To the Editor:

After the previous Tryon Town Council spent approximately $130,000 for legal fees to fight for the Tryon Country Clubs zoning change request, the Town of Tryons new town council has decided to stop spending money to fight the case in court. If I understand correctly, there are still members of the Tryon Country Club who would like to continue the fight. Also, if I understand correctly, the Tryon Country Club has contributed less than $3,000 to the town for the defense of this case.

The funny thing is, if egos and tricky lawyers had not over powered reason, the legal case would have ended years ago. The lawyers decided instead of simply letting McMillan and the neighbors of the country club have their day in court, that they (the tricky lawyers) would stop McMillan, et al from being heard in court by arguing that the neighbors of the country club did not have the right to bring the case to court.

Had the case simply been heard, the town and the club would have either won or lost two years ago. If they had won, their building plans could have continued. If they had lost, the club could have made small changes to its plans and again reapplied for a zoning change. With the old town council completely on the clubs side, councilman Benson could have recused himself for being a member of the club and the club would have again been granted the zoning change. The clubs building plans could have continued. It was a win-win situation for the Tryon Country Club. Of course, the club still has to address the problem that the club was trying to sell land that the clubs deed did not allow the club to sell.

It appears that a few egotistical club members still want to fight a case that should have never been fought in the first place. It also appears that they still do not care that more than 75 percent of the clubs neighbors do not want this 60-home development in their neighborhood. My hope is that the new town council will be more willing to listen to both side arguments when the zoning change request again comes before them.

Philip McMillan