Alden Advertiser Subscriber Comments

Below is copy of letter published this week in Alden's official newspaper, the Alden Advertiser by Gerald and Naomi Aldinger. We hope that you too, will publish your thoughts and reasons for opposing this rezoning project.

Nice Job! Gerald and Naomi! Thanks for doing your part.

"Dear Editor:
Our Planning Board and Town Board currently debates a proposal for rezoning Agricultural land to Commercial to accommodate a proposed Wal-Mart and other Big Business Development. This proposal presents the Boards with two issues to consider: how will Commercial development affect the future of our Town, and can we overlook the loss of Agricultural land we are blessed to have in Alden?

Owning exceptional productive farmland is a rare privildge that carries with it the responsibility of good stewardship. In the United States the alarming loss of agricultural land to business, recreation and manufacturing is a serious threat to our abundant food production for a growing population. It is in the country's best interest to preseve productive land and what better place to exercise good stewardship than here at home.

Wheather one is privildged to own a farm or their home, that ownership required responsibility, and ownership is subject to restrictions and codes set forth by our State and local governments. So in one sense, we are all told "what we can or cannot do with our property".

It is a fact of life we never gain anything without the loss of something else. By rezoning the proposed multi-acre parcel to Commercial, Alden will suffer the loss of green space and agricultural land that will be replaced with big business development, acres of black top and waste matter that will have a negative impact on the existing aquifer on this parcel.

The Town Board cannot ignore the permanence of a decision to open the door to big business development-we won't be able to change "gears" and recapture a rural environment or reverse what we have lost.

It is disturbing that the people of Alden are subject to the dictates of Walmart-should not our Town Board govern the size, location and nature of any proposed commercial structure, in our town.

There is adequate commercial zoned land for future business development in Alden. We have one unoccupied, unsightly Plaza and another strip west of the village that currently has empty stores. Let's solve one problem before we create another and wrestle with yet another abandoned business strip."