LETTER: Tactic to pressure homeowner unwarranted

To the Telegram:

I live on 22nd Avenue East across the street from the proposed multi-million dollar grocery store. Lemons to Miners, the city and the Superior Telegram for the unprofessional approach to publicly pressure and humiliate a lifelong Superior resident and taxpayer to move off his property.

Michael Stranko should not have to give anyone reasons why he does not want to sell or move. This is a residential area Miner’s decided it had to have, and with the city, are forcing the issue. How wrong of the Superior Telegram to print such a biased article. Not everyone sold willingly and not everyone is excited about this plan. While we need to have economic growth, there needs to be a balance between economic development and the impact on residents.

To date, no one has bothered to tell the taxpaying neighbors surrounding this area about their plan, considered our well-being and quality of life, or even asked how we feel about this whole idea. Why wasn’t the neighborhood notified about the rezoning change? With the estimated “12,000 vehicles a week…” and “another 4,000 vehicles…” in our neighborhood, how are we going to safely get out of our driveways and traverse the area? Why haven’t we been allowed to voice our concerns and ask questions?

As far as “revitalization of that business district,” it should begin right on East Fifth Street. The closed rundown drug store, vacant bakery and vacant radio shop certainly do not provide an aesthetic shopping environment.

It would be nice if Miner’s would be good neighbors and keep the grass cut on their newly acquired acreage. Their unkempt property is devaluing our neighborhood.

Linda A. Kahler,

Superior

Editor’s note: Neither city staff nor Miner’s Inc. have not requested a zoning change for the proposed Super One Foods. That will happen when Miner’s Inc. owns all of the property, according to Port and Planning Director Jason Serck. Once a request for rezoning is received, the city notifies all parties who have expressed an interest and property owners within a 200-foot radius of the proposed boundary as a matter of policy.

Tags: opinion, letters