Flat Rock park opponent makes his case

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Here are excerpts from a 1,623-word letter by Flat Rock resident Bob Demartini raising questions about the proposed Highland Lake Park.

"Because the magnitude of such an undertaking far exceeds anything the Village has ever dealt with before, it is appropriate that we think about implications, 'unintended consequences' and alternatives as part of the evaluation process. To date our citizens have been exposed essentially exclusively to only one viewpoint, that urging the Administration to invest in their initiative. Hence this review in the interest of balance."

The property as an entrance gateway: "Some suggest there's need to worry that undesirable structures might be erected by other buyers of the Highland Lake property, arguing that buying it would constitute a defensive move by the Village. But that ignores the fact that some two-thirds of the 67-acre property is classified Flood Plain, ruling out anybody being able to build anything on most of it, desirable or undesirable. The low-lying land fronts on the roadway, is suitable for agricultural and recreational use only, and it will be unavailable to would-be spoilers. At the higher elevations, mostly set back from the roadway, attractive condos that would benefit from a view of a cultivated flood plain could be a desirable development."

Need vs. want: "Whatever truly motivates Park Project boosters, no case has been made that it serves a true need, though arguably it could qualify as 'nice to have.'"

Protecting Village fund balance: "To their credit, past VFR administrations patiently assembled a 'nest egg' of some $5 million, sufficient to enable the Village to deal with unanticipated surprises. ... Those monies represent ready means for dealing with what the dictionary defines as "possible, accidental or chance events (contingencies). ... When it is our turn for Mother Nature to deliver on our area a devastating hurricane or tornado or whatever, should we be dependent on the federal government to alleviate the mess?"...

Read it all.