2/18/2010 4:06:00 PM Planners assured Mago-like statue could not happen in county
The Mago Mother Earth statue presides over one of the final statues remaining at Mago Earth Park. Empty pedestals are the only remaining vestiges of the gold painted avatars that once encircled a large globe of the earth at Mago Earth Park in Cottonwood. VVN/Jon Pelletier
The Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Commission had a discussion about the controversial Mago Mother Earth statue at the end of the regular commission meeting in Cottonwood Wednesday.
It was billed as a discussion regarding signs or statues in the county Rights of Way. But interim Planning Director Steve Mauk admitted that was probably not the best wording for the non-action agenda item.
He said members of the Commission have been aware of the controversy surrounding the Mago Statue and Earth Park in Cottonwood along Bill Gray Road. He said commissioners wanted assurance that the same kind of thing could not happen in the county jurisdiction under their control.
Mauk explained to the commission the specific codes that regulate land use in such areas and advised that a conditional use permit and mandatory public hearings would be required to erect any statue of that scope or other elements on a property within Yavapai County before such placement could be allowed.
Mauk made reference to the zoning ordinance provisions on outside storage, prohibited uses in districts, height limits, use permits and exemptions to the sign code.
Joan McClelland, a Planning Commissioner from the Village of Oak Creek, confirms that she wanted the county regulations detailed.
The Tao Fellowship that built the Mago Earth Park also owns 160 acres at the northern end of Bill Gray Road toward Loy Butte.
That property was recently served a notice of land use violation. After a complaint was filed, the county is investigating whether the land is being used for commercial rather than its intended religious purposes.
An administrative hearing officer has scheduled a hearing with the Tao Fellowship land use attorney and principals over those concerns.
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Article comment by:
John Dale
@Redneck and Proud of it! These kinds of comments are precise reason why no one else outside your organization is convinced that Ilchi’s teaching cultivates peace, harmony, mother earth, enlightenment and Hong-Ik. You do not honor mother earth by raising a plastic statue. You start Hong-Ik by respecting and considerate to others and obeying the laws and regulations. Your comments clearly show your spirituality does not grow in proportion to the amount of money you spent. You should write more so people can see what kind of spirituality Ilchi truly breeds.
Posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Article comment by:
Redneck and Proud of it!
Who do they think they are trying to come to this town an bring "enlightnement" and "edjucation". We rednecks are happy rite now, with our kidz getting hooked on drugs by age 13 and preggers by age 15. The state takes care of us, gives us welfare and medical care and food stamps. I don't want to get a job! My daughter who is preggers right now with my daughter needs services! What happenz if our kidz want to get higher education because they get enlightened and edjucated. We cant afford that! I have 10 kidz! Say no to these slanty eyed buzzards! We need to keep Cottonwood as it is, living off state funds and keeping our drug dealers in business! Keep Cottonwood for the Rednecks. If we lose this place we will have to all go back to Alabama or somethin.
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010
Article comment by:
A Wakeup Call for Cottonwood and Sedona
I meant to write that they took in $6 million, not just $6. :)
Posted: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Article comment by:
A Wake-up call for Cottonwood and Sedona
I believe the reason you don't see Tao Fellowship screaming "freedom of religion" too loudly is that they don't want their own membership across the country (world) to know that when you take advanced courses at Tao Fellowship beyond the local Dahn Centers, you're supporting a religious organization. Once there, the most vulnerable are targetted, sucked into worshipping Ilchi Lee, Dangun, and Mago. Notice how Dahn disciples keep repeating that Mago is a "universal" symbol of Mother Earth. Everyone else can see what they cannot, that the statue is a Korean woman and that Ilchi Lee's goals are nationalistic, ethno-centric, and ego-centric: Korea is to be the spiritual capital of the world with Ilchi Lee at the helm. The enormous fees for courses are called "donations." (Wouldn't we all like to call our business's fees "donations" and labor "volunteer work" and get huge tax breaks on the backs of tax-payers?) Tao Fellowship took in over $6 million in 2008 (see AZ corporation records) in donations, events, and celebrations. (Pathetic that they donated a big $5000 to Haiti, money they probably collected from their "volunteers."
