TO THE EDITOR:

I hope we can all stand one more letter on the Green Acres issue. The current debate is not new. Iíve been aware, on the county and nursing home level, of various issues since at least 1997 when the county made the decision to lease the facility to the Board of Social Ministry (now known as Ecumen.)

I would ask all citizens to take a trip to the current Green Acres site and the proposed site across the freeway. I have viewed at least two Ecumen facilities, their North Shore property in Duluth is in an absolutely beautiful setting on Lake Superior. Parmly in Chisago City is also in a lovely small town setting on a lake. Why do we want less for North Branch? The current Green Acres site is one of the most beautiful in the county. The site across the freeway lacks the basics. Does anyone really want to be in the middle of a field viewing the back of a shopping center, close to a lot of traffic with no grocery store, gas station, restaurants, drugstores, and without access to medical and emergency facilities?

As a member of the North Branch Planning Commission, I have citizens pleading that we turn down developments of 24 and 40 units but now we are told that a development of 147 houses is alright because itís for a good cause.

I think itís time we step back and look at all the changes coming in senior care and the long term ramifications of a 146-unit development in North Branch. We do not have to be held hostage to decisions made by the Chisago County Board, the Board of Ecumen and the developers.

There are other options for the nursing home and assisted living that need to be explored before we are locked into a an irreversible decision.

Doylene Voligny
North Branch

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