Karrow needs proper planning

There is a subdivision proposed at 905 Karrow Avenue that is designed to pump sewage uphill to Karrow Avenue where a new sewer main would be built. Then the new main would have to pump sewage uphill to the intersection at Seventh Street.

Isn't there an expression about that? The city really tries to avoid having to pump sewage uphill, and if you've ever had to deal with a broken grinder pump, you know why.

Well-designed utilities are cheaper to run, and that keeps property taxes down for all of us. It makes sense to do good planning before making big changes.

Right now the city is working on its utility plan, growth policy and storm water plan. So, is this the time to approve a leap frog subdivision that would permanently change a quiet, rural neighborhood?

The decision about this proposal is not just about this one subdivision. It is about extending large city sewer and water mains and directing growth into a rural neighborhood and all the future subdivisions that would follow the utilities.

Do we really need more building lots? The city has about 800 available, and using the projected population growth rate from Whitefish's resource and analysis, that should be enough for about the next 19 years.

The need for good planning has been especially apparent for many years in the Karrow neighborhood.

The future of the Karrow neighborhood could be decided through the cooperative, inclusive planning process of the growth policy or a neighborhood plan, or it could be decided at the public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at City Hall at 7:10 pm. Come tell the City Council which you think it should be.

Wayne Wade

Whitefish