Editor, Times-Union: I experienced true helplessness and total despair last Wednesday at the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals.
My dream of retiring and enjoying a life in a small hometown community that is close knit and looks out for its own has been destroyed.
I live in Silver Lake in a historical home bult in 1848,-the only residence at the Ind. 14/15 intersection. I am zoned residential/commercial. There was an antique mall on the corner when I moved here, which I had no problem with.
Doyle Heckaman has won the right to build a drive-thru Subway restaurant on the former mall site. The drive-thru window and intercome will be about 40 feet from my bedroom window.
My neighbors, whose home faces Ind. 15 is the only other residence affected by this unfair decision. They attended the hearing also. All traffic for the drive-thru will be turning in at the driveway (approved by the town of Silver Lake). We will be subject to loud vehicles and motorcycles, boomboxes, voices and lights flashing in our windows at night. Not to mention litter and cigarette butts. Privacy and enjoyment of our own space will be no more.
All of our protests and arguments come to naught. We may as well have stayed home.
Despite the fact we are the only parties directly affected by this decision, and voiced our completedisapproval, it meant absolutely nothing. It’s all about money.
Silver Lake already has several restaurants, two of whom serve subs. The tavern serves food and we have two family restaurants. They are all trying to make a go at it. Shouldn’t we support them first?
Our property values will drop by at least 50 percent by this addition. Who cares? The town of Silver Lake? No. Mr. Heckaman? No. His selfishness conceit and greed are surpassed only by his complete lack of caring and interest in the feelings and protests of those involved.
We were truly kicked to the curb by the town, Mr. Heckaman and the Kosciusko County Board of Appeals.
And the last bitter pill to swallow – I don’t even like Subway.
