Throughout most of the last decade I worked with passionate community members in an attempt to level the playing field between real estate developers and other interloper types and the best interests of their community.

My first realization is how great the odds are initially stacked against you. Hand shakes have taken place and often the deal to over-ride proper scrutiny is sealed long before the issue is made public.

Community apathy or indifference makes an easy path for unscrupulous profiteers to make their way through the process without warranting proper procedure or having to answer responsible questions regarding their plans. Then come predictable often baseless arguments...jobs, tax revenue etc. When diligent fact finding undermines their claims they move to litigation which is costly. If they come up short in the courts they wait you out. These processes can and do take years.

Without patience, perseverance and focus the game could never be won. I won some and lost many. It takes guts and time. I applaud anyone who makes the effort to protect or preserve their community.