Home Page

Opinion

Objections to more development

To the editor:
To date, we havenít paid the ultimate price for our greed - loss of life due to inadequate infrastructure.
The continued promises for a new bridge, I-35 and Hwy. 95, connecting both parts of our city are only on the horizon.
Commitments from Mn/DOT are not in our immediate future, yet we continue to tempt fate by adding another 300 or more houses where the fire protection is like playing Russian Roulette.
Will we have a major fire and loss of life because the traffic will be grid locked? Are we so greedy, life means nothing? So calloused that lining our pockets is most important? We will pay dearly, or our grandchildren will, if we are not careful.
Recently a new school referendum was passed. Were we not thinking of our children and grandchildren then?
During the Harvest Festival, I heard that the developers/builders had donated money to the YES referendum committee. Well wake up! This only benefitted them. Now they can keep building and weíll keep paying.
There is a new animal call School Impact fees. Every new home built would pay a percent to the school. More money put back into the community and less out of our pockets.
These fees are not currently being used in this state, at least I havenít been able to find any communities using them, but with a big push, we can have our legislature enact them.
The developer/builder/real estate lobby is powerful because that is where the money is, but remember David and Goliath! Contact Pete Nelson, our new and very able legislator, and Sean Nienow, our new senator, and push for school impact fees. That certainly will keep our taxes down. They are legal in many states, why not ours?
On Nov. 5, the voters spoke. They elected two council members, Kathy Blomquist and Amy Oehlers, who want to plan and manage growth and not overburden the infrastructure.
Yet the council didnít see it that way. They ignored the voters and went ahead and rezoned another 160 acres for development. The only exception was Ms. Amy Oehlers (re-elected), who had common sense to say wait a minute. This isnít right for our city at this time. Four of the five planning commissioners, except Joe Anderson, also said they felt the infrastructure was not able to handle this. Our autonomous council voted aye to another pack and stack development. The only discussion before the council voted was Ms. Oehlers. The four, who voted no, couldnít even look at the citizens present. Iím a little disappointed in Larry Erickson as I thought last fall that he ran on managed growth.
This development could potentially add 600 children to our school system. City services will also have to be increased. If your roads arenít plowed, because there are many more streets with every development, call the council members who voted aye.
We certainly donít need another development at this time, but additions to the industrial park that pay the lionís share of the taxes.
If you canít see the forest for the trees, and soon there wonít be any, then just continue with blinders on and do nothing. Thatís what you will end up with. Only a few benefit.
Barbara Burrington
North Branch

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com