LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editor,

The shooting death of Lynn Smith in Whitehouse was a tragedy and a travesty. Surely the Texas Rangers will not rule that the policeman's actions were justifiable. It is very telling that the officer threw her husband on the couch so he would not be interferred with and would have a clear shot.

There is another, secondary factor to look at in her death. She was admitted to ETMC Behavioral Center on Friday and was dismissed on Monday. She had been hospitalized there and at both Rusk and Terrell State Hospitals numerous times.

First of all, I would say that her bipolar disorder was not taken seriously by the Behavioral Center, perhaps because of her history of mental illness. But, what if her antidepressant med, such as Prozac, had "worn out"? (This has happened to me twice in the 15 years since my bipolar diagnosis at Shoal Creek Psychiatric Hospital, Austin.) What if she had randomly taken her antidepressant, or needed the stabalizer routinely given for bipolar, what if she needed an anti-anxiety med? With all these "what ifs," three days was not long enough for the corrections in her meds to become effectivetakes a minimum of two weeks for an antidepressant to kick in.

What about the efficiency of ETMC BC itself? It is a "way station," as I see it, where group therapy is mostly rote, e.g., two therapists presented the exact same "follow along" lesson on grief. Group therapy should not be a "lesson" but an opportunity for catharsis, with the added value of hearing other people's experiences and feelings.

Yes, at least one of the therapists was a psychotherapist as well as a chaplain. Of the six or seven therapy sessions I sat in on, there were two or three reasonably good therapists. If you are lucky, as I was, you will be assigned a good psychitrist who sees you daily, his role being to monitor your meds and make adjustments.

During my six day stay at the BC, I heard many dark things about Rusk and Terrell Hospitals, which are where many people needing hospitalization are sent, from all over NE Texas. What East Texas needs is a regional psychiatric hospital, not a behavioral center, and certainly not those two state hospitals.
Dila Davis
Troup
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Editor,

I feel compelled to write in response to your news article of Thursday, May 24, 2007 entitled WH City Council considers removing P&Z member. As a professional planner, a 13 year resident of Whitehouse and Chairman of the P&Z Commission for the past nine years, I wish to clarify two misconceptions related to information reported in your article:

1) I chaired the P&Z meeting in the Fall of 2006 in which Mr. Lee Wilson presented his proposed townhouse development. His proposal did not comply with the newly adopted Vision 2020 Master Plan in any way and was unanimously denied by the Commission for the following reasons: incompatable with the Master Plan, which calls for retail/office uses along FM 346; unresolved noise and traffic issues relating to its proximity to the Football Stadium; and WISD's ownership of Bain Street right-of-way. As the P&Z is only an advisory board, Mr. Wilson chose to continue pursuing approval of his development plan with City Council, which is his right. I was also present for that Council meeting. There were mixed opinions and concerns among the City Council Members concerning his townhouse proposal. Mr. Wilson was then officially asked by City Council to return to the P&Z and work out a solution and to further clarify the Bain Street right-ofway issue with the WISD. Mr. Wilson never contacted the City Staff or made arrangements to represent his development proposal to the P&Z as requested by Council.

I also chaired the meeting in which Mrs. Bellefeuille's singlefamily housing development was presented. In compliance with Texas state law she signed a disclosure statement regarding her financial interest in the project and recused herself from all discussion and voting by leaving the room. Her proposed residential development was 63 percent in compliance with the Vision 2020 Plan and the layout and design of the remaining 37 percent of the subdivision was in harmony with the other existing and adjacent developments within the area. After much discussion P&Z recommended approval of her rezoning, site plan and preliminary plat, and sent on to City Council for their approval. At the council meeting, Mr. Wilson chose to verbally accuse the P&Z and the City of fostering a "conflict of interest" situation.

Although Mr. Wilson claims that Mrs. Bellefeuille received prederential treatment, the records clearly show that both developments were completely different and both were considered on their own merits. To suggest otherwise is to assume that one person, Mrs. Bellefeuille, was able to somehow coerce the other 6 members of the P&Z to deny Mr. Wilson's proposal and approve hers.

2) The City Council unanimously approved a preliminary plat for Mrs. Bellefeuille's development that included no access to the existing Rosebrook Subdivisions. In doing so the City relinquished their ability to backtrack and insist that the single-family development include additional access points. As it is currently platted Mrs. Bellefeuille's subdivision is in compliance with city ordinances that require a minimum of two points of entry and exit. The City Manager's efforts to include a connection to Rosebrook, which was discussed at length by P&Z, occurred after the City Council had officially approved the preliminary plat, thus eliminating the City's options to require the developer to provide a third point of access. To publicly declare that Mrs. Bellefeuille's development plan is in violation of the city ordinance regarding connectivity is an inaccurate statement.

As a 25-year professional land use planner, I personally find these accusations of conflict of interest and non-compliance insulting and counterproductive to all of us who volunteer our time, expertise and energy striving to serve our city's best interests. In both cases all the rules and ethical standards were followed. Hidden agendas and personal resentment towards Mrs. Bellefeuille should not be allowed to determine City Council policies and decisions concerning the Whitehouse P&Z.

Mark W. Sweeney, AICP Chairman of the Whitehouse Planning & Zoning Commissions