There is much more on this airport story that will have you shaking your head and saying WTF.
Besides this rezone abortion, the Town Board will be voting tomorrow on a resolution to rezone a rezone that will allow Bella Vista to build an apartment complex next to the Wal-Mart. The town did everything possible to bring the Wal-Mart to Lancaster, including rezoning residential property to General Business for the purpose of allowing 300,000 square feet of retail/commercial building to take place. Now Bella Vita is whining that the retail market is flat and an apartment complex is in market demand. Bella Vista creates its own hardship by selling more land than it should have to Wal-Mart and now bitches it doesn't have enough room and visibilty to attract a commercial enterprise.
Then you have the zoning snafu on Schwartz Road where a commercial business is operating illegaly in a residential/agricultural zoned district. The operation was finally shut down after the property owner received several citations and a court appearance. Now what is scary about this is reading in today's Lancaster Source that the accused's attorney is quoted as saying there is no illegal operation going on and that they are trying to settle the disagreement with the town out of court. The town is going to settle by doing what? Agreeing that the location and operation is only a midpoint in the operation and grant a special use permit. The defendant's attorney is well known to the town as someone who has represented developers in town numerous times.
And when the town passes out all the rezones and rezones of rezones, the public impacted by said rezones are told "you should have known better." Following a master plan or adhering to codes only happens when it suits town best interests.