This letter will appear in the paper on Nov. 22, the day Mountain View County (MVC) hoped to post its draft Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and summary of proposed changes on its website. By Dec. 9, MVC will have hosted four open houses to discuss their proposed changes.The fact that little has been said about what comes next in terms of how the county will move the planning process forward concerns us. Is it possible that within one month, before council breaks for the holidays, it will have closed public input into this process and even moved this major document into first reading?If so, our question, given the importance and the impact of the MDP review, would be: ìWhat is the rush?î The MDP is an important document that lays out the framework for all development. In fact the MDP can overrule all other planning documents in the county. It is possible that significant changes could impact how our developments at Netook Crossing will move forward and may similarly impact other landowners and investors in Mountain View County. What appears to be missing in this process is long-term strategic planning and an assessment of current land-use trends to supplement public consultation to date.As taxpayers, we would like to see MVC uphold its commitment to meaningful publicengagement by providing time and opportunity for constructive review, comment and debate on the proposed policy changes prior to moving ahead with the approval process. In fact, wasn't this promised at the beginning of the process? Four roundtable sessions, and a survey process is a good START, but it is the FINISH that concerns us. We believe ìthe finishî should engage all taxpayers, landowners, investors and business owners. Further, the finish should also be supported by technical assessments such as the Netook Fiscal Impact Analysis currently underway. The time to understand the importance of Netook to the future financial security of MVC is now.Netook is good for MVC taxpayers. It will diversify our tax base and offset future revenue losses stemming from declining oil and gas reserves; it will preserve farmland by concentrating development and it will maximize a unique opportunity given its proximity to regional water and sewer services.To make sure you understand what Netook represents for the future of MVC we invite you to attend Netook Crossing's information session on Nov. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Olds Golf Course clubhouse. Join our team on Nov. 28; get informed and make your opinion known.Herb StylesNetook Crossing landowner (Neuroese Properties)Terry JohnstonNetook Crossing landowner (Pro Dev)
