WHAT IS ALL THIS OPPOSITION REALLY ABOUT?

Part of the answer may be found buried beneath the rhetoric on the website of the neighbors opposing Chabad. On their website savegooselane.com there is a section entitled “Zone Change” that explains what they would do if (and I would say when) Chabad gets approval. Knowing their future plans may help us understand why they are claiming now that Chabad will ruin the residential nature of their property.

Quotes from www.savegooselane.com
The underlining is mine but all the text is lifted right from their website.

“The approval of a special permit for the Chabad of the Shoreline would put a massive cold structure into the midst of this warm residential corner, changing the character of this country road for all time…

 …What recourse would the neighbors have? In order to find a replacement for what they would have lost, they would need to sell their devalued land at a price far exceeding its new value. They would seek a zone change in order to permit a sale at commercial real estate value. The lands of Charles Dudley and Amy Carter, if not protected and preserved by their original covenant, might make a wonderful, small industrial center.

 While the new neighbors might oppose such a zone change, would it not be reverse discrimination on the part of the town, to deny it? To say no would be to use the owners of 199 and 209 as sacrificial lambs, forcing them to lose property value and quality of life, simply to appease an outside group who seek to force themselves into an inappropriately small space.

 Perhaps the owners of 181* are even counting on the neighbors to move away, so that they may purchase their homes at a reduced rate. Will our zoning commissioners allow this to happen? They might, if they do not hear from the townsfolk that it will not be tolerated!

 We believe that a zone change would be the only logical outcome to the granting of this Special Permit to Chabad of the Shoreline and we do not feel that a zone change will be in the best interests of Guilford’s taxpayers.”

*Chabad’s address is 181 Goose Lane and the neighbors opposing are 199 and 209 (yy).