Big box beaten at cost of $200,000BY RUTH SHEEHAN - Staff Writer
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http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/08/376587/big-box-beaten-at-cost-of-200000.htmlThe state Supreme Court recently handed Bob and Beverly Murdock a final victory in their long legal battle to prevent a large plot of land behind their Chatham County home from becoming a big-box store.
But here's what a victory looks like after three years in court.
The land, just over the Orange County line, is not home to a Walmart or other big-box store. That much is true.
But the so-called County Line Plaza site was long ago denuded of its dense woods. Now the visitor's first glimpse of Chatham County sits vacant with signs and construction barrels and roads leading ... nowhere.
Meanwhile, the Murdocks and another couple are out nearly $200,000 for their efforts.
"Unfortunately, that seems to be the price of justice in our society," Bob Murdock said.
The project was approved by Chatham County commissioners in November 2006, one of the final acts of the outgoing pro-development majority. Citizen outrage over how this and other projects were changing the character of Chatham County had led to the election of a new "managed growth" majority, which took office the following month.
In its haste, the exiting board majority left a few chinks in the approval process - not the least of which was the redrawing of the area zoned for business on the site from 20 acres to 29 acres. Just enough to accommodate a big box.
The Murdocks and their neighbors and good friends, Susan and David Keesee, were joined by several others in suing to stop the project - challenging the county, as well as the owners of the land, then called Lee-Moore Oil, now Lee-Moore Capital Co.
Little did they know how long it would drag out.
