[Winona Online Democracy]
Great discussion so far! I'm generally in agreement with Phil's point of
view on the benefits of clustering vs. sprawl. (And, if someone else hasn't
already pointed this out, clusters of development are potentially more
likely to incorporate the possibility of biking or walking as a functional
alternative to automotive errands.)
On the other hand, I've lived in a rural cluster (the suburbs of
Rollingstone) for the past 10 years. It's been a great place to raise kids,
and I hope Dick Gaffron and others are ultimately successful in putting
together some growth plans that will keep our school population at a viable
level. (Another way to do this would be to make some reasonable adjustments
to busing boundaries, for instance bus Minneiska kids here instead of all
the way to Goodview, but that's another thread I guess!)
However, I do find myself frequently indulging in the typical American
hankering for "more elbow room." Maybe some of the reasons are things that
planners and developers could think about addressing in the future? Here
are some of my specific hankerings:
A good sized, practical spot for vegetable gardening! After years of
climbing up our terraced backyard to water and weed, we've finally given up
on growing anything except flowers, basil and cilantro. I think a
community-minded rural development could include an acre or so of flat,
sunny community garden space that would be available to anyone so inclined.
A Community Garden Committee could easily manage things like fencing,
rototilling, and watering.
Less time devoted to mowing, fertilizing, etc! If not for the neighborhood
peer pressure, I would be much less inclined to strive for the golf course
look. How about a development that incorporates more native prairie
plantings or other ground covers as an alternative to non-native turf that
requires lots of water, herbicide and mowing. Also, how about using
berm/catchment areas at the bottom of slopes to act as small wetlands in
processing runoff before it hits the local trout stream?
More buffering between neighbors! It's the New England idea of good fences
making good neighbors. People have such different ideas about when to play
their car stereos in the driveway, or how loud to yell at family members,
or how to manage their big dogs. It's inevitable. So why do we have the
idea that houses all have to be aligned with the same setback from the
road, or that the road has to be straight? And why do virtually all
develpments end up being on cropland or clearcuts, rather than developing a
wood lot and leaving in clusters of brush and trees. Many of us look for
exactly that if we're going camping in a State Park--why not in a building
site?
I'd be interested in reactions from those who know more about the actual
logistics and economics of development. Are these kinds of ideas too
expensive? And if so, could some of that expense be offset by cutting back
on the sheer SIZE of the houses themselves? As many of us boomers say
goodbye to the kids, isn't there going to be a market for some modest sized
houses (let's say 1500 sq ft, 1.5 bath, 2 BR) instead of these McMansions
you see going up everywhere?
----------
"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely
challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn
between a desire to improve the world, and a desire to enjoy the world.
This makes it hard to plan the day."
-- E. B. White
sent by:
Scott Lowery
461 Sunnyview Drive, Rollingstone MN 55969
home phone: (507)689-4532
school phone: (507)454-9573 (Winona Area Learning Center)
home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
school email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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