It appears to me that our administration has already determined a PUD ordinance is necessary, is needed right away, and will be passed as soon as LandDesign and the town can agree on the wording -- and all before the whole picture is studied, citizen input is sought, and a master plan drawn up to shape the future of our town.

Our current piecemeal approach is not in the town's best interest. A prudent use of our tax dollars would be to pay for a thoughtful master plan for the growth of this very special area where I was fortunate enough to be born.

Surely, an issue that will have such large and far-reaching effects warrants more thought and the involvement of our citizens before a deal is struck. There is no question that growth is an inherent part of our everyday lives, but approval of a PUD zoning district will not solve our tendency always to be reacting to the desires of developers and property owners.

We need to be ahead of the curve and in sync with the growth that is coming our way. And we need to define what kind of growth we want here. As property owners, we would like to know what we can reasonably expect to happen around our homes and our town. I've had a lot of surprises since I became a homeowner.

Without a master plan for Southern Pines and the extraterritorial district, we will not be the shapers of the future of Southern Pines. To my mind, a PUD ordinance is putting the cart before the horse and should be relegated to the back burner.

Alison Kemple

Southern Pines