The Southern Light Show has been canceled by the Camden County Commissioners.
A Christmas season light show extravaganza was planned for 300+ acres a few miles west of I-95 on Horse Stamp Church Road. The neighbors in the rural area, populated by horse and livestock farms and folks intentionally seeking peace and quiet away from the congestion had rightful concerns about traffic and disruption of the serene countryside. Poor communication between the show creators and the neighborhood probably allowed a lot more fear of disruption than the Light Show would have actually produced, but they have a right to worry about something new upending their neighborhood and frightening their livestock.
Camden1st doesn’t want to wade into the pros and cons of the Light Show or the neighborhood’s reaction, but rather about how the county played Grinch this Christmas.
That’s a bold statement, but it is true. The county that thinks it can drop rocket launches, gun ranges, and airports wherever it suits them yet finds a 40-day Christmas light show just too much for us to handle, is irrational at best. It’s OK to tax Camden citizens for something that might benefit a few (spaceport, gun range, airport) but it is not OK for a private organization to pay its own way while it provides a unique holiday experience for Camden kids and adults of every age. The message, loud and clear, is that “Camden officials act inconsistently” and “Camden government doesn’t have its act together.”
Here’s why:
The $1,655,000 property where the show was planned is zoned A-R, Agricultural-Residential. The Camden County Universal Development Code allows “Seasonal Outdoor Events, such as turkey shoots, holiday festivals, county or agricultural fairs, etc.” on A-R property. A Christmas light show is obviously a “Seasonal Outdoor Event.”
Article 2 (Use of Land and Structures) of our zoning code requires a Special Use Permit for “Seasonal Outdoor Events” and refers the reader to Article 3(Restrictions On Particular Uses) of the UDC for specific requirements or restrictions for such use. Is anyone surprised that the words “Seasonal Outdoor Events” nor anything resembling ‘seasonal outdoor events’ do not appear even once in the 29 pages of Article 3? Therefore, the county provided no specific restrictions the show owners must follow.
Generally, all proposed special uses my comply with UDC Section 1213 (b) Standards for consideration of a proposed special use:
UDC Section 1213(b) presented only three areas of possible concern for the show owners:
(5) Is Horse Stamp Church Road adequate to serve the proposed use?
(6) Are the show sponsors able to manage the traffic the show produces and provide access for emergency vehicles?
(10) Will the hours have no adverse effects on other properties in the area?
Confusingly, the UDC code states the determining criteria must simultaneously be both “objective” and “subjective.”
Grammerly.com has a good explanation why Camden’s code is able to be interpreted differently by different people:
“The basic difference between objective and subjective information is that objective information is based on facts, while subjective information is based on opinion, emotion, or feelings. The line between the two seems simple on paper, but in practice, their meanings can blur. Why? The main reason is that people who use these words are just that: people. And people have backgrounds, experiences, emotions, and biases that can show up in subtle ways. Often, even if we think we’re being objective, there may be subjective influences at play.”
The Light Show had to pass three approvals before it could move forward:
The Light Show was approved, with conditions, by the County Planning Department. Step 1 completed.
The Light Show was approved, with conditions, by the Camden County Planning and Zoning Board. Step 2 completed.
The Light Show was denied by the Camden County Commission. Step 3 failed.
It is apparent that the show operators expected the decisions of the Planning Department and Planning Commission to stand and therefore they proceeded to invest, construct their show, and sell tickets. It is also true that the neighbors’ complaints about potential noise and congestion swayed the County Commissioners to deny their special use permit.
We see yet another Camden County lawsuit brewing.
What is particularly galling to Camden1st.com is that the Camden County Commission granted unlimited speaking time to the community parties at the public hearing on this matter where the county government had no skin in the game, while they routinely limit public participation when they want to spend millions on a spaceport or an airport. The only Public Hearings on the spaceport where those MANDATED by the FAA. There have been NO Public Hearings about Airport Camden.
Hysterically, a particular concern for the County was that the show sponsors fix damaged pavement edges that might result from Light Show traffic.
The least they could have done is get the parties together to try to find common ground.
Inconsistency, wasteful spending, and the lack of clarity about subjective vs. objective decisions, are prime reasons citizens have lost faith in our local elected officials. It seems that our expensive government could have solved the problems associated with a Seasonal Outdoor Light Show.
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