Point-
Counterpoint:
Smart Plan, growth and "new urbanism" in Silver County
by Sammy
Snoop
As
the date approaches to take the new comprehensive plan to the voters,
The Silver Times has devoted space for a discussion of the pros
and cons of each plan as voiced by our own Silver County residents.
We interviewed a series of residents, political leaders, and other
community representatives what they thought of the two plans.
In
this segment of the point- counterpoint section on growth and development
in silver county, we interviewed several residents and prominent
figures in the comprehensive plan debate. We asked them what they
thought about Smart Plan, the comprehensive plan option that attempts
to take a slow and careful look at growth in the region. This plan
would set growth controls and boundaries around the existing urban
areas to channel growth into existing developed areas. This plan
seeks to introduce "new urbanist" perspectives which attempt
to re-think and re-build struggling or poorly planned areas of the
city to make self sustaining communities. This plan would also buffer
the environment from new growth through the purchase of open space
and other environmentally friendly growth policies.
For:
Rachel LeBaron, Trout
Lake Homeowners association: As a resident of Trout Lake, I
do not want further growth impinging on the community that we have
consciously nourished over the past twenty or so years. We are a
quiet community that enjoys our peace, quiet, and relative isolation.
That's why we settled here in the first place. We have come to enjoy
the solace that the lake environment provides. We don't want growth
and traffic and disruptive development destroying our community.
From what I can tell, Future Plan will preserve what we have socially
and environmentally by creating growth zones and open space to better
organize the growth that the region is facing. I feel that we should
heed the advice of the planners who are experts at growth management
instead of relying on a shortsighted anything goes approach favored
by a lot of those do-as-you-damn-well-please libertarian folks who
are out to make a quick buck at the community's expense.
John Fowler, Professor
of Natural Resource Management at Vermillion University: "From
my years of research and practical experience in the field, I know
what can happen to communities that do not take growth seriously.
From an environmental standpoint, the Smart FuturePlans far superior
to the competing plan because it restores the integrity of the natural
environment by buffering it from the destructive growth that the
planning department is projecting for the near future. Think for
a moment of the legacy of this plan twenty years from now. If we
just let the region grow and grow and grow without any long range
environmental planning, we may see entire species disappear with
existing wildlife populations seriously compromised. Plus, thing
for example of our beautiful countryside without growth controls.
We will be left with a sprawling nightmare that just plows over
our most treasured spaces all in the name of progress. I tell you
that this scenario would be anything but progress. We need to remember
that these decisions we make now will impact our land and our community
forever."
Mark D’Zine of Silver
County Planning Dept: "Speaking from my position in the
Silver county planning department, the Smart FuturePlans just that:
smart. Its smart because we have a plan for the future. We
are using the latest research and draw from planning successes enjoyed
communities across the country, what some term New Urbanism. We
try to take the best of what we have and preserve it, while rebuilding
and reshaping areas of the city that are in need of redevelopment.
Instead of just finding and building on the next available plot
of land on the outskirts of town, this plan would try to breath
new life into existing communities. At a personal level, I feel
that this plan truly represents the region's and the people's futures,
unlike the other developers and who are simply looking our for their
own financial future. Granted, the opposing plan would provide quicker
and wider growth and development, which would be good for the economic
short term, but we would be stuck with sprawling, haphazard growth
that would certainly cause us more economic and political headaches
in the future- as other communities are now facing. But a planned
and conscious future is the future I would rather be living with."
Against:
Ben Cartright, executive
president of the Silver Cliff Chamber of Commerce: "I have
been involved in politics in this region for several decades now
so I think I am qualified to say that my community is sick of waiting.
Promises, promises, promises. That's all we seem to get with these
so called "plans." Our community seeks and direly needs
action. We want a real plan with real actions that will bring much
needed economic growth into our economy. The Smart FuturePlans too
tied up with red tape and bureaucracy. This plan wouldn't let landowners
and businesses do what they need to do. It would tie their hands
and send them packing for the next willing community. So instead
of more restrictions and land use codes and regulations, we need
action. This smart plan may indeed be smart and well researched,
but it does not fit with the reality our region is facing.
Maria Sanchez, resident
of Slippery Creek: "All of this is fine
and dandy, but when it comes down to it, who are going to be the
real winners and losers with this plan? It sounds as if this "smart
growth" really ties up people's ability to grow and develop
new industries. Though both plans will likely bring in growth from
what the "talking heads" are telling us, it seems as if
the smart FuturePlans only interested in building a certain kind
of community. But I want to know whether this "new urbanist"
community they have slated will have room us Hispanics and other
minority groups that are part of the "old urbanism." They
want to build this ideal community by closely monitoring and watching
this growth, but they are going to ruin this potential to grow and
provide work for the community by tying it up with bureaucratic
red tape. We need jobs and we need them now. We don't want these
resources turned away because they don't fit the image of some academic
pipedream."
George McDaniels,
former mine worker: I think I speak for all of the old miners
when I say that we know the realities of a boom and bust economy.
We have been bust for years. All I know is that since the mines
went dry, our community has been struggling. Now that the economy
is booming and companies actually want to move in here and set up
shop, the stuffed shirts we've elected are telling them to wait
and telling them how and where to build. Are you people crazy? We
haven't had the opportunity to bring in new jobs in decades and
we are telling them to hold on. I'm telling you that we cant wait
any longer. we are starving. we want to work. we want to support
our families. And you are telling us to wait so that you can build
the nice little community that you have on paper. Just wait until
the next election to see if y'all will still be driving this ship.
