To the editor,
I am a frequent visitor to Grey Cloud Dunes, along the Mississippi in Cottage Grove. The area formerly known as Mississippi Dunes is on the verge of being destroyed for a housing development. It's helpful to ask of any project like this, "Cui bono?" (Latin for “Who benefits?”). Think of it as another way to say, "follow the money." Clearly the developers (Rachel Development) will benefit, as they're going to make a ton of money. But the citizens of Cottage Grove? Not so much. The proposed development will forever spoil the peace and beauty of these open river bluffs. Hundreds of residents have spoken out repeatedly in favor of protecting them. Why hasn't the City Council listened? And, you might ask, what motivated the city council to so easily approve this development? What are they getting in exchange? Two members of the council have real estate backgrounds; others are business professionals. Are these really the best people to rely on when considering the environmental impact of high-density housing at this site? I don't think so. A number of federal and state agencies have weighed in with serious concerns, yet the city chose to ignore them.
This is NOT the place for such a development. Please reconsider your location, Rachel Development. You can build elsewhere and not be perceived as pariahs - as will inevitably be the case if this project goes forward. If you were to withdraw from this project now, you would instead be applauded for saving the Dunes. Our planet is in crisis! We should be preserving the few wild places left, not plundering them to build new housing units.
Martin Kurcias
Minneapolis
