Can paradise be lost?
To the editor: Can paradise be lost? Ask the people at Heritage Pointe, now looking at the back of Home Depot. Ask the people at Milford Landing, now shadowed by the Staples strip mall. Ask the homeowner on Old Milford Road who looks out his window and no longer sees the mountainside. It’s been blasted away for access to a subdivision called Milford Heights. Yes Paradise can be lost in an instant forever irretrievable. Ask my neighbors on Buist Road how their paradise is changing. An out-of-town developer bought the lot next to them - a lot in a pre-existing subdivision called Chestnut Oaks which until last year, was slated for a single-family dwelling only. Not anymore! To my neighbors’ surprise and mortification, nine feet away from their property line is now the planned access road to a proposed 39-lot subdivision called The Estates At Eagle Ridge. So just like that, without warning, their lifelong investment and dreams of a better life have been shattered. Buist Road is an idyllic country road like many in Pike County. Now, the quality of life and the safety of its residents are up against the multi-million dollar development team of an out-of-town financier. They are trying to get away with putting 400 car-trips per day on a substandard road, which actually narrows to a measly 15’ 6” after a blind curve. The developers to this point have been dismissive of our safety concerns and reasonable remedies. Heritage Pointe, Milford Landing, Old Milford Road, Buist Road - do we have to lose any more Paradises? Can we reverse these ominous signs of what urban sprawl will look like if we let it run rough-shod without check? The answer is a resounding YES! You can help pass the Pike Scenic Rural Preservation Bond Referendum. This will at least level the playing field to an acceptable degree between the developers and the local residents. This will be an empowering experience. Together we can shape our future, not fall victim to outside forces. In a collective voice, we can state that proper buffer zones, aesthetic designs and environmentally sensitive areas do matter. One prime example would be protecting our drinking water. It would be great to finally protect the Milford Springs, forever. No more having to go to battle over this land every five years or so! The bond can help take some of this important land off the market, thus making Milford’s water supply more secure. The response to the opposition of this bond is this: The focal point of this debate is not the quantity of land already protected. This land makes Pike County “The Jewel of the Northeast.” It is the quality of planning and treatment of the remaining land that will determine our future. If we fail at this, and allow the open market to be the only driving force, then these State Game Lands, etc. will just become fragmented fill between walls of sprawl. Pass this bond referendum resoundingly! Let’s shoot for an overwhelming 90% passage. Investing in smart growth is wiser than paying for out of control growth. Paradise does not have to be lost. Residents of Pike County, “STAND YOUR GROUND!” Vote YES for the Pike Scenic Rural Preservation Bond Referendum on November 8th! Vito DiBiasi Buist Road Dingman Township