Why I Oppose RiverPlace and Hudson Village Developments.

What affects each of you, my neighbors, directly or indirectly affects me and mine. If my neighbors to the south have traffic problems, water problems, air quality problems, sewer problems, crime problems and on and on, then so do I. The proposed building of these Malls encompassing over 3.6 million square feet of retail space in just under three miles of Lowell Road raises serious environmental and economic issues to me, such as:

1. The impact of increased vehicular traffic on our air quality standards.
2. The threat to water quality and our aquifers.
3. The mismanagement of storm water and sewerage.
4. The reduction of our wildlife habitat.
5. The loss of our open space and natural areas.
6. The homogenization of rural landscapes.
7. The expense of costly, new infrastructure.
8. The deterioration of existing commercial enterprises and tax losses of same.
9. Over dependence on the automobile and super highways.
10. The loss of current resident's homes by way of "Eminent Domain" to allow for widening of all roads with 10 miles of the proposed build out area.

What we are facing here in our town, if we allow River Place and Hudson Village Malls to be built, is known as “Retail Sprawl” which:

1. Destroys the economic and environmental value of land.
2. It encourages an in-efficient land use pattern that is expensive and difficult to serve.
3. It fosters redundant competition between local governments, an economic war of tax incentives.
4. It forces costly infrastructure at the edge of towns.
5. It causes disinvestments from established core commercial centers currently in place in the town.
6. It degrades the visual, aesthetic character of local communities.
7. It lowers the value of other commercial and residential properties, reducing public revenues.
8. It weakens the sense of “place” and community cohesiveness while it masquerades as a form of economic development.

Ron Peters – Hudson

© Copyright 2007 Hudson-Litchfield News - April 20, 2007