Development Plans

Below are two images of the development plans. The first image represents the plans that were submitted to Lower Alsace Township. The second image is overlaid on a Satellite view of the area for clarity. Pay special attention to the surrounding areas that could be affected by potential flooding from storm runoff as a result of the trees that will be clear-cut for parking lots, in addition to the proximity of the development to communities like Castlewood and private land owners. Say goodbye to the deer, fox, and large numbers of birds of prey such as the Red Tailed Hawks and other wildlife that call this area home. Paradise is quite literally about to become a parking lot.

Click on the images below for a larger view.

The community has voiced several concerns about plans like these if approved. Some of the concerns include:

• Water runoff – several people that near the bottom of the mountain have voiced concerns about runoff and other water drainage issues that exist with the current state of the mountain. With the number of trees and land that would be displaced by the acres of parking lot in the plans, these issues would likely become significantly worse.
• Wildlife – check out the gallery and our Facebook page for a look at some of the wonderful animals that live in and around the proposed plan area. The wildlife, trees and environment in general are a delicate balance. Disrupting the already shrinking wooded areas would impact all these animals and countless more.
• Spook Lane – Spook Lane is a busy winding road. There are dozens of accidents on this road yearly with it’s current traffic levels. This would only get worse as more traffic is added with nearly 200 more homes in the proposed plans. The road would also likely need expanded over time forcing residents to pay for the bill with additional taxes. The larger issue with expanding Spook Lane is the number of houses and properties that are close to the road. Several homes could potentially be consumed by eminent domain to expand the road meaning current residents (some life-long) would need to relocate.

Between the water possible water issues, impact on the wildlife and road issues this plan causes far more negative issues than benefits. This combined with the downsides of TIF planned to be used to partially finance the project, this is a clear loss for residents of the mountain and the larger Lower Alsace community.