Thank you for making the effort to unite Coldstream residents against this proposal. I am the owner of 43 prime irrigated acres of ALR land in Coldstream. It is a constant (and very expensive) struggle to properly farm these acres while both of us work at other employment. It is always a battle to maintain farm status, afford our irrigation rate increases, and feed our animals when we lose our hay crops to inclement weather. Do we get the best, most productive use of our fields? In a word, No, not even close - a lot of it is pasture - but we are only two people working as hard as we can. Yet the one organization that can and does have the economies of scale, machinery, and workforce to properly and efficiently farm in this valley (the Coldstream Ranch) are the ones' being given the gift of being able to get their lands out of the ALR and no doubt sold at an enormous profit. There are some extremely marginal lands in the ALR, and you don't have to look far to find them. There is also a lot of ALR land that is not now, nor ever will be utilized properly due to the high cost of making the land productive with irrigation. In case anyone doubts that - just look at the south sides of Bucannan Road, anywhere on Reid Road, or anywhere on Whitevale Road. Imagine what it will all look like in twenty years when this valley heats up the way that experts predict. The Aberdeen site is prime irrigated farmland, with the key word being irrigated. Why would you pave it over?
Please continue to try to stop this complex, if only for all of us little people who try to keep this valley green and growing. You may use my name and print out these comments for submission if you feel that they are worthwhile.
P.S. - We are both in our late forties - my guess is that there are a lot more of our age group and over in Coldstream than people think. Why are there no decent walking, biking, or hiking trails being planned? I take my life in my hands every time I want to use my bike. Also, myself and many of my friends ride horses. Why is there not one public bridle path in all of Coldstream when hose ownership is so high? Maybe before planning a sports complex, it might not be a bad idea to see what recreational activities the majority of people in Coldstream feel they want to participate in.
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