We Strongly Oppose the SouthPointe Development - Vote NO

Dear Town Board Representatives,

Whereas the proposed development will radically downgrade our Grand Island neighborhoods and environments, we the undersigned stand very strongly against it being approved; below are some of the more important reasons for our opposition. We ask and expect you to represent this opposition in your final vote.

- Traffic - this is a public health issue.
Traffic, both onto and off the Island, is a blatant symptom that we are already over-populated! Grand Island is an island, necessitating limits for maintaining a healthy environment, which we need to respect. Not recognizing the increased pollution this traffic releases would be a monumental failure on our part.

- Degradation and destruction of existing infrastructure - this is a public health issue.
The physical integrity of affected roads and bridges will be greatly affected. Construction vehicles for years; resident, staff, and vendor/service vehicles forever.
Staley Road, already overtaxed with commercial and commuter traffic, will be further degraded adding stressful pollution via years of construction and the influx of too many residents.

- Local support services.
There are no hospitals or ambulance services housed on Grand Island, and our volunteer EMS and Fire are already over-taxed. The proposed development will bring many additional elderly folks, who will most likely need to utilize these services more often than our current Island residents do.

- Neighborhood character.
The beautiful natural character of Glen Avon Road will be completely changed and destroyed, adding stressful pollution via years of construction and the influx of too many residents. Folks are already talking about leaving the town they have lived in all their lives, over this.

- Pollution - this is a public health issue
Along with air, water, and soil pollution, which increase from the current level we already suffer greatly from via the NYS Thruway, the increase in light pollution will be detrimental to essential wild life-cycles, and even our ability to see the stars at night.
Human detritus will negatively impact all natural systems, i.e. plastic pollution and lawn chemicals making their way into the surrounding woodlands and wetlands.

- Woodland destruction
The area in question contains unique hickory and wet-oak forest growth, along with many other old hardwood trees (now rare on our Island), native wildflowers and wildlife food plants. These support a complete nourishing web of life which will be severely impacted if this development goes forward. There will be wide-spread and long-term suffering and death of wildlife, if this development goes forward.

- Wetland destruction
Pools of water are not replacements for Wetlands!
Health of remaining wetlands will be compromised by harmful human activity.

Sincerely,

Your Constituent