[Random600rr]

Anyone ever gone toe to toe w/ BIG BUSINESS?

Well, has anyone here danced with a large firm or corporation?

Reason I'm asking is that Exxon Mobile owns 10acres of land RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO MY PARENTS HOUSE. As in, you look out the window when eating breakfast/lunch/dinner and bang, you are looking at a park/forest. Well, they are selling that land to a shady developer...that is looking to make big $! Which means, he wants to stick in very many, very small, very low budget homes in there. Which will devastate the value of our home as well a majority of our subdivision. Exxon has been a good neighbor even since we moved in. The land was PROMISSED (verbally, not written) that it was to STAY a drill site... which they never used.... just kept drilling rights to and kept it a park for our subdivision. I grew up in that park and have a hell of a lot of memories of it. That park is one of the LAST green areas in Clear Lake! Everything else has been turned into a concrete jungle! We are looking into legal option...but suing Exxon is no easy task! Other options include letters to the Executives.... but who knows how much that will impact them...or if they will even read them. Exxon recently received an award for preserving green space aka. Wildlife on April 22, 2004. They made a contractual agreement to sell their 10 acres of green/wildlife land to get mowed down next to our house on April 21, 2004! How that could happen in beyond me!

Do any of you have any suggestions? Time is running out and Exxon and the developer want to hurry up and finalize the sale (to sweep it under the table). We have contacted local media, but we don't know how well they will project our image to Exxon and to the public...or if they will back us at all. What can we do to make ourselves heard? Thanks for taking the time to read this and any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[japbike]

bummer, all I can say is, good luck. Co.'s like that can squish you like a bug. They have no regaurd for wildlife nor human life. It's all about the $$ sign my friend. If I were your parents, I'd move.

 

[Random600rr]

...If I were your parents, I'd move.

I wish it were that simple. My parents won't get the desired $ for their house now that the land next door may be developed (the word is out on the street). They could have tried to sell it before all this...but then there wouldn't have been a reason to sell it. Exxon brought this outta no where! We didn't even know they were thinking of selling it untill the new developer has crews come in to take measurments! :boid We actually had to walk out to one of the workers and ask them what they were doing! No warning to the Neighborhood assossiation or anything. It's clear they wanted to sneek this by us so we wouldn't be able to put up a fight. Bastards! :mg

 

[AnnieMei]

See if you can get some of the environmental groups on your side. They love to go up against big $$$ so that they can prove a point ( this is where they are actually good for you). Check with your local Audubon society to see what chapters you can hook up with. If its a beautiful piece of land, they can warrant that the state do a enviornmental check before they can allow such a purchase to happen. And the developer will have to waddle through legal matters to get environment impact reports done and what not...make them waste the money.

The developer, seeing all the hassle may give up because it'll be too expensive...

 

[King Cobra]

Yeah, get the tree huggers involved. They will go all out.

 

[snigg]

wouldnt you be pissed if you were trying to sell your house/land and your neighbor started suing you? i understand that you grew up there and shit, but it's their land and they can do what they want with it man. :dunno

 

[Road Warrior]

Some of you guys have already given some good advice. If you want the bush to be preserved then contact the greenies who love to berate the big companies, especially oil companies.

However, as the land is more than likely company/privately owned, the landowner is entitled to develop/use the property in accordance with established subdivision regulations and standards, set down either by your Local Government or your State Goverment - whoever has the final say in subdivison in your part of the world

Not every time a subdivision comes up, is there an opportunity for public comment unless there is considerable public interest or some sort of other impact/consideration that the responsible authority has to consider when assessing the proposal.

I work in Town Planning here in my home town in Oztralia, while the rules and regulations may be totally different, the principles are similar.

Check with your local Council.

