Re: SG-W:/ Newmarket

["Christina Lirones" <goldenspiderfarm@hotmail.com>]

Dear Vivienne-
Last night our planning commission began to work on the final resolutions 
for Newmarket. It looks like they may be ready to pass this on the 11th or 
18th, despite the constant presense and comments of citizens opposed to this 
proposal (No one yet has spoken in favor, except the PC and the developer). 
Since it is huge, doesn't conform to the Master Plan, and is proposing 3 and 
four story buildings, dense residential, and commercial areas right here in 
the midst of our rural and Ag neighborhood, we would like County to look at 
it.

I know you told me before, but how do you get a review by County? Do we 
contact our county commissioner, write letters to County Planning, or have 
our board members write letters?

For those of you who are interested, this heavy development is proposed for 
the heart of Pittsfield, the same lovely land with abundant wildlife and 
farms where we rode on the Tour de Sprawl last year. It is one of the most 
beautiful areas in Pittsfield, and almost the only remaining open land. If 
this development goes through, the peaceful roads that you rode down would 
end up resembling Washtenaw Ave or the Carpenter Road Corridor south of 
Washtenaw, although the (private)roads within the development may be nice 
(the existing residents must be sacrificed for new residents). We have 
already raised over $30,000 to purchase this land for an area park, and of 
course have a large parks millage in Pittsfield. The Trust For Public Land 
was willing to help with the purchase, except our boardmembers Marjorie 
Shelton, Judy Bocklage, Bob Skrobola, and Doug Woolley sent them packing 
(TPL flew out from Minnesota to offer help in purchasing what was then 
reasonably priced land. After the board debacle, their rep told me the only 
thing we could do was elect another board if we wanted to preserve any land 
in the Twp.)

For whatever reason, our PC seems in thrall to Andres Duany and the TND 
concept, althought this area is wholly inappropriate for urban developemt. 
This is not the solution to sprawl, folks, it is sprawl. Tina
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