More Concern(s) about a Potential Upzoning on Tower Ridge Road in Beulah

 Folks are concerned about the rapid growth in Beulah.  As a long term resident I am, too.

Going by existing zoning out here is one thing--and I have supported the requests that fall within existing zoning.  But requests for upzoning shoul be studied and considered carefully before approval.  As I stated in my first post on this topic early last week, For my part--I do not favor nor am I inclined to support any upzonings in this area unless and until after we complete the overall Beulah Master Plan and we see what suggestions are offered by the professional planner who will complete this plan based upon the citizen input provided in 2019-2021.

A very well written email in opposition to this upzoning was sent to all commissioners late yesterday afternoon.  Here's the email:

"Dear Commissioners Bergosh, Underhill, May, Bender and Barry,

 My name is xxxxxxxxxxx and I and my family reside at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rd in Beulah. Recently we received  a notice of public hearing for a property wishing to be rezoned on Tower Ridge Rd. I would now like to give comment and concern with rezoning and putting in ANY more new subdivisions in this area, as I will not be able to make it to any of the scheduled meetings in person.

         On the surface, sprawling subdivisions and commercial zones are an economic boon for our local economies and municipalities. It creates employment and provides additional revenue to our local government through additional taxes. However, such development also produces drains on the local environmental resources, shifts the economic burden of development to longtime residents, increases transportation and energy costs and diminishes overall community character.

          The most obvious effect I'm seeing out here in Beulah is the destruction of wildlife habitat. We have lived here for over 25 years and have had chickens a good portion of that time. In all that time, we rarely had any trouble with wildlife, in fact the worst we saw was an occasional hawk flying about. Our chickens slept out on top of their coop in warm weather and roamed about free in the day. Since Navy Federal purchased the 250 acres from the 4-H in 2012 and all the building of multiple new subdivisions began in our area, especially the last 4-5 years, the wildlife problem has continued to exacerbate. We began seeing raccoons, possums, more hawks, owls and most recently, we lost 10 chickens over a 4

month period. We finally purchased a camera so we could try to figure out what was getting them. It was a fox. Since it's illegal to kill them or trap them, we had to resort to building a larger enclosed coop and run for them where nothing hopefully will get in and where they cannot get out. Very sad for our chickens and us. I hate it! But since the foxes home was demolished I'm sure, in the name of progress, he's looking for food anywhere he can get it, hence my chickens and others too I'm sure. Not only the wildlife, but the destruction of the environment itself with the ripping out of hundreds even thousands of trees which ultimately increases erosion and flooding problems, provides less oxygen output and less carbon dioxide intake (yeah pollution), and last the laying of so much concrete and asphalt only helps to cause a rise in temperatures in our area.

          I would hope that the tax revenue, which often gets allocated to new development, rather than existing neighborhoods, will not result in fewer resources to maintain services, such as fire and police protection, and the repairing of existing roads and utilities.

          So, needless to say, I am NOT for rezoning this property on Tower Ridge to accommodate ANY more subdivisions in our area. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! It's time we set boundaries and limitations on this urban sprawl going on out here. The folks who have lived out here for decades deserve to be thought of as well. We all moved to the country for a reason. We didn't want to live in the city. Everything is not about money. Everything comes with a cost. We need to consider our wildlife and existing residents and what is "actually' needed, not what we can profit from. Small growth is acceptable and even needed, especially in the area of amenities, such as Fire Department (which I heard is already in the works), police, Post Office, Library (one in Beulah) and medical resources (which thankfully there are some closer now). But let us please maintain biodiversity for all, and not give all the land over to human use.

 Thank you for the great and tiring work you do for our communities.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"