Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008

Letter: Unrestrained growth

Editor: The proposed 2025 general plan of the city of Livingston is the same old rehash of low-density housing and urban sprawl that the Valley has seen for decades. There is nothing new or innovative about it.

In fact, the 2025 draft actually lowered the threshold for contiguous growth, virtually guaranteeing leapfrog development.

The city of Livingston has not met the population projections of its current general plan. In light of the current foreclosure crisis, there is no pressing need to adopt a new general plan.

Livingston city officials should answer the following questions:

How will the growth of Livingston benefit current residents economically more than outside investors/developers?

More than 70 percent of Livingston households earn less than $50,000 per year. Why is the majority of planned development low density?

Why continue the urban growth of Livingston at the expense of our quality of living? Traffic and air quality will be worse. Increased population, increased crime

With the exception of developers, where is the demand for a large city coming from?

Why continue the growth of Livingston at the expense of the most productive and valuable farmland in the world? If the Valley was its own state, it would lead the nation in the value of its agricultural production.

How will the proposed growth affect current residents' cost of living? As most cities have learned, development does not pay its way over time.

Why was the general plan not made available in Spanish, the predominant language of the city?

Why were no public hearings scheduled before the comment period ended on the draft environmental impact report?

It is time to hold our elected officials accountable for permitting unrestrained growth and development at the expense of our health and welfare.

November is not too far away.

GERRI MARTIN

Livingston