We read with great interest the letter from Winifred McKenna and Mary Ann Sartain, published July 19. The letter details actions taken by Susan Gay and Gary Glass, two candidates for Rehoboth’s board of commissioners, that can be described, at best, as “un-neighborly.” Another letter by friends of Gay and Glass, published July 26 titled “Rehoboth tree lovers set the record straight,” claim that these two homeowners fabricated their story. Others aware of the situation say that the facts have not been fabricated by McKenna/Sartain. In fact, if you have the time and look at the public record, McKenna and Sartain, the two people most affected, are clearly telling the truth. As for Gay, Glass and their supporters have not told the truth. The fact that so many were willing to sign such a false and misleading letter should not sway you into believing that there is truth in numbers.
McKenna and Sartain had submitted a request to the city for a permit to cut down a large silver leaf maple tree (a very root-invasive species) on their property. The tree was damaging their residence and other structures on their property as well as making their back yard useless. Gay and Glass, along with some of their crowd, attempted to prevent McKenna/Sartain from removing the tree.
The Gay/Glass crowd are well known for their anti-property rights positions as long as it is not their property. Some of them have the audacity to violate the zoning code even while serving on city commissions charged with overseeing the zoning code. And how many trees does Susan Gay, who serves on the mayor’s tree committee, have on her property? Take a look. Tree canopy preservation and tree-planting enhancement should be encouraged, but placing more importance on single root-invasive tree species is not more important than the structural safety of your neighbor’s home or their ability to use their backyard.
Whether you believe the affected homeowners’ (McKenna/Sartain) recitation of facts or the distorted and false facts put forth by the Susan Gay and Gary Glass crowd, they never should have been fighting for nearly a year with their neighbor over this issue – costing them significant time, money and prolonging the adverse impact of the invasive tree to their property and its buildings and plumbing. But, of course, that is consistent behavior for Gay and Glass.
We do not need commissioners who exercise such bad judgment and who seek to impose their own personal views on individual property owners when the equities are so heavily in favor of their neighbor. What has been severely lacking in this city is common sense. Placing more importance on a single tree over the right of property owners in Rehoboth Beach to the quiet enjoyment of their property is not common sense by any standard.
So, ask yourself: Do Susan Gay and Gary Glass represent your values? We say “No” to Gay and Glass.
Clearly, Gay and Glass are not suited to be representatives of the citizens of Rehoboth.
Barry and Sharon Covington
Rehoboth Beach
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