[RBS] For the future of our community... more places to sign

[Fried]

A beautiful valley on the edge of RBSA is about to be lost from sight, and
another 2,000 people are about to be added to the population of RBSA without
planning for improvements or additions to our community infrastructure.
Please come out tomorrow, Friday, to sign objections, and suggest changes to
the proposed plans, before the window of opportunity closes.  (Note, this is
not the same as objections to RBS gimmel-2 that some people may have
submitted in the past week.) 

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Plans have been submitted by the Housing Ministry to the regional planning
commission for the addition of 350 housing units – over 2,000 people, the
size of all of Ramat Shilo – on the south side of Ramat Beit Shemesh aleph,
along the length of Nachal Hayarkon and filling much of the valley below. 
(This is an expansion of RBS aleph, completely separate from the plans to
develop RBS gimmel, dalet, and hey on the hills.)  

We would all welcome new neighbors to our community, but there are a number
of aspects of the plans - called "Mem-3" - which some of us may want to see
changed or improved.  The plans are short on educational, religious
(synagogues and mikvah) and commercial spaces, which will put a strain on
existing RBSA community institutions and make life difficult for those in
the new neighborhood.  The plans do not call for any improvement in the
existing transportation/traffic arrangements in RBSA.  The heights of the
proposed buildings will block the view from most of the southern side of
RBSA into the narrow remaining green strip (a future city park) in the
valley, and all view of the valley and opposite hills for those who walk,
run, ride or travel on Nachal Hayarkon. If you would like more details, and
to see part of the plans, go to http://mem-3.blogspot.com/.  

The BS city engineer’s office will be lobbying for certain
changes/improvements in the plans - they were not consulted beforehand by
the Housing Ministry.

A couple weeks remain for individual residents to submit objections to the
plans as they stand, which – if 100 are received by the planning committee –
will be investigated and considered.  This is all about the quality of life
for both the current and the future residents of RBSA, and this is your
chance to have some direct input.

There will be tables set-up this Friday morning from 9-12 at the RBSA merkaz
mischari, near Yaaleh bakery, at Best Market, Super Hatzlacha, Supersol Deal
and BIG.  There will be copies of an objection form for each person to
write-in a single objection of their own choosing, in their own words.   On
a separate piece of paper will be suggestions of some of the possible
objections - written out in both English and in Hebrew (English is okay, but
Hebrew is slightly preferable for the form) - but one may write anything one
likes in the space provided.  A volunteer lawyer will be at the table to
witness and attest to each signature.

A chag kasher ve'sameach,
Yissachar Fried