That said, it's appalling that some people oppose the big plastic statue just because it doesn't represent their own religious belief. That just confuses the real issues.
Posted: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Article comment by:
nokomis paquin
Have you ever seen the results that a torch has on plastic? Not that I am advocating it, you understand! But that seems a lot quicker than having to deal with the so-called protesters, who are more like sheep.
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Redneck from Cottonwood
In response to Frank Lee Confused, as a native of Cottonwood it really upset me that people bring their off the wall beliefs into my community and pollute it. If you don't like the rednecks then you can pack your bags and go back underneath the rock in which you came. No one asked you to live here, so if you don't like it then leave. I for one will fight to keep Cottonwood redneckish.
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Rose Fletcher
Even though I can't make the peaceful protest tomorrow with Friends of Mago, I will be there fully in spirit from abroad.
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Religion or Business
It appears that the owner/owners of the Mago park might be involved with for profit businesses and religion.
If the park was "established" as a place of religion as may have been implied at a public meeting in Cottonwood recently then it is resonable that the building structures, parking lots, etc would need to meet local, county, state, etc applicable zoning, planning, safety laws.
But if the Mago park is a religion place it also should be allowed all the rights and leeway that any religion is allowed.
Thanks and Good Luck
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Frank Lee Confused
Dear Friends of Mago, I want to be a Mago Friend so I went to your web site to find out how I could help save the giant plastic statue that no one from Cottonwood wants. I'm willing to lay down in front of the crane because I love that mega millionaire - Ilchi - and I love yoga and I love everyone. I just want to help you Dahn good people cram that love goddess down Cottonwood's red necked throats!!!!!! I hope everyone from Japan and Korea and Germany and Tempe flies here in a jet plane to help us - cause we're trying to save nature!!!! Why don't they understand??? LOL They're so ignorant. Well, I'll see you there! (I'll bring the purple cool aid :)
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Truth Seeker
Those who would like to read more about the Mago group need to look at the Feb 18 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. There is an eye-opening multi-page article about the allegations being brought forth in a lawsuit by at least 27 former members of the Dahn Yoga organization. This is not a spiritual leader or even a business person or group that we should be welcoming into our nation, much less into our precious region. Just say "NO"!
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Debbie Cahorshak
Okay, I looked over the web site and I have a few questions. Who is this "we" I keep seeing written on the web site? If you feel so strongly about your point of view, why aren't you posting your names right alongside your post? I have no problem posting my name with my point of view, but then I can back up my point of view with statutes and regulations. What do you have? Oh, that's right, I see that we're back to it being an issue of religious intolerance. I don't know about you, but I find that to be pretty laughable. Impugn away since you seem to find it difficult to accept the fact that it all boils down to procedures were not followed and statutes were ignored. My suggestion is that if you feel so strongly about Mago Park's continued existence, your energies might be better placed in finding a suitable property to build it and then follow the applicable procedures and statutes for that area so you don't have a problem again.
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Sava Taba
@ Friends, you say "peaceful PROTEST" but your web site says civil disobedience. Should the Cottonwood Riot police be aware of your plans?
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Friends of Mago
Please join our peaceful PROTEST to keep Mago Earth Park and the Mago Earth Statue in Cottonwood. Saturday, February 20th, 2010 Starting at 12noon Mago Earth Park 685 Bill Gray Road, Cottonwood, AZ Please visit www.savemago.org for complete information Sponsored by: Friends of Mago
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Peter, Yavapai County
I pay property tax in Yavapai County and I for one, am glad to see our county officials serving our community. As we discuss cutting our taxes, let us remember that there are opportunists who are happy to avoid asking for permission to build their tax exempt, resource using enterprises in our community. Some won't even ask for forgiveness. County officials like Mr. Mauk and Mr. MacDonald and the county assessor are the only real obstacle to the outlaws who seek to rob us with their fountain pens.
