Opposition to the Proposed Mountain View Historic District

RE:   Opposition to the Proposed Mountain View Historic District

Department of Arkansas Heritage

Attn: Ralph S. Wilcox

Attn: Melissa Whitfield

Dear Mr. Wilcox and Ms. Whitfield,

We’re writing to you in regards to the proposed Mountain View Historic District.  We have some serious concerns about some events surrounding this proposal.  Mr. Ralph Wilcox of AHPP (the Arkansas Historical Preservation Program) gave false information to the Stone County Leader.  Mr. Wilcox told the Stone County Leaderthat the vote on the Mountain View Historic District was 13 Yeas and 11 Nays when it was really 14 Nays and 11 Yeas.  The 14 Nays own 29 pieces of property in the proposed Mountain View Historic District.  The vote failed, and the property owners of the proposed Mountain View Historic District expect a public retraction made by Mr. Ralph Wilcox of AHPP to the Stone County Leader to correct the vote and cease going forward with the proposed Mountain View Historic District.  The building owners did NOT vote to pass the proposed Mountain View Historic District as stated by Mr. Ralph Wilcox of AHPP.  It looks like, in order to rig the election, Mr. Wilcox of AHPP stated they would count all the ballots that weren’t returned as a YES vote.

Mr. Wilcox told the Stone County Leader that there were only 37 ballots mailed.  Again, Mr. Wilcox gave the Stone County Leader false information.  The correct number of ballots mailed were 40.  This counts the 4 ballots sent to NON property owners who are: Charlie Mink, Stan Townsend, Stacey Avey, and  Ron Sterling. 

It is up to the Mayor or his representative to contact AHPP.  Charlie Mink, who met with AHPP, is not a representative of the City of Mountain View and owns no property in the  proposed Mountain View Historic District.  We’re unsure why it was he who sent it, but Mr. Mink sent a letter to Mr. Wilcox of AHPP along with a list of property owners whose property would be affected by the proposed historic district.  

There were no letters sent to each property owner  as required by AHPP’s own rule to notify the property owners prior to  the meeting held in Mountain View to discuss the proposed Mountain View Historic District. 

After the meeting, AHPP was to poll the property owners to see if at least 51 percent of the property owners were interested in the Historic District Designation.  The vote failed, so AHPP MUST drop this issue.

The addresses of the properties were NOT verified with the tax assessor’s office, so many of the ballots went to non-property owners, and some were returned because AHPP used the wrong address.

Per Arkansas Code 14-172-203 

Purpose:  None of the provisions of this subchapter shall be in operation until and unless:  There shall have been filed, with the clerk of the city, town or county in which an historic district is contemplated, a petition signed by a majority in numbers of the property owners within the proposed historic district agreeing that their property shall be included in the historic district.  (Note: The majority of the property owners did NOT sign a petition agreeing that their property shall be included in the historic district.)

Note: Penalty: Arkansas Code 14-172-204

(a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).?

(b) Each day that a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate offense. 

This proposed Historic District is part of U.N. Agenda 21 and is covered in United Nations Environment Progamme (UNEP) in section 7.20 (b): 

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Promoting Sustainable Human Settlement development Section 7.20(b).  Improve the urban environment by promoting social organization and environmental awareness through the participation of local communities in the identification of public services needs, the provision of urban infrastructure, the enhancement of public amenities and the protection and/or rehabilitation of older buildings, historic precincts and other cultural artifacts. In addition, “green works” programmes should be activated to create self-sustaining human development activities and both formal and informal employment opportunities for low-income urban residents; Section 7.20 (b) is from United Nations Environment Programme “Promoting Sustainable Human Settlement Development.  http://www.unep.org/Documents.multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=52&ArticleID=55

This letter puts the AHPP on notice to cease going forward  with the failed proposed Mountain View Historic District.  The property owners and the public are NOT going to accept the Historical District designation on the “say so” of Mr. Ralph Wilcox when the facts clearly state that the majority of the property owners are in opposition.  Mr. Wilcox seems either incompetent or suspicious, so therefore we are calling on him to resign.  

Sincerely,

J. Abrahamson

State Coordinator - Secure Arkansas 

Mountain View, Arkansas 

[email protected]

Secure Arkansas 
Arkansas.SecureTheRepublic.com 
[email protected]