Forward from people in Cross Plains. I'm sure that many of you have gone for weekend rides out to Timber Lane and beyond.
The links below seem broken, I think its: http://www.townofcrossplains.info/ ===== darin > Subject: Bikers, Runners, Hikers and Triathletes!!! HELP US stop the destruction on the IRONMAN route and ICE AGE TRAIL > Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:05:28 -0600 > > To: Bikers, Bikies, Ironmen and Ironwomen... Hikers, Runners, and anyone > else! > Come to www.TownOfCrossPlains.info > > > We NEED YOUR HELP!!! Some of you bikers and triathletes know us as the > "water people," on Timber Lane (in the Town of Cross Plains). For the two > summers we have lived here, we've put out water, and sometimes other goodies, > for the bikers and runners who survive the climb up Old Sauk Pass and Timber > Lane. We've done this because (back when we had 'real lives') we did some > recreational biking, and we certainly have been amazed by the dedication of > you all as you're grinding up that hill day after day, regardless of the > weather and road conditions (a.k.a., that blankin' pea gravel). I have to > confess, too, that I have loved watching the evolution throughout the > seasons. In spring, there's a lot of grunting and groaning, there are quite > a few bike-walkers, and there have been heaps of heaving bodies at the top of > the hill by our water hose (just recovering, mind you...). By fall, you are > zipping up the hill, yacking to each other all the way up, talking about the > view, the approaching descent to Mid-Town Road, and the impending Ironman. > Many of you stop to fill your water bottles, or to hose down on the really > hot days, but there's still plenty of energy and spark. We've waited out on > Timber Lane for the last biker on Ironman day - and both times, my partner > and I were the only ones out there to walk up the hill with that last biker, > giving a pep talk (and being completely amazed that their bodies are even > still moving forward). > > NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! The land across the road from us is some of the > most beautiful land in Dane County. It has been designated by National Park > Service and DNR to be included in the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. > For years, NPS, DNR and Dane County have been trying to purchase the land, > but since they are limited by law as to how much they can offer (it is > taxpayers' money they're spending, after all), they have, so far, been unable > to acquire the property. Two years ago, a developer bought the land, and she > has been working ever since to put anything from 66 to well over 100 houses > along Timber Lane. Not only will that destroy any possibility that we will > have that Reserve that will preserve some of the most precious geologic > treasures in the State, but it will add countless cars and other vehicles > onto the roads out here - the roads on which we all seem to have to battle > for position. Engineers and planners estimate ten vehicle trips per day per > residence in a subdivision. At a minimum, this puts 660 more vehicle trips > each day on Timber Lane and Cleveland Road, neither one of which is suitable > for such heavy traffic. One of the developer's proposals even includes > multi-family housing at the north end of the property - how many cars will > that add to the roads? Regardless of which of her concepts she ends up with, > the spectacular view from the top of the Timber Lane will be obliterated by > houses, and this will be 'the new look' of a mile of the Ironman course and > the Ice Age Trail. > > WHAT YOU CAN DO!!! Some of you are going to the CARPC meeting tonight - LOOK > FOR US THERE! We'll have some orange half-sheet fliers and petitions. Come > to our website, www.TownOfCrossPlains.info and print up the petition. Gather > as many signatures as you can and get those petitions back to me asap > (address at the site). SPEAK UP at the CARPC meeting (see related comments > below), and COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:30 ON JANUARY 30, 2008 AT THE > TOWN OF CROSS PLAINS COMMUNITY CENTER. 3734 Cty Hwy P in Pine Bluff. You do > not have to be a Town resident to sign the petition or to speak at the public > hearing. Even if you just come to the hearing to sign in as, "opposed," and > then leave, your opinion will be counted! We need to have an overwhelming > turnout at this public hearing, in order to convince the Board that they > simply cannot allow the Land Use Plan to be thrown out. If this all plays > out as intended by two of the three Town Board members, there will be > lawsuits that may result in the loss of any County impact over the Town land > use issues, and then all bets will be off - the developers will have free > rein. > > Sorry to have rambled on, but PLEASE circulate this email as widely and as > quickly as you can - my partner and I have been working on this for over a > year, the last four months have been virtually full-time, with absolutely no > compensation - and this is a very personal issue for us. Please help us - we > NEED YOU! > > Thank you so much, happy biking and hiking, and think Spring! > > Katy Reeder and Jim Mueller > > > (below is the email that Jim sent to 1000 Friends) > > Janice Faga, DBA Hawthorn & Stone Development, Inc. has applied to have 337 > acres of land in the Town of Cross Plains changed in designation from > "Agricultural Preservation" to "Unsewered Development." On January 30th the > Town of Cross Plains Plan Commission will hold a second Public Hearing on > Janice Faga's proposal to throw off the 1 house per 35 acre density rule and > develop 337 acres of ag land and oak woods. This land is primarily in the > Black Earth Creeek Watershed, it is designated as part of the Cross Plains > Unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve project area, and is in the > Ice Age Trail Corridor. Please see www.TownOfCrossPlains.info for details. > > CARPC Commission member Harold Krantz is the Chair of the Cross Plains Town > Board. He voted to force the Plan Commission to give the developer the second > hearing even though the Commission's predecessor (3-person Plan Committee), > as well as the Town Board, had unanimously recommended denial the first time > Hawthorn & Stone had applied for this development. > > Krantz has also directed the Plan Commission to consider opting out of County > Zoning and has ordered the Commission to recommend changes to the Farmland > Preservation Plan. Such changes would set the stage for a legal challenge to > County control over zoning, land division and land use and planning. See > "The Obscure and the Obvious" on the website for a fuller explanation of how > two of the three Town Board members are likely using this developer as the > test case for their theories, in an attempt to break away from any County > oversight - and perhaps even from Town oversight over individual landowners. > Their repeated consideration of this development proposal provides clear > enough evidence that such crucial land use decisions should not be left > solely in the hands of a three-member Town Board. > > Please encourage your members to question Harold Krantz at the Thursday CARPC > hearing, to visit www.TownOfCrossPlains.info , to download petitions (from > the website) and gather signatures, and most importantly come to the Public > Hearing at 7:30 on January 30th at the Town of Cross Plains Community Center > at 3734 Cty Hwy P in Pine Bluff and speak (or at least register, even if you > don't want to speak) in opposition to the remapping of this land for > unsewered development. > > Thank you for your consideration. > > Jim Mueller and Katy Reeder > 4064 Timber Lane > Cross Plains WI 53528 > > 608.831.1610 Phone > 608.833.9525 Fax > www.TownOfCrossPlains.info _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
