By Jim Stanford on October 30, 2008
Sell out the public and privatize!
As if there wasn’t enough politicking to keep everyone too busy, tonight the Forest Service is holding a meeting to talk about its latest plans for selling public land on North Cache and building a housing development at the Putt-Putt trailhead.
Yep, tucked behind the cul-de-sac at the end of East Hansen Ave. and Nelson Drive, the Forest Service seeks to build or relocate 26 housing units. The trailhead would have to be moved.
To finance the construction of these units as well as a new supervisor’s office, the agency aims to sell 10.4 of the roughly 15 acres it manages on North Cache, site of the current A-frame office and some housing and maintenance facilities. Before the bottom dropped out of the economy, the parcel was estimated to be worth up to $50 million and no doubt still has developers drooling.
Tonight’s meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Senior Center, 830 E. Hansen Ave. This is the only public meeting scheduled, and the scoping process closes Nov. 14.
Too busy, eh? That may be the point. This whole process has been rushed, and the Forest Service may be breaking the law in its handling of the sale.
The community breathed a sigh of relief when the Forest Service backed off its earlier proposal to move the supervisor’s office out of Jackson. But the larger problem remains: Selling public land is unacceptable, particularly when the existing parcel on North Cache is a much more suitable site for housing.
Posted under Economy, Environment, Politics
It’s definitely a touchy subject. We need housing in jackson, but at what costs? I would rather see them build up a story or tow than expand out. But obviously ideally, i wouldn’t have either!
Our public lands are one of the most egalitarian ideals we have in America. There are some principles you can’t let be eroded.
We do need housing,but let the Forest Service do it on their N. Cache property. The Bush hungover F.S.wants to sell it to finance the Putt Putt housing? Sure, the land there is worth a gazillion bucks, but what will replace it? Oh boy, more retail and office space that Jackson already has a serious glut of? More development on The North Cache corridor will mean more traffic, more employees we dont have,and more infrastructure that we’ll have to pay for. The F.S. sales and land swaps going on are usually only a good deal for the developers and lots of them stink of good ol’ boy backroom deals.The taxpayers and community get hosed