Letter: People don’t move to areas because of new highways
At the special Jasper City Council meeting on the Mid-States Corridor, the proponents urged the City Council to support the road because, after it is built, everyone will want to move to Jasper.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard anyone say they want to move somewhere because they just built a nice new road. People are attracted to communities by what they have to offer that enriches their lives. Areas like the Parklands, the courthouse square, the River Centre, and the new library and cultural center are a much better incentive for people to move to this area than a slab of concrete.
The proponents, as an example of the type of development the road could attract, invoked the example of the donut area of Indianapolis. I don’t know about you, but that is the last type of development I would like to see in our county. I like the combination of nature, schools, small-town values, and convenience that our area offers. The last thing I’d like to see is explosive growth that our area is not equipped to handle, constant infrastructure projects to keep up with the growth, and the rise in crime and loss of safety that inevitably comes with that. Our resources are better used to continue to improve the things that truly help our community and make it a great place to live.
Jasper has grown steadily over many years, and it will continue to do so as long as it remains focused on improving the community and the schools, with or without the Mid-States Corridor. The flow of traffic through our community can be improved using existing right-of-ways without destroying so much of what makes our area great. The current project is not what the local citizens want or need.
The video of the Council meeting can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIhdHcHRPtc.
We urge everyone to educate themselves on the project and make an informed decision, not just believe the fancy advertising of the deep-pocketed businesses behind the project and the vague promises of growth they espouse if the road is built. Is it worth it to destroy so much of what we have for a future that is not guaranteed? It is time to work together and stop the Mid-States Corridor project.
Tom Bartelt
Huntingburg
