Letter to the Editor, Ann Arbor News,
dated 9/7/2003, by Mike Champion
I was distressed to read Judy McGovern's September 7
column dismissing recent decisions by the Parks
Advisory Commission as "the squeaky wheel gets the
cash" rather than rational public policy. I refer
your readers to the analysis at
http:/dickenwoods.org/savingdw/plan/action-plan-appendix-d.pdf,
which clearly shows how the preservation of the Dicken
Woods property is justified by the City's West Area
Plan and the PAC's PROS Plan.
More importantly, the purchase of these parcels is
consistent with the vision that many citizens share of
Ann Arbor as a unique, vital, greenspace-bounded city
rather than an anonymous corner of yet another
megasprawlopolis. Several letters to the News recently
have questioned whether Ann Arbor can do this on its
own or whether it can shoulder a burden that should
shared with other local governments. I believe this
to be short-sighted: Our city's well-deserved
reputation as a wonderful place to live, work, and
raise families is founded largely on the way we
integrate Nature into the fabric of the community. The
best way we can oppose sprawl is to lead by example,
showing what a "tree town" can be.
One might question any particular land acquisition
(especially since there is very little pristine
woodland left in private hands within the city
limits). Whatever the "quality" of these properties
today, they will greatly enhance the Ann Arbor that
will exist in a generation or two if their ecologies
are allowed to recover and the individual parcels are
linked up.
Signed,
Mike Champion, Ann Arbor
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