Qualifying begins Tuesday morning for the Richmond Hill city council seat left vacant when Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Murphy died Dec. 19, and so far at least one candidate has announced he's planning to run.
Rick Fitzer, a developer, launched a Facebook page, Rick Fitzer for Richmond Hill City Council, Jan. 9.
Friday, he addressed a letter to the city on his Facebook page. Here's a copy and paste.
Richmond Hill, Georgia,
Enhancing, Protecting, and Preserving our community for future generations should be our number one priority.
Growth seems to be inevitable with 5,000 acres slated for new development recently added to our city. I firmly believe that our city leaders should have a voice in how this property is ultimately developed. The commercial, residential and industrial uses that are approved for this massive land holding will impact all of us in either positive or negative ways in our future.
Our charge is to weigh the potential benefits along with the potential impacts and then apply the rule of law to applications for new development. The decisions that our leaders render will shape the look & feel of our city as time rolls on. We need to guard our small town vibe, and the quality of life that makes Richmond Hill such a great place to live.
During my 30+ years as a Realtor, Home builder and Developer, I have been fortunate to be a part of many successful communities and witness the components that make them great. If elected, I intend to utilize my experience and knowledge to represent the interests of our city as we look at new development. I will use the gift of vision to look beyond the present, to the future that is created by our decisions today.
We are currently building new homes in The Woods at Town Centre. I would invite anyone interested to take a look at this community in the new “downtown” area, next to Lullwater Apartments. We designed and built each of these unique homes with respect for the past, as our timeless architecture attests, and an understanding of people’s desires today. The combination of good planning, excellent architecture, and thoughtful design have created a “new development” that I believe will be regarded as an asset to our fair city.
Yes, my background and occupation as a Homebuilder and Realtor are related to new development. This experience and knowledge will serve us well as we evaluate new development proposals.
The bottom line for me is that growth for the sake of itself is neither smart, nor sustainable. Stephen Covey expressed it best: “Begin with the end in mind”.
Let’s take a look down the road and insure that our way of life is continually enhanced and protected here in “The Hill”.
Rick.
Fitzer is listed as president of Endeavor Homes LLC, a group that is currently building homes in the Town Center development. Here's a link to his biography.
Qualifying, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break from noon until 1 p.m., ends Thursday. The election is March 19.