Planned growth should be goal

Opinion

Planned growth should be goal

To the editor:
Eric Hanson, thank you forÝaÝthoughtful, well written, and timely letter (Post Review Wednesday, Jan. 29). Getting your letter published was a major step toward not continuing ì. . .to let a minority of our population control our governmentís agenda.î It is, indeed,Ýì... time to hear from the other side of county development.î The small but vocal no-growth contingent writes frequent,Ýinflammatory, misleadingÝrhetoricÝand personal attacks. TheyÝmean to persuade the community that all developers and residential growth (that is, after they themselves settled in) has been and will beÝbad. ÝÝÝ YourÝreality check should resound positively withÝevery person in North Branch and surrounding areas who makes a living serving and supporting the results of the past few years of growth in the city and in the county. It should resound loudly to all land owners who want to know they will have the freedom to sell the property they own when they are ready and to any buyer they wish. It also shouldÝresound withÝthe peopleÝwho have been here only a few years. We are the manifestation of that growth and, by association, the target of the invective. We are the people who bring new talents, ideas, energy and volunteer hours to local institutions as well as dollars to local businesses. Are they telling us that if we havenít been here at least 10 years we represent onlyÝìpeople who have moved up from the cities and brought their problems with themî and cause traffic problems? In fact, many of us are retired, require no attention from police or social service agencies, pay our taxes, donít ìburdenî the schools with children, and keep up our property in order to be good neighbors.
County and city leadershipís main goal should be planned, deliberate, self-sustaining growth. The growth will happen. HowÝour elected officialsÝmanage that growth will determineÝthe future.
Marilyn Heinzel
North Branch

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