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To the Journal editor:
The vote on Aug. 6 in Negaunee is causing quite a stir and to be honest, I am glad.
On Jan. 18 of this year, I attended my first city meeting in Negaunee when I heard the city council was voting on whether or not to rezone five acres of land in Old Town Negaunee.
Me, along with about 18 others, spoke passionately about not rezoning it at the meeting. I moved here in 2016 from Chicago and hiking the land in Old Town was one of the things I would do on a daily basis.
Being in an area that was once a thriving neighborhood that has now turned into a historical nature preserve, I wondered if over time it would change me too. Would it take out that woman who wanted to climb the corporate ladder?
And guess what, it did. Because that is what nature does if you let it. It will heal you. And yes, I realize it is only 5 acres and what does that even matter? Well, it matters a great deal. Taking away any part of this now nature preserve would alter its whole being. Just like if you would force me to move back to Chicago. At first, I would still be riding that nature high but eventually in the everyday grind of the city, I would start to lose that shine.
And that is what would happen by developing these five acres in any way. It's the start of Old Town. It's where a caterpillar builds their cocoon to become a monarch butterfly or a mother doe can sleep while her fawns run around nearby.
I decided to write this letter today because I still can't believe that after everyone spoke up at the meeting and asked the city not to rezone the land, they still voted to do it. And then when a grassroots group got enough signatures to either put this on the ballot or have the city undo the rezoning, the city still didn't listen to the people and decided to put it on the ballot.
And it is clear they still want to have it rezoned to develop. And this is why I am writing today to ask you to see that even though it is only five acres, it is still a part of Old Town that is trying to be sold to the highest bidder.
I want the city of Negaunee to hear loud and clear that any part of Old Town is not for sale. So will you come out and make a splash on Aug. 6 and vote yes? I hope so.
KRYSTAN A. BEAUMONT
Ishpeming