Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Quigley plan wrong for city


The developer seeking Quigley annexation has dropped the ecologically sensitive wildlife lands above the pond only with respect to his city application. The remaining mega-issues loom large—unwarranted urban sprawl, lack of water and horrendous traffic increases. The depressed economy is not conducive for a high-risk speculative development.

Mr. van Dyke's excellent July 24 letter shed a welcome dose of sunlight on the fact that the proposed golf course would not be economically viable—much less "affordable." In addition to voluminous water use, golf courses invariably apply pesticides and herbicides, which poison soil and water.

Hydrologist Dr. Wendy Pabich has done the scientific homework on water. She concluded "it is highly unlikely that the volume of water available is even close to covering the projected water demands."

The only way to achieve the necessary project water is to draw down the aquifer. This would negate prudent underground water storage for the future.

Traffic is the unruly 1-ton elephant in the room about to trample us. Doubling of traffic in east Hailey would be unconscionable and a taking of the quality of life and property values for existing residential homeowners. The proposed roundabouts, speed bumps and chicanes for "traffic control" are meaningless Band-Aids on a gushing wound.

Any one of these crucial issues standing alone is enough to deny annexation. When one logically adds up the cumulative negative environmental, economic, safety and social impacts of all four issues, the inescapable conclusion is denial of annexation. My sense is that Hailey citizens oppose annexation by a wide margin and the City Council needs to listen to we the people.

Narrow real estate, golf, and commercial interests should not dominate this debate. All available evidence indicates annexation would be a disaster on many levels that we cannot afford.

Scott Phillips

Hailey




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