You see, we understood, as many of the Conservancy do, that there is no such thing as smart growth. If we want to make sure that our farm spaces are preserved, the only real way to do this is to prevent growth. Basically, if growth starts, it is self perpetuating. Once a community starts to get money from tax revenues of develpoed property, it is like a drug. They only want more and more. That’s why the group I helped to form, and which I was a part of during my 4 years on the board, decided in our infancy to stop develpoment at all costs. Why get hooked on the drug of money? Hell, we even stopped a major development from starting by getting a referendum placed on the ballot, and getting it passed. Though I can’t take all the credit for it, our position was brillant in that we convinced people that if the door is propped open, the horses will charge on through and there will be no stopping things. But hey, we did leave a little bit of a mess for the current board to try and get through. All in the plan.

So as you can tell, I am a staunch supporter of keeping the open spaces open. Living in Northfield Township has made me realize that I like things the way they are. No need for change. I’d really like to see everyone of my neighbors sell their develpomental right to the Greenbelt Commission. As a matter of fact, I really don’t care that there is not a single pharmacy in the town that I live. I can just get in my car and drive 10 or 15 minutes into Ann Arbor or Brighton. And I really am glad there is no hardware store or lumber yard in my town. It keeps the traffic down and helps me see the stars at night, since having someting like that would do nothing but pollute the night sky with lights. As a matter of fact, I’d love to see flowers planted all the way down the median of US-23 into Ann Arbor, just as a reminder of how beautiful our past has been.

And in closing, I really have disdain for the current Northfield Township Board. Not only have they succeeded in strengthing the townships finances ( A- bond ratings ), which we were never able to do, but they are actually encouraging development to occur, which I, and those of like mind , tried desperately to keep out. I hate to say it, but it may be time for me to think about moving up north, where I know open spaces will be perserved for ever.

All of which gets sacrificed by your bizarre desire for more sprawl growth. You claim that you are for “smart growth” but you oppose the only “smart growth” initiative that is happening in the area, which is the Greenbelt. What’s even more bizarre is that what Ann Arbor is doing, which is preserving local farms, is the one thing that would help the township protect what you claim you want to preserve. It’s completely illogical.

That is completely false.

First, Ann Arbor has worked with the neighboring communities to secure easements on greenbelt properties. Even those communities that do not have a dedicated greenbelt millage have cooperated with Ann Arbor because every other township except Northfield realizes that working with the city will benefit, not harm, the township’s potential for growth. Also, Ann Arbor works with willing property owners. What Ann Arbor is doing is no different than what various land conservancies in the area have also done. Would you oppose the efforts of the Legacy Land Conservancy if they were successful in securing farmland preservation easements in Northfield?

Second, Ann Arbor does not have plans and never has had plans to secure greenbelt easements over an entire township. To claim that Ann Arbor wants to “control all of their neighboring communities” is simply false.

Third, the claim that Northfield wants “smart growth” but opposes the Ann Arbor greenbelt simply shows a lack of understanding of either concept. By helping to preserve farmland in the southern portion of Northfield, Ann Arbor is helping to direct growth to the developed portions of the township. The alternative is sprawling development across the township which is not smart growth.

Fourth, I’ve heard little of what Deb has accomplished in her time as supervisor. But what you point to as a positive was the result of the previous supervisor who did support the efforts being made by Ann Arbor to help the entire area through efforts like the greenbelt initiative and the light rail line through Northfield.

For most of Northfield’s history, your belief that preventing preservation and allowing uncontrolled growth is the way to succeed has held sway. Only in the last few years was their any effort to encourage smart growth and preserve farmland. Yet despite decades of having it your way, you claim that Northfield is still a “depressed area”. Maybe you need to realize that some of the cause of Northfield’s depressed state comes from the failure to plan wisely, to encourage smart growth and to support the preservation of farmland. Instead, poorly planned growth, mismanaged township government (save for the last few years under the previous supervisor) and an unwillingness to work with neighboring communities has hurt, not helped the township. Going in your direction is a step backwards in the wrong direction for the township.

Sorry Deb–who could have anticipated there would be more than one Deb in the world? :)