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8 | NOV. 15 - NOV. 28, 2013
To the editor:
I have recently been made aware that the city has voted to
destroy three local businesses, including Eric Bern’s Photogra
phy Studio, which is an exceptionally flourishing staple of the
city at this point, to extend a road.
What’s more, I learned that: 1) The money offered to Eric
in return for the proposed appropriation of his property is no
where near what would be required for him to relocate his
business; 2) The city did not consult any of these business
owners prior to taking this vote, and 3) Eric proposed several
alternatives to the city that would allow him to keep his studio
where it is and save the city money on this project — alterna
tives that have been ignored and seemingly blown off.
I’m looking at the Sandy Springs seal on the city website as
I type this email to you. The city’s actions in this event so far
are the antithesis of the city’s slogan: “Honest, Efficient, Re
sponsive.”
How can you claim honesty after keeping this secret from
the people it would impact most, and deciding that if they
don’t cooperate, you’ll use legal action against them in accor
dance with the divine right of township? How can you claim
efficiency if you choose actions that cost more money than
necessary to the city, and displace businesses that don’t need to
be displaced, ultimately costing them more than the pittance
you’ve offered? And how can you claim to be responsive when
you ignore your citizens?
In a time when almost everyone who
doesn’t work for a form of government
complains about all forms of govern
ment, I’d think that at least local govern
ments would start to listen more to their
constituents, who pay their salaries. Or
perhaps you consider them subjects rath
er than your employers.
Governments are supposed to lead
and serve. Governments (supposedly) exist so that a body of
people can conduct themselves smoothly together and get
their needs met. They don’t exist to serve the interests of peo
ple in power more than they serve everyone else.
SPECIAL
Eric Bern, in front of his studio, located at 161
Mount Vernon Highway, in Sandy Springs.
I make that distinction because I think a lot of angry peo
ple would argue that if you’re a government official represent
ing people, you should be entirely objective. Not so. If you’re
a citizen of a city who happens to work for its government,
you have the same say as everyone else in anything, because it
affects you just as much.
So consider someone coming to your house, telling you
that they’re going to tear it down, offering you an insulting
compensation, and then threatening legal action if you don’t
give up what you own because someone else wants it. You may
be thinking, “that’s not the same thing be
cause it’s my home,” or “that would never
happen to me...”
From a business owner’s perspective, it
is the same thing. Investing the heart and
soul in a business makes it just as signifi
cant as a home. And yes, it can happen to
you, too.
I hope you’ll reconsider the city’s han
dling of this affair, and I’m sure that doing so will reinforce the
citizens’ faith in your honesty, efficiency and responsiveness.
Andrew Webb
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
E-mail letters to
editor@reporternewspapers.net
City should pay up
To the editor:
In response to the article under
Commentary by Eric Bern in the Nov
1-14 issue of the Sandy Springs Report
er, I would like to object to the bully
tactics the City Council is using to get
the property they have decided is the
only place they would like to put the
city center.
It reminds me of the case a few years
ago where a City Council decided that
a lower-income neighborhood on the
prime waterway in their communi
ty could be re-developed and be very
“good” for the community as a whole.
I feel that what our City Council is
doing to these businesses and people is
ethically wrong. They may be able to do
it legally, but it is wrong to take other
peoples’ property just because they have
| www.ReporterNewspapers.net
decided it is what they want.
While I am a supporter of the idea
of a town center that is walkable and
more bike-friendly, I think that if they
came to the conclusion that this is the
only place that accomplishing this goal
is possible, then if they must use emi
nent domain to force people to move
for their project “for the good of the
community,” then they should actually
have to pay the real price for these busi
nesses and people to move.
Eric Bern makes a very good argu
ment when he talks about having spent
years building his business and custom
er base, and the disruption to his busi
ness and income in order for him to
have to relocate his business.
It takes time, in his case, to build
an outdoor space with the right light
ing for his photography business. This
is something that I’m sure the real es
tate appraiser did not take into consid
eration. It doesn’t just happen.
He should be compensated appro
priately so that he can afford to buy
something in the same area that his cus
tomer base is accustomed to. And espe
cially since there are other sites, maybe
not as central as the Target location, but
this site is a choice the City Council has
made. If they are dead set on only this
location, then they should have to pay
the cost of the real property value.
The Sherman-Williams Paint Store
should have been better accommodated
as well. This is “Big Government” bul
ly tactics. I’m thankful I did not have
an established business or home the city
decided they wanted and had the right
to take it from me.
I feel great empathy for these people
who have worked hard for many years
to build their businesses, only to have
Big Government take it from them for
much less than their real value.
Brenda Willumu
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