To the Editor:

Good planning makes strong communities. What is happening in the town of Knox is not good planning.

I support the vision of thriving businesses in Knox — in the right place and at the right scale.

Against the advice of the Knox Planning Board and the Conservation Advisory Council, the Knox Town Board is proposing to rezone nearly 300 acres to establish another business district less than two miles from the existing hamlet business district along State Route 156.

Why? That does not make sense. It is not the right place, or the right scale. Especially considering the sensitive water issues here due to karst topography, and the sharp curve in the state highway that could pose a driving hazard.

The town currently has a business district in the hamlet. If someone wants to establish a business in Knox, he or she can do so in the hamlet. That is the right place.

Simply rezoning an area by randomly drawing a line around hundreds of acres without any analysis is poor planning.

Blindly applying the uses for the current hamlet district to a new business district with lower density is poor planning.

Ignoring the concerns raised by the citizens and appointed board members is poor planning.

Good planning considers the context of the area to ensure that the proposed uses are compatible with the surrounding land uses and the community character. That isn’t what the town board is doing.

As proposed, the context of the area is not being considered. The town board proposes to simply apply the same business uses for the current hamlet business district to the new district. That just doesn't make sense.

What may be suitable in the hamlet may not be appropriate in the proposed, more rural, business district. For instance, a gas station or a laundry mat may be allowed in the hamlet district but would be a bad idea in the proposed routes 156 and 157 business district, as it would pose a risk to the water quality of the area.

It would be one thing if the town were teeming with demand for businesses, but it’s not. So why propose such a substantial zoning change in such a sensitive area against the advice of the planning board and the conservation advisory council and the concerns of the citizens?

And why do it without making genuine efforts to reach out to the community?

Processes are being circumvented and concerns are not being heeded.

I believe there is a place for business in our rural town. I also believe that such decisions should be based on sound planning processes, environmental and community considerations, and very engaged public participation.

It should not be based on the whims of a handful of people who are currently in power, making short-term decisions without considering the long-term implications.

That is not good planning and it is not sustainable.

I urge the people of the Town of Knox to ask:

— Why do we need another business district?

— Why here?

— Why now?

— And why aren’t you listening to us?

Thank you.

Deb Nelson

Knox

Editor’s note: Deb Nelson has a master’s degree in regional planning and is a member of Town of Knox Planning Board.