Your wildlife refuge is under attack from a Wyoming developer. A development with 639 residential units and 20 commercial units will be placed within 100 feet of the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge in Stevensville if the Wyoming developer sways our public servants.
In 2006, this same developer sued our county for taking too much time to consider his proposal to create a “town” the same size as Stevensville in land mass and larger than Corvallis and Victor in inhabitants in the middle of rural Stevensville. He won the lawsuit. We have already paid him once.
Now our public officials are scared. The subdivision is back on the table and a recommendation has ALREADY been made by our planning staff to approve this subdivision. We need to tell our public servants not to be bullied into this.
The developer doesn’t even care if this is built. The whole property is for sale. He is simply getting all of the “permission” to build here to increase his property value so that he can sell it to the highest bidder. I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is a treasure and an extremely important stop off place for migratory birds in addition to a full time residence for many species. 639 residential units including 504 single family homes within 100 feet WILL have a huge effect on them. Imagine the 639+/- new domestic dogs and cats that will love hunting this wildlife on OUR land. Imagine the light pollution that will prevent nesting, the sewage and lawn chemical runoff that will pollute the surface and ground water, the weeds that will infest the refuge.
Not to mention the effects on the taxpayers: we’ll get to buy a new school for the development, pay for more emergency services, increase the size of the highway. Not only will the developer take the money and run, we will be left to foot the bill for this, AFTER we have lost the revenue from the users of our currently viable wildlife refuge. This is a serious life changer.
This land is already subdivided into 41 parcels which was done in the early part of last century during the apple boom. The developer already can put 41 homes there. Instead, he proposes 639. Greedy.
He doesn’t even live in the state!
Are you going to allow this? Please write or call your commissioners and planning staff. We elected these people and they need to listen to us. I for one will not accept the excuse that they “can’t do anything about it.” Baloney. Did we elect leaders or wimps?
Please write or call:
Ravalli County Planning Department: Planning Manager: Terry Nelson, 375-6530, email planning@rc.mt.gov
Ravalli County Commissioners 375-6500, email commissioners@rc.mt.gov
Meetings to attend:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at the Lone Rock School for public comment to the Planning Board – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at the Commissioners meeting room in Hamilton for the Planning Board Meeting – 3 p.m.
Monday morning (can you believe it?), April 29, 2013 at the Commissioners meeting room for public comment to the Commissioners – 9 a.m.
Perhaps when you contact the commissioners you can let them know that Monday morning is very inconvenient for hard working Bitterrooters to attend an extremely important public meeting.
Sarah Roubik
Corvallis