I am STAUNCHLY in favor of private property rights and I am saddened that we have already lost some portions of those rights. However, it's hard for me to believe that some people have the attitude that, “what I do on my own property doesn't affect or concern other people”. When someone strips every single tree off "their property" just “because it’s mine and I can” without considering the feelings of the neighbors who are used to looking at those trees, then something is lost of common decency. Of course, the neighbors should have “known” that someday the vacant land might be put to another use, but what would a little communication hurt in this situation? For that matter, what would a few trees left (voluntarily) around the outside perimeter hurt either? Sometimes, those in favor of property rights create problems and restrictions for themselves because of their attitudes.

     Would you even consider playing a card game with your friends, “without any rules”? Then why does the radical, property rights groups; insist there be NO rules when it comes to land development? We need rules, including planning and zoning, to encourage and protect the property owners in this Borough. Growth will happen here whether we want it to or not. The best thing we can do is direct growth in an organized and practical manner for all concerned, including future generations. The next time someone tells you, “we don’t need any stinking rules for land use,” ask them, “would you play a ball game or card game without any rules?” Believe me, land use is a whole lot more important than playing games.

     The most appropriate way the Borough should regulate land use and growth is to continue improving, strengthening, and simplifying zoning Borough wide, and the conditional use permit (CUP) ordinance we now have in the core area. The Assembly has done an outstanding job bringing together the vision of professional planners, the wants and needs of the residents, and the demands of groups with extremely different opinions on land use.

     This is probably the hottest topic of the day. Most of the folks living here in district 4 live inside the City of Wasilla and are not very concerned about what the Borough has been doing with the different proposed zoning ordinances and now the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) ordinance. However those that are affected by this or that are interested in “property rights” are very passionate about it. Until I got involved in this issue, I had no idea so many good, well-intended people could have such different opinions on “property rights”.