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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

The future of the lake is our concern

Posted 5/19/14

Mary Worringer, in her letter of last week, “Why the opposition to local control”, again demonstrates her penchant for inaccurate statements and a shoot from the hip tendency that we recognize in …

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The future of the lake is our concern

Posted

Mary Worringer, in her letter of last week, “Why the opposition to local control”, again demonstrates her penchant for inaccurate statements and a shoot from the hip tendency that we recognize in her commentaries. A lot of it doesn’t even make sense. Some of it is apparently an attempt to fire up conspiracy theories.

 To those of us who advocate returning Planning and Zoning to St. Louis County, Mary asks in the third paragraph: “What is the real motivation?” Simple answer: the lake is the motivation.

 After several more derogatory and snide sentences, Mary asks again: “Is the motivation really a concern for the lake, or is this simply...” Simple answer: the lake!

 After more paragraphs of snide remarks (It was a long letter), Mary gets back to the conspiracy theory: “Perhaps an additional motivation for pushing to turn local planning and zoning over.....is to facilitate under the radar building projects that do not comply with our Zoning Ordinance.” This is quite a stretch. Particularly when it comes from Mary, who, as the Chair of the Greenwood Planning Board of Adjustment, strongly advocated and voted in favor of the 30’x46’ Mega Boathouse. (20’x26’ is allowed by the Ordinance). This is reality, not conspiracy. Simple answer, again: The motivation for returning Planning to the County is: the lake.

 Speaking of the value of “local control”, why did the Greenwood Town Board relinquish local control of last week’s property tax Board of Review at our town hall? Could this have been a conspiracy? Not a single Greenwood Town Board member or the Town Clerk showed up for the well-advertised, annual Board of Review. Three assessors from the County did. It is the once per year time that the Town Board has the power to adjust property values for people who come to the meeting with a request. County Assessor Dave Sipila informed the citizens present at the Board of Review that by not showing up, the Greenwood Town Board members forfeited the Township’s right to have this year’s Review, as well as next year’s. He informed us that if the Township wishes to have a Board of Review in 2016, the Town Board must pass a resolution and bring the request to the County.

 Enough. It is obvious that we need to simplify the Township to what can be handled. Planning and Zoning needs to go back to the County, for the good of the lake.

Lee Peterson

Greenwood Twp., Minn.