🚀 go-pugleaf

To anyone who bumped into my first effort at posting (today), my apology
for the crude doggerel.  It was something left over from a class I took
from Mike Fay...which was supposed to be eliminated from the text!

****


I submitted the following letter to the GT prior to their
official cutoff date, but still wonder if it will ever appear.
A few neighbors in this area vigorously opposed the Meadowlark
annexation (which is just west of the SW 45th & Country Club
intersection), for a number of reasons...all of which we believe
are very important.  

Since this letter only addresses two concerns, I intend to post
at least two more ( also submitted to the GT), which
either address other concerns, or expand on those raised here.
*****************************

The City of Corvallis used a full-page in the Oct. 18, 1998 issue
of the Gazette-Times to inform citizens about the Meadowlark and
Summit Corporate Park annexation proposals, and yet citizens were
not fully informed.  Voters, you were not told the Corvallis
Planning Commission, in considering the Meadowlark annexation,
had a tie vote of 3-3, which was broken by the affirmative vote
of the chairman.  And, you were not informed the City Council
voted 4-4 on the same issue, and that tie was broken by Mayor
Berg's affirmative vote.  Concerned voters should be curious as
to why half of each panel could not support the Meadowlark
subdivision annexation.

I know of at least two issues that caused concern: available land
now within the city limits and the threat of future flooding in
the area of SW Country Club Drive and SW 45th.  

There are currently 1,925.2 acres of undeveloped land within the
City limits, two-thirds of which is dedicated for residential
development.  Do you think the annexation of five more acres, to
accommodate 31 homes, is necessary?   

The intersection of SW Country Club Drive and SW 45th has flooded
severely many times in past years.  Increasing the amount of
impervious surfaces in the area is not a solution to the problem.

The City intends to permit the developer to dump all runoff water
into existing ditches, and that water will flow to Squaw Creek. 
This is the same creek which has overflowed and closed Brooklane
for years.  In written testimony to both City panels, OSU
Climatologist George Taylor explained that predicted changes in
the long-range weather pattern will bring not only increased
rainfall but floods of greater severity in the Corvallis area. 
Do you think Squaw Creek can handle more water?  Do you think the
City should allow more development in this area before the matter
of water runoff is addressed?

If you are a concerned voter who cares about these things, 
please vote "No" on the Meadowlark annexation issue.

Roger J. Schmeltz
2030 SW 45th
Corvallis