we should continue to remind our commissioners that protecting our rural lifestyle is a very high priority. If we fail to implement proper zoning Cannon County will become a dump to be conveniently used and abused by outsiders who then leave us with a mess.

We all have a stake in protecting our home. I'm sure some of us would be willing to donate time and effort to assist the commissioners if asked.  

Our goal must be to identify and implement effective zoning laws within coming year.

John Hackett
Locke Creek Road
Readyville