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GMAC - Growth Management Advisory Committee to Meet - Don't Forget 6:30 - Library - TonightSubmitted by commissionerwalker on Tue, 02/26/2008 - 22:16.
Just received this email from the secretary of the GMAC.
Put on your calendars! ( categories: )
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Copyright (C) 2007, All Rights Reserved
Who all is on the GMAC? Is it a non-partisan entity? Will there be free food & T-Shirts? Are their findings based on Environmental criteria or good-for-business data? How will their findings affect Development in the County?
No food or shirts. It has Democrats and Republicans and Unknowns. As to the rest, come and assess the recommendations for yourself. The assignment was to propose ways to have a program in Blount County whereby development rights of agricultural and open land could be purchased or transferred and thus remain controlled by a land trust or conservancy and undeveloped.
I have heard reports from several people who were in attendance that this hard working group of private citizens really met the challenge they were given. The key now is to get the policy makers to follow the GMAC suggestions.
Personally, I love the idea that new funding to purchase public lands can come from hotel / motel tax dollars! Bravo! And using those windfall dollars to the county which come in the form of recapped taxes when Greenbelt property is no longer GreenBelt is just and fair.
The only concern that I still have is just how any money collected to purchase new public lands will be spent. I do not want to see 411 South raped and pillaged only to have new public lands appear on the Privileged Side of the Smokies- Townsend. I do not want to see these wonderful rolling hills of Friendsville paved or covered with trailer parks while new public lands are added to Townsend.
More on funding options are listed in today's article at the DT Link...
Be cautious in the statements made, the money doesn't go toward purchase of public lands, only the purchase of development rights. There is no transfer of property.
Yes, they have done a GREAT deal of work, and there is much ahead to do such as, defining how the program would work, who/what/where is elligible and much much more.
and I am still on post surgery drugs :-) I knew darn well the GMAC was not about purchasing the actual property- just the development rights.
I still stand by the fact that all areas of the county deserve equal consideration and it is a wise use of any kind of tax dollars to do so.
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