Bay Oaks Park update: no referendum

I received a letter from the Bay Oaks Park Committee regarding the efforts to preserve the land in East Ocean View. Following council’s decision to rescind the ordinances, the Committee has decided not to seek a referendum. The letter provides these reasons:

1) When the City Council rescinded the ordinances in June, 2007, they rendered the need for the referendum moot. Our legal counsel advised us that if we asked the court to order the referendum after the Council rescinded the ordinances, the court would probably decline our request, which meant facing another (and this time, likely fruitless) appeal process, more resources spent and less-effective efforts.

2) To demand a referendum would cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars and make more of a political point than a civic one.

3) We felt that to insist on a referendum after the Council acknowledged the people’s veto would be divisive and counter-productive to the positive participation of our Norfolk neighbors in this civic exercise.

The letter does further in stating the Committee has asked Council to pass ordinances that would change the land use designation, which would allow the property to be preserved as a park. The issue is supposed to be taken up by Council at its retreat this month.

As much as I would have liked to have seen the referendum, I concur with the Committee’s decision. I once again applaud the Bay Oaks Park Committee for steadfastly pursuing something that they believed in. I am reminded of a quote by Margaret Mead (which appears on my Favorite Quotes page):

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.

Yeah. What she said 😉