SG-W:/ Newmarket

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

Hi everyone - just a quick note - Thanks, Kris and Jack, for your notes. You 
hit the problem right on the head. Kristen, I'm not sure where you live, but 
while high density clustered development is the way to go, if you take a 
look at this area, you'll see how inappropriate the Newmarket proposal is 
here. You have to realize that the dry land has all been built on in 
Pittsfield, and to try to cram dense development on this remaining area .. . 
well, you have far more faith in drainage engineers and the DEQ than I do. 
This is a load of impervious surface on an area that can't handle it, 
despite the open space being "preserved" (read: you just can't put a house 
in a swamp, so let's "preserve" it, while demanding 100% density transfer 
for our wonderfulness) The reason this is almost the last open space in 
Pittsfield is the water water everywhere.

This area is swampy and wooded except where it's being farmed, and several 
working farms (mine included) would be surrounded by this development. Bad 
things: destruction of wetlands, woodlands, groundwater recharge, and 
wildlife habitat (too many species to mention), having to pave the roads (we 
property owners are usually expected to pay through SADs, for the 
"improvement" we didn't need), having to trench and lay sewer and water pipe 
(again, SADs, since impact fees on development are illegal in Michigan), 
exacerbation of already horrendous traffic conditions, school overcrowding 
(by the way the revenue generating portion of the plan is in the Saline 
School district, while the residents are all density transferred to the AA 
school district - get ready to build build build schools for AA), and lots 
of city residents who need a paved road and forgot that manure smells icky 
when they looked at the brochure.

And traffic capture? Don't get me started. These people are going to have to 
commute like all the other suburban dwellers in Pitts, "live work" units to 
the contrary - I have a live work unit already - it's called a farm. Walk to 
the neighborhood store? Please. They'll go to Meijer's after a gruelling 
workday like every other exhausted commuter, with a kid picked up from 
daycare in tow. This is the suburbs, and don't mistake it for "downtown."

This is a mockery of new urbanism, and a devestation to this area. 
Pittsfield is not a city, and we do already have enough urban centers, 
albeit crappily planned ones. They can't have our extremely successful 
specialty farming area, too. I'm sorry someone donated land to Hillsdale 
college, and now they want to sell to the highest bidder, but we farmers and 
rural residents want to stay. If we think building Pittsfield into an urban 
area will preserve outlying townships, wake up and smell the coffee. When 
they're done with us, they'll go to the nest township, and say, "xyz 
township is a city, and will be developed. There's just too many pressures 
too develop to stop it now." Look at Marion Twp. Look at Sharon Twp. etc 
etc.

How about building a high rise on top of Meijer's on Carpenter Road? Now 
that's what I'd call a village, and a nice walk to the grocery store to 
boot.

Of course we're trying to buy the land. That's why we brought in TPL and are 
fundraising through the Fund For Pittsfield.

Well that wasn't a short note, was it? More like a rant, I'd say. Talk to 
you, Tina.
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com



===============================================================
smartgrowth-washtenaw:  Internet List and Forum for issues relating to
sprawl, smart growth, and preservation of the quality of life in Washtenaw
County.

Postings to:  smartgrowth-washtenaw@great-lakes.net      For info, send
email to majordomo@great-lakes.net  with a one-line message body of  "info
smartgrowth-washtenaw"
===============================================================