Editor:

At the end of Wednesday’s Farmville Town Council meeting, Mayor David Whitus related his experience on a recent business trip during which many people from other locations expressed their admiration for the beauty of Farmville and the wisdom of Longwood’s master plan.

How sad we are currently watching a proposal being rammed toward approval just ahead of the overdue revision of our town’s master plan. This proposal will not only destroy one of Farmville’s most beautiful locations, but will make a mockery of the $50,000 plan that will be created after the fact.

Although much smaller than the monstrosity proposed for this location last fall, the current proposal is completely incompatible with the architecture of the neighborhood. As people drive down Griffin Boulevard, instead of seeing a beautiful and majestic home they will essentially look at the back side of a motel.

Is there any logical reason why this proposal should not be deferred until the comprehensive plan can have some influence? If the Martins are determined to tear down this magnificent home, shouldn’t those of us remaining in Farmville have some say in what we will be looking at in its place?

I respectfully request that the Town Council and the Planning Commission find a way to defer action on this proposal until the community has had a chance to weigh in via the comprehensive plan.

Please do not circumvent our planning process by forcing us to look at what would likely be known by residents in coming years, and not affectionately, as “The Martin Motor Lodge.” If we cannot or will not do this, then I request that we not spend taxpayer funds on a plan that will be essentially useless in stopping additional disasters of this type once the precedent has been set.

Julie Ross

Farmville