 

[dennisred69]

likke they said if its private land the tree hugers are not going to be able to do anything except say "yes its there land but we dont think they should build the way they want on it" I dont even think you can do much yourself. Good luck and dont waste to much money on this

 

[kazlab67]

Is there any Wetlands on this property. I know that there is a Federal Wetlands Protection Law that has held up many developers as they study the land. May buy you some time.

http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/vital/protection.html

Same thing happened to the woods I grew up in. One day lush jungle like woods....next day roads cut through...next week....clear cut...goodbye memories and a future play area for the kids.





edit: found a link

 

[f2benny]

Trust for Public Lands, and another group called the Nature Conservancy often buy lands to preserve them for the public use. If there is any interesting nature angle, or lack of otherwise open space in the area, sometimes they get involved. Or you go the wetlands, endangered species angle. Get some rare salamanders in there and they'll never be able to develop it.

 

[BrownRob]

I think any new development plans require a public hearing with the city council. So check on this and see if you have get a date on when the hearing is.. it probably won't be scheduled until the developer buys the land

 

[Big15]

Go get a spotted owl and throw it in the woods. Seriously there probably isn't much you can do about it if they feel like selling because it is their land to do whatever they want with it.

 

[Random600rr]

First of all, I'd just like to say thanks for all of your responces! Your ideas are very appreciated!

We have been in touch with our local Audubon society as well as an old Exxon environmental planner. The Audubon lady told us we have a "rare" species of bird that uses the Bayou next to our house for it's migration routee, and uses our trees to rest at on its way from point A to B. But since it is only "rare" and not "endangered" it will probably not have an impact on planning. Also, the retired Exxon planner told us that roughly 30% of the 10 acres of land they are wanting to build on IS wetlands. And we have people looking into how we can use that. Also, that 30% is also used for flood control for the area when we have hurricains. It keeps 100's of houses from being submerged. The developer thinks he can build that land up and find other ways to fix the flooding issue...sounds tough and expensive to me...but he thinks he can do it.

 

[Random600rr]

Also, we have offered to buy the land from Exxon at the $ they wish to sell it for. They said no. The land is ONLY being sold to this one developer. This is because Exxon pulled out of an earlier deal with this person a year or two ago, and now is using the sale of this land to "make up for it". So because Exxon screwed something up earlier...we now get affected by it.

Anyway, thanks again for your ideas! If you have more feel free to add them!

 

[fierospeeder]

i hate developers :finger


there was a good documentary about ones in illinois where they rape farmers out of their land so they can make millions building houses.

 

[Random600rr]

The guy they are selling the land to is an Ass. He said straight up at a meeting last night that he doesn't care what happens to our property value or if they build low budget homes there. He said he's just in it to get his profit.

Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with the homeowners.

 

[kazlab67]

I'd call the local news media, especially with you wanting to purchase the land and leave it undeveloped. I understand the need for development but if this land is beneficial to your community as a green area then maybe more people ought to know about it and the fight to save it.
I cannot believe a developer has the means to divert flood waters properly...by the time a flood comes through, the developer is long gone and people forget the reason why they are now flooding. They don't realize it was the development built ten years ago.
Good Luck!!!

 

[shadownynja]

Wait let me get this straight? They own the land and they want to do stuff with it? Holy shit call the police :dunno

 

[kazlab67]

Wait let me get this straight? They own the land and they want to do stuff with it? Holy shit call the police :dunno

It's Exxon though. As ordinary citizens, it is almost impossible to save large tracts of woodlands/wetlands. They already own the property. And according to the recent Gas prices I don't believe Exxon is hurting for money. So why not be a good corporate neighbor and create a park or something out of the land they never used for the purpose for which it was purchased (drilling).
Damn man, build low income housing on a flood plain? real nice. And guess who ends up paying to bailout these people who buy into this. Taxpayers and Insurance Companies.

 

[jim schmidt]

They own it. They want to sell it. It's theirs to sell. Sorry but what you are arguing for is perpetual use of someone else's property. Imagine your you let your neighbor ride your bike and he claimed entitlement to use it whenever he wants and that you had no right to sell it. It's the same.

You were pretty lucky to have use of the property for so many years. But that doesn't obviate the property owner's rights. Why don't you buy it. Then you have the right to do whatever you want.