This Is Vision?
The Scott County Board released their "2030 Vision" in a town hall forum last night. Based on the reporting in todays Star Tribune, I wasn't sure how bad it would be.
"Scott County is unveiling this week what officials are calling the last best chance to "paint the picture" of its future in the decades to come. And they're bracing for hostile reaction.
The county's plan for the next quarter century, on display at an open house Tuesday night and on the Web on Wednesday, envisions a future in which farming almost disappears in the generations to come."
The Strib has the reputation of being a little less than accurate in it's reporting, so it is possible that this future devoid of farm land (in a very agricultural county) could be just a little hysterical...right? I mean slide 4 talks about how great the county will be in 2030 because of it's "natural beauty and rural character". Slide 5 talks about a "diversity of urban and rural lifestyles".
However, slide 28 starts the discussion of Land Use and it is there that (if you like the rural character of Scott County) things go south in a hurry. Slide 31 shows where the planned growth will be and how it will "include" family farms! There, just south and west of Belle Plaine, taking a whole 1/8th of the county is what the County Board has relegated to farm land! Everything else will be residential/municipalities (Shakopee, Prior Lake, Jordan etc). We are talking about the government of a county that is MOSTLY rural/farmland now, planning to become another inner ring concrete "smart growth"!
Now I have no problems with a retiring farmer selling his land to whomever he/she chooses. That is what property rights are all about. But government planning you out of your farm is another story entirely! To have our farmers know that in 20 years, the county will crowd them out of their land is unconscionable!
The charm of Scott County has been it's rural/farming identity. Family farms and hobby farms (10 acres and a horse as the Star Tribune called it) give the residents a reminder of what this state was founded on....a reminder of our history! To plan on paving that all under in roads and developments is a crime.
"Scott County is unveiling this week what officials are calling the last best chance to "paint the picture" of its future in the decades to come. And they're bracing for hostile reaction.
The county's plan for the next quarter century, on display at an open house Tuesday night and on the Web on Wednesday, envisions a future in which farming almost disappears in the generations to come."
The Strib has the reputation of being a little less than accurate in it's reporting, so it is possible that this future devoid of farm land (in a very agricultural county) could be just a little hysterical...right? I mean slide 4 talks about how great the county will be in 2030 because of it's "natural beauty and rural character". Slide 5 talks about a "diversity of urban and rural lifestyles".
However, slide 28 starts the discussion of Land Use and it is there that (if you like the rural character of Scott County) things go south in a hurry. Slide 31 shows where the planned growth will be and how it will "include" family farms! There, just south and west of Belle Plaine, taking a whole 1/8th of the county is what the County Board has relegated to farm land! Everything else will be residential/municipalities (Shakopee, Prior Lake, Jordan etc). We are talking about the government of a county that is MOSTLY rural/farmland now, planning to become another inner ring concrete "smart growth"!
Now I have no problems with a retiring farmer selling his land to whomever he/she chooses. That is what property rights are all about. But government planning you out of your farm is another story entirely! To have our farmers know that in 20 years, the county will crowd them out of their land is unconscionable!
The charm of Scott County has been it's rural/farming identity. Family farms and hobby farms (10 acres and a horse as the Star Tribune called it) give the residents a reminder of what this state was founded on....a reminder of our history! To plan on paving that all under in roads and developments is a crime.
Labels: Local Government
posted by The Lady Logician at
3:59 PM
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