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Dear Editor, The following letter was sent to the Lake County Planning Commission prior to the second public meeting in which they will vote on the development proposal for Silver Rapids Lodge. The overwhelming public presence at the first meeting made it obvious that there were concerns that needed to be considered prior to voting on the proposal.
We had hoped for an extension of the public comment period, but it was not granted and our letter was not given to the Commission for consideration. We would like the letter to be part of the public record. In the future, we hope that more consideration be given to gathering and disseminating information from all stakeholders prior to public meetings. The ability to rigorously review all aspects of the request allows for informed decision making.
Lake County Planning and Zoning Commission: I am writing to add a bit more context to your upcoming decision on the development of Silver Rapids L odge. I a m a l ifelong property owner and resident on White Iron Lake. My father bought our family cabin property before I was born in 1943. M y late wife a nd I bought the adjacent property in 1975 and created our own home out of an existing cabin. I continue to live in that house with my current partner, Nonni Nelson, who previously owned property on White Iron Lake. There are reasons we all chose to stay here that need to be fully understood and included in your decision making.
It is stated on your website that “ … Lake County Planning and Zoning has been promoting and protecting the health, safety, and general welfare o f t he p ublic a nd environment by coordinating and establishing standards and requirements for economic, social and environmental factors in public and private investments.” The proposal, as it exists, appears to weigh the potential economic factors much more heavily than the social and environmental.
Development does not have to be detrimental if all of the stakeholders are part o f t he p rocess. T his is a community that has a long history that has been created around a unique environment. A sense of place comes over time with experiences, history and caring. It stays because of its depth. The past and the present need to be part of creating the future. The people who live here were not included in the process of creating this development. We could have helped create a vision that is positive and sustains long held values. It is difficult to think that those who created this development gave equal weight to the community, history, and the environment. It feels extractive of what we love and respect. It wants to use this beautiful place.
Business models come and go. Decisions for ways of making money can be well thought through with all stakeholders considered, or short sited and extractive.
Please give equal and long-term weight to all factors in your mission statement. I have been here for generations. I would like to leave it for generations to come.
Larry Lozar Nonni Nelson Ely, MN
