by H. Susie Rosett, Stevensville
The Ravalli County planning board had a meeting on the 7th to talk about a major subdivision of 29 new houses on 31 acres. The location is 629 3 Mile Creek Road between Tripp Lane and Illinois Bench Road. What a joke! This planning board consists of developers, real estate agents, and builders. Where are the community members that don’t potentially benefit from a development?
The community members that live in close proximity got up and spoke to their concerns about this major development only to have them brushed off by the board. They had a guy that drills wells and a hydrologist talking about the in-depth water study done in 2006, saying there is nothing to worry about with water. Twenty years later, how many people have moved into the area and put in new wells? How many years have we been in a major drought stage since then? This proposal is to build a small city surrounded by farmland and 2+ acre residential houses. They are planning to put 29 new houses plus a private park on a 31-acre lot that already has two homes. It also means 29 new wells and 29 new septic systems.
I understand that growth and change are inevitable, and that this lot is going to be developed. However, it could be done in a much more sustainable manner. The other subdivisions in this area are 2- to 10-acre lots. That seems like a more reasonable housing development plan for a rural area. All I see here is greed and how much money the subdivider can make. There has been little thought into how this development would negatively affect this entire community and its resources.
I farm less than a 1/4 mile from this proposed development, and can’t even imagine the effects of water usage, light pollution, noise and additional traffic this would have! Traffic from so many other developments in the area is unyielding already, and Illinois Bench Road has become a major thoroughfare for all construction vehicles.
Yes, I am upset about this, and you should be too, especially if you live rurally. Because your small tight knit farming neighborhood could be next.
Leave a Reply