3/2/2023 5:12:00 PM LETTERS/OPINIONS Respect opinions on both sides, but make right choice in the end
Summerfield Farms owner David Couch wants to develop nearly 1,000 acres in Summerfield for apartments, townhouses and retail businesses. Many people dislike this idea and keep asking the town council to vote it down. Most who are not in favor of the new zoning district he has requested bring up lots of good arguments - such as, it would negatively affect traffic and schools.
At last Tuesday night's meeting, the town council once again rejected Couch's request for a text amendment, which is the first step to getting his development approved.
"We do need a variety of housing for teachers, firefighters and other people," said one resident, "but I have never heard of someone wanting a dream apartment."
Supporters of Couch's proposal say growth is coming to the town, and it would be better to be prepared for it.
Although they are right about change coming and needing to be prepared, putting in apartments is not the road we want to go down for our future. We prepare for our future by limiting the number of bad or unnecessary changes.
One citizen-led survey showed 85% of those who responded are against apartments, with most people worried about the impact on traffic. We want to conserve the land and preserve our town's uniqueness. We want to respect those on both sides of the argument, but make the right choice in the end. We want a healthy place for people to live, for people coming to enjoy our town's beauty or for the people who want to keep what they came here for. We want to keep our own town and not become like Raleigh.
Klara Tar
The writer is a member of Scout Troop 219; she chose to write an editorial as part of meeting requirements for her Communications merit badge.
