Posted 9 months, 4 days ago in 
Loading ...
Sewer service should be immediately expanded to every location reasonably within range of the present system. Other means of handling sewage are less sanitary, more polluting, more costly and present an insidious ecological nightmare.
Septic tanks are seeping chemicals and waste into the ground water and the drainage system. They waste huge quantities of concrete, gravel and pipe, burying them haphazardly and hazardously throughout the valley. Forcing their use prevents appropriate development. They are a horse and buggy solution unsuited to modern needs. And, sooner or later, they are trouble for the owner. Just as with the electricity and water, for the benefit of all as many people as reasonably possible should be served by the public sewer system, regardless of whether it is needed for development or not.
Regarding development, the first and primary criterion is “Use the right land.” The second criterion is “Use it wisely.” Each decision should be made with courage on a parcel-by-parcel basis. It is time to establish effective criteria to apply in determining the best use for individual parcels and begin applying those criteria on a parcel-by-parcel basis. The proper answer to improper development is not we can’t provide sewer. It is simply, “No.”
It is unwise to make compass direction and general area the primary criteria for location of development because that wastes great quantities of land. A little high density here and there made possible by sewer may save a lot of green fields. It is time to quit buying the argument that sewer expansion needs to wait for future zoning and development decisions. Sewer needs to be seen as an effective tool in allowing proper development in all the right places, not a political tool to use in blocking development over a wide area by pretending it must wait zoning decisions.
There are many large and small parcels of land suitable for development scattered throughout the valley. Many are good for little else. Limiting development to certain areas unwisely eliminates using many such parcels and encourages using those and other parcels in a wasteful fashion. Simply put, if sewer is not available to develop the land that is best suited for development, we will develop less suitable land and do a poorer job of it. Having sewer available everywhere practical will give us greater opportunity to be creative and develop beautifully.
Maybe it’s time to have some clustered, higher-density housing in the desert, along those washes and on those hills. Whatever is best, but it is important we not hamstring making the best present and future development decisions by pretending sewer needs to wait.
Cart before the horse, my foot! We need the sewer and we need it now.
CLAY TIPPING
Grand Junction
2 Responses to “Expanding sewer service a must”
Posted February 21st, 2008 at 12:29 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
The problem isn’t whether or not to “expand” the sewer system, but under what auspices this “expansion” should take place.
For instance, the “201″ system was designed to FORCE PROPERTY OWNERS to “agree” to be annexed by the city.
However, since the County is a co-owner of the Persigo Plant, there really is no reason to “expand” the 201 district, other than to usurp the RIGHTS of County Citizens, and “FORCE THEM UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE CITY”.
The sewer system can be expanded under COUNTY control without REQUIRING a FORCED “agreement” to be annexed into the city.
So, you need to ask yourself, why should any CITIZEN be forced to “agree” to give up their RIGHT to live outside the zone of control of the city of grand junction?
And this part of your letter:
” Septic tanks are seeping chemicals and waste into the ground water and the drainage system. They waste huge quantities of concrete, gravel and pipe, burying them haphazardly and hazardously throughout the valley. Forcing their use prevents appropriate development. They are a horse and buggy solution unsuited to modern needs.”
You really don’t have a clue on septic systems, either modern or antiquated, or you think this has any basis in the real world.
Posted February 21st, 2008 at 5:20 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Its the liberals, as usual, pure and simple, thinking they can force big government, and modern sanitation, down our throats. Ever since that Bill Nutter seized power and Bernie what’s his name, it seems like they want to try to solve all our problems with government, like health inspections at restaurants and traffic lights. I think Mesa County should secede and join Utah. They got good sense over there, asking to take all our toxic sludge. Toxic sludge creates jobs. But instead we got these high and mighty socialists who want to spend money on libraries and roundabouts. Its madness, I tell you. I just wish we could clone Craig Meis, then things would be OK.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.