Let's Preserve Stony Springs!

The Monroe County Green Party opposes the Canterbury House Apartment
development proposed by Mr. Bill Brown (owner) and Herman Associates
(developers).  Among the values that unite us as Greens are a concern for
social justice and wise stewardship of the environment, advocacy of
grassroots democracy, and a focus on the future.  We believe that the
proposed development and the manner in which it has been pursued
contradict these values. 

The proposed development would occupy 15 acres of a geologically sensitive
karst area commonly referred to as Stony Springs.  According to the
Bloomington Environmental Commission, a body commissioned by the City of
Bloomington, there are eight sinkholes in this area as well as a cave,
springs, and a surface karst feature called a blind valley with a 285-acre
watershed. Due to these unique characteristics of the Stony Springs area,
an intensive development such as the proposed apartment complex could
adversely affect the groundwater in the area.  According to the BEC report
of Nov. 13, 2000, there would very likely be adverse effects on the
groundwater in three of eight sinkholes in the area.  Additionally, runoff
water would not be properly filtered before entering the groundwater and
so pollutants such as gas, oil, anti-freeze, pesticides, and herbicides
would likely be released into a geologically sensitive area.  Karst areas
are already known to lack natural water filters more common in other
areas; thus, this proposed development would send pollutants almost
directly into the groundwater supply.  The Stony Springs woods are a
precious natural resource for the Bloomington community and they should
therefore be protected from development. The MCGP agrees with the
assessment of the Bloomington Environmental Commission, which was,
unfortunately, ignored by the County Planning Commission, that this area
is unsuitable for this development.
    
We are also concerned with the government's proposed ten million dollar
bond supporting this development as a future source of affordable housing
for the residents of our community. The proposed lease rates of the
property are not affordable by most people's standards.  The original plan
was aimed at making the apartments affordable for someone making $15 an
hour. But, especially given the steady disappearance of high-paying
manufacturing jobs from our area due to NAFTA and other factors, jobs
paying considerably less than that amount are commonplace.  At the
proposed rate of $469/mo. for a one bedroom or $569 for a two bedroom
apartment, an individual making $8 an hour would have to spend well over a
third of his or her pretax income on rent alone.  The proposed development
would be located 5 miles from downtown in an area without pedestrian or
bike paths, and no bus service is currently planned. Thus, residents would
need cars, making residing there that much less affordable. 

In addition, given the current abundance of apartment units in
Bloomington, why should our tax dollars be used to subsidize new
construction in the first place?  Why not meet Bloomington's need for a
greater quantity of affordable housing by subsidizing occupancy of
existing units, so meeting this need doesn't entail subsidizing suburban
sprawl and attendant destruction of forests, farmland, etc.?  Taxpayers
have the right to expect that their tax money will be spent in ways that
will be beneficial to them.  The Canterbury House project would instead
spend taxpayer money to subsidize the building of an apartment complex
which is not presently needed and does not really contribute to
Bloomington's supply of affordable housing on one of the few remaining
unspoiled tracts of forests and wetlands on Bloomington's west side,
accomplishing nothing except lining the pockets of the developers and
owner.  This proposal amounts to corporate welfare, pure and simple. 

It is also the opinion of the MCGP that the actions of the treesitter,
Tracy McNeely, and her ground support team, are an effective use of
nonviolent direct action which has played a key role in drawing attention
to an important local issue.  Because the findings of the Environmental
Commission have so far not been properly addressed by the developer or the
local government in their deliberations regarding the proposed
development, direct action seems necessary in this case to achieve the
public discourse needed to address this important issue.

For the stated reasons, the Monroe County Green Party strongly urges the
county council to deny bond approval of this development.