"That preserve is a sacred cow, and I hate sacred cows!" said pro-development Councilwoman Cecilia Langhorne Cleavant in a moment of exasperation.
Despite the extremes on display at Tuesday's meeting, most residents in the middle had to admit to a conflict of feelings regarding the recent dramatic growth in this formerly quiet city. Just recently, the city added not only its first radio station (Tycho Talk Radio) and the Pac Bends Minor League Soccer stadium, but Jupiter University to the north, and a golf course to the south.
But the real sources of contention that led to hot tempers and shouting at the city council meeting was the Council's vote to allow development of Northlands Municipal Airport, as well as the Character Destiny Tower, to date the tallest commercial development in the Northlands area.
"This was not the quiet city I chose to move to years ago," Tycho resident Charles Trollope said during the meeting. "We came to this city with the understanding that the city's leaders were going to take a cautious approach to development. These days, the mayor seems to be throwing all caution to the wind, and we can't abide that!"
The founding of Tycho, regardless of its good intentions, seems bound by design to lead to conflict, given its prime location in a plains area in the center of the region. The district's boundaries are especially large, making the whole idea of the placement of the nature preserve a controversial choice to many.
Mayor Blisters Johnson, generally a proponent of the cautious growth that has now made Tycho so desirable to Midlandia Sims, has found himself in the awkward position of advocating for the development, while trying to maintain that caution.
"Although I still believe in the principles that Tycho was founded upon, 'Sustainable Living with Nature', we must acknowledge that in order for Tycho to avoid stagnation, it must provide the modern amenities that educated Sims demand," Johnson said after the meeting.
Johnson, a soft-spoken leader, found himself trying to hold court against a new guard pro-development forces in his own council, who seem determined to anger the original remaining council members.
"We aren't going to be bullied by these deceptive elements, we know where they're getting their lobbying checks from--Industry Haven, that's where!" Councilman Palisades Hudson claimed at the meeting. "But it doesn't matter, we're going to do everything we can to keep the original spirit of Tycho alive."
The battle for the recent development in Tycho seems, though, to have gone to the pro-development forces all the same. As a result of the recent surprise growth, the population is also increasing at a strong clip. But the war is still ahead, as developers look toward the nature preserve.
Councilwoman Cleavant all but declared the beginning of that fight at last night's meeting, setting the stage for future conflict.
"Just look at all that forest out there! What good is a bunch of empty ground if no one can enjoy it, I ask?" Cleavant said.
"You'll take my camping options from my cold, dead hands," countered an unidentified voice from the crowd.
Though the meeting seemed on the verge of bringing city business to a halt, somehow order was restored as Mayor Johnson wrenched the topic away to more prosaic matters, including the creation of Education Row to the south, and the new medical facility in the north.
It would seem, if there's one thing everyone in Tycho can get behind, it's more education.
Tycho Fire Contained Quickly
TYCHO--An afternoon fire at a local Family Inn hotel was quickly contained by the Tycho Fire Department today. Fire officials determined the cause of the fire was a runaway flan explosion in the kitchen.
"I was trying to flambe the flan, you see," Family Inn chef's assistant Jerome Van Artemus explained. "The flan, she would not flambe! I had to take extreme measures to deal vit it!"
A Wren Insurance claims agent estimated about $22,000 in damages to the hotel.
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