[RBS] Mem-3 Objections: FAQ - All you wanted to know (BWATA)

[Ephrayim Naiman]

Dear All,

BE"H, I will explain below about the upcoming objection hearings for
the plans referred to as: BS-186/Mem-3.  More informally just referred
to as "Mem-Shalosh".

This email is long - please bear with me and I request that you read
it through to the end if you can spare the time.  It is important
information and I hope it answers all your questions about the
upcoming Mem-3 hearing(s).

[If you know the basics, you can skip the next 6 paragraphs and go on
to the FAQ.]

First of all, Mem-3 is a new project that Iriyat Beit Shemesh would
like to build on the south side of Hayarkon for 2,000 people.  The
main objection hearing for Mem-3 is this Thursday, July 14th, in front
of a sub-committee of the Regional Planning Council (Va'ad Mishne
Mechozit Tichnun Beniya) in Bayit Vegan.

Yissachar Fried, Laib Kaplan and myself arranged signings to object to
the plans and some 350 of you signed such letters in front of a lawyer
before Pesach.  Some of you may have received an invitation to the
above mentioned hearing based on your objection letter.

You may *also* have received an invitation to a meeting in front of
the *local* Planning Council (Montag and Co.) on Sorek 8, Wednesday at
1:00 (this time/day is confirmed, even though the invitation itself
had a conflicting day/date).

This second local meeting has no real to'eles (IMHO).  It is being
held 1 day before the real objection hearing, so there's no *real*
time for the local council to truly investigate the objections and
send any new recommendations different than what they already
(politically) stated.

This same type of "local meeting" was held last week before the
Gimmel-2 Objections.  I went to that meeting and it was a sham.  The
quote from Mr. Montag after the meeting was that "All the objections
we heard from the residents are completely incorrect based on experts
in our engineering department".  Since he said this right after the
meeting, it was clearly a foregone conclusion and there was no point
to the meeting except for political reasons and/or to have the people
who objected "reveal their cards" before the Regional Council meeting.

However, you are *certainly* welcome to come to this meeting and you
don't need to have an invitation.  It's a rare time to meet the people
pushing all this building without first putting a dent in the massive
lack of infrastructure already plaguing our city.  I plan to be there.

Now, on to the FAQ for the main Objection Hearing of Mem-3 in front of
the Vaad Mechozit:

==============
Can I go?
==============
If you signed an objection you absolutely may go, whether you received
an invitation or not.
(For those that asked - if you received an invitation - you are not
obligated to go.)

Even if you didn't sign an objection, based on what happened last
Thursday in the Gimmel-2 Hearings, you may go anyway to voice your
objection.

==============
Should I go?
==============
I believe it is very important to go.
It allows you to voice your feelings to the Regional Council *and* the
local council (who will be there).
You don't often get this chance and it will IY"H reduce the extreme
building faults planned for our area.

Certainly if you live in the
Yarkon/Ayalon/Luz/Maor/Refaim/South-Yarden area - this project will
*DIRECTLY* affect your day-to-day living - so go!

==============
Where/when do I go?
==============
The Hearing is called for this Thursday, July 14th from 9:00 AM - 6:00
PM at 8 Rechov Hapisga in Bayit Vegan.  You may go at any time during
that period.  I plan to be there some time between 9-10.

==============
How do I go?
==============
You may go by car, bus, etc.
We are also planning on providing free Hasa'ot 1-way *to* the hearing.
The Hasa'a will be a regular BS Sheirut/van and will IY"H have a MEM-3
sign in the window.  Currently the plan is to leave RBS at 7:45 and
9:45, with the following stops:

1. Near the RBS Merkaz on Kishon, across the street from Shacham
2. The van will go up Ayalon, make a left on Dolev and stop across
from the Matnas
3. The van will go out Yarden towards BS
4. The van will stop at all bus stops on Ma'apilei Egoz
5. The van will then make a left on Rashi, stopping along the way
6. The van will make a final stop after the right turn onto Dekel,
across from the Matnas

You may flag the van down along this route.

If you plan on using the Van, you *must* email/call me (054-765-6300)
or Yissachar Fried (lfried at shemesh.co.il).
If we don't receive a request for the van service, it will be canceled.
And vice-versa, if there are requests for a hasa'a later in the day,
we will IY"H add more.

==============
What should I say?
==============
Ahhh!  Finally, to the crux of the matter! :-)

The Mem-3 project is one 5 projects that Iriyat Beit Shemesh is
currently involved in.
The projects will add over 5,000 people to RBS-A, over 20,000 people
to RBS-Gimmel and another 20,000 people in the "Goloventzitz Lands"
(from behind Ramat Shilo, all the way to Route #38).  This does not
include the tens of thousands more planned for RBS-Dalet and RBS-Hey.

Yissachar, Laib and I hired a lawyer with our own funds and additional
funds raised around the neighborhood and the greater R/BS area.  The
lawyer represents us and like-minded people (of which there are
thousands) and put together a long list of reasons why Mem-3 shouldn't
be built and that if it is, another long list of faults that should be
corrected before building.  He will be presenting on Thursday.

The objections should center on Mem-3 specifically and also how
another 2,000 people in Mem-3 will affect RBS-Aleph in general.  It
would be best if it wouldn't be built and the area would stay green
and/or be used for public parks/recreation, bike routes, jogging
paths, etc.  Barring that, see the list below for the general faults.

It's best if your objections are personal in nature, how you are
personally affected, but it is also important to say that "I know this
issue affect dozens of my friends as well" and give examples!

Do you travel on Hayarkon?
How would 2,000 more people there affect you?
What about how the trucks will affect your travel there?
With another 2,000 people and no more elementary/high schools being
built there, what will it do to your current children's
classroom/school crowding?
Parking - where are all those rental cars go now?!?!
Think of all the things missing in RBS-A that they could be building there:
+ Mikva
+ Ulam Sport (we have 1 for 25,000 people!?!?!)
+ Shuls (sorry not even close to enough shuls in Mem-3 or RBS-A)
+ Schools
+ Desperately needed commercial space ...
  with enough parking and separate truck delivery access
+ Flat park with parking so we can all go and enjoy
+ Bike routes
+ Parking
+ Green areas
+ Etc, etc.

If you would like a copy of the maps of the area, the objection put
together by the lawyer, or anything I can help with, please don't
hesitate to email.

Tizku Lemitzvot!

-Ephrayim Naiman
ejnaiman at gmail.com