Jan Weaver had trouble sleeping for several nights before she raised her hand as one of two planning commissioners in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, to support amendments for Rock City’s gondola.
She had been going over in her mind what she might say to her neighbors, many of whom are vehemently opposed to the ride. In the five months since Rock City publicly announced plans for the sky lift, a barrage of facts, speculation and false statements had flown around the internet in Facebook posts, opinion pieces and comments submitted to the commission.
Weaver read every word. She mapped out properties bordering Rock City and found nearly half of the homes had been purchased in the past decade, she said in an interview. During that period, the 94-year-old tourist attraction had around half a million visitors annually.
She went back over the city’s 10-year comprehensive plan. Her research, meticulously color-coded and tabulated, sat by her at the meeting Wednesday in thick, three-ringed binders. She brought with her also the unpleasant feeling that opposition to the gondola had opened a rift in a community often compared to the fictional Mayberry, a charming place where neighbors get along.
(READ MORE: Rock City can build gondola without Lookout Mountain if necessary, CEO says)