Alternative 1 is the best choice for Comprehensive Growth Management Plan

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The county level bureaucrats of the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan group have magnanimously offered "We the People" four separate alternatives to how our county lands will be handled in the future.

 

I presently live in what is left of rural Clark County and am willing and able to keep my home and neighborhood in that mode by whatever legal means necessary. I wish to keep the developers and their cronies from being able to build "Cookie Cutter" subdivisions anywhere close to me  so they can profiteer at my expense, and overall quality of life. Additional housing, etc. will have a negative impact upon city/county resources, and our existing aquifers. Our open spaces will diminish, and our wildlife will take a big hit – as usual.

 

Myself, and many others favor Alternative 1 – the "Do Nothing" plan, which leaves things as they are. That alternative will protect our overall quality of life; the wildlife and protect our aquifers.

 

Alternatives 2, 3, and 4 are just another way to spell money and power. Alternative 2 allows more subdivision of larger pieces of land so as to build more houses and destroy our open spaces. Alternative 3 is  a power grab by the cities to take in more rural areas and widen the city’s tax base.

 

It will then lead to more construction and we end up with more homes; more people; more impact upon government services, more impact upon our natural resources, and more rural areas destroyed because of the want of money and power for those who stand to profiteer from it.

 

The most outrageous alternative is No. 4. It makes sweeping changes to unincorporated Clark County. It creates rural lots of 1, 2.5, and 5 acres. It adds 10 and 20 acre forest lots to the existing 40 and 80 acre zones. It replaces all 20 acre agriculture lots with 5 and 10 acre agriculture lots. It could lead to the creation of 12,401 lots – at the very least. If allowed, we will see the beginning of the end of what was once a rural, bucolic quality of life. This alternative is just another money scam to favor the private sector.



 

lf allowed, it will become just another piece of urban sprawl like so many other places in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area so that the developers can make a profit at the expense of the rest of us.

 

Carol Levanen, president of Clark County Citizens United, and Susan Rasmussen, are major promoters of this  alternative. They appear to be the window dressing of the private sector crowd. Their motives are suspect favoring developers who would profiteer from it.

 

Councilor David Madore appears to be the main promoter of this scheme. His motivation is highly suspect favoring the private sector. I would like to remind him, and any other public official of the Oath of Office they took. If there appears to be any official misconduct associated with Madore's action in this matter there could be legal consequences against him. We the people, will be watching closely.

 

Those of us who want to preserve our quality of life must stand and fight. Only Alternative 1 will protect what we have now. Let Madore know that Alternative 4 is unacceptable.

 

James Joyce

Ridgefield