HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 03-2000Resolution No. 03-2000
Resolution Supporting Preservation of Rural Collin County
Whereas, Anna and Melissa are sister cities whose residents concur with Melissa's most recent
Future Land Use Study taken from the Governmental Service Agency, Inc. stating the only "major
asset" the community of Melissa has is her "Natural Features, Resources, and Geography;"
Whereas, the Texas State Legislature in the unanimously passed Agriculture and Rural
Development Act of 1999, has identified the preservation of rural land as a benefit for both urban
residents and rural residents when it said "the effects of [preserving agriculture] are not limited to
rural areas and the agricultural community but affect citizens throughout the state, including those in
urban areas;"
Whereas, the Texas State Legislature further in the unanimously passed Agriculture and Rural
Development Act of 1999, has affirmed protection of farmers, ranchers, horse farms, and other rural
related businesses when it stated "the agriculture policy of this state must consider... protection of
property rights and the right to farm;"
Whereas, the Collin County Commissioner's Court with the passage of the Collin County Open
Space Plan of 1986, further stressed the importance of maintaining open space to the entire
community when they stated "With the disappearance of the open landscapes that typify Collin
today, the environmental virtues that attracted people, companies, developers, and industrial
decision -makers to the county in the first place will no longer be here to proclaim the quality of the
environment and the quality of community life in general... Without buffers and preserves... with
dimensions that amply spell out `this is true country landscape,' the impression will always be `too
little, too narrow, and too late;' The golden egg will be no more;"
Whereas, much of the open space protected by both the state act and the county plan contains rural
related businesses such as camps, retreats, riding stables, and future bed and breakfast
establishments, dependent on that stated protection of the natural landscape and wildlife by both
state and county, to maintain the atmosphere those rural businesses sell to their customers;
Whereas, the placing of 17-story power line towers with arms reaching 37 feet in both directions by
TXU making it necessary for TXU to condemn a swath ofright-of--way land 160 feet wide under the
proposed lines, threatens not only present businesses that depend on the natural landscape,
indigenous wildlife, and hundred -year -old trees, but also threatens future residential development
that could not build under hazardous lines;
Be it resolved, the undersigned petition TXU to reassess the placement of their power lines in
accordance with existing Texas State Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentAct as well as the Collin
County Open Space Plan placing the towers and lines in areas that have the most potential for
commercial, industrial, and public use development and the least potential for adverse affect
on present businesses that depend on the natural landscape to attract their clients, on future
residential development of the area, as well as agricultural related businesses.
DULY PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL
ON THE 1 1 th DAB' OF A
APPRQ'� D
OF THE CITY OF ANNA, TEXAS,
aril 2000.
ATTEST:
`T,
The Citizens of Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge
Apri12, 2000
Texas Utilities, as, TX
Public Utilities Commission, Austin, TX
Dear Sirs:
The communities of Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge and other neighboring communities
would like to advice TXU and PUC of the environmental and economic inequity we
believe will occur to our communities if any of the electric transmission line routes
presently being proposed by the engineering firm of PBS&J to TXU connecting the
Monticello station to the Anna switch are adopted. The reasons for this inequity are:
1) The Anna/Melissa communities are already negatively impacted by the 1500-
acre, 30-story tall, proposed Regional Landfill going in on Hwy. 121. This landfill,
slated to be the largest landfill in the Southwest, has already severely negatively
impacted the heart of these communities as Hwy. 121 is a major artery serving both
communities.
2) The ETJ maps of Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge clearly show that all proposed
transmission line routes, with their 17-story towers, bisect and negatively impact the
major areas for future growth and tax infrastructure bases for all communities.
3) Further, the Land Use Plan map for Collin County indicates that the
northeastern quadrant of the county, mainly the McKinney area, already bears a
disproportional burden of land proposed for industrial use.
4) The Collin County Open Space Plan adopted by Collin County Commissioners,
July 16, 1986, not only states that "open landscapes" should be protected, but also
clearly counts transmission lines as a negative impact on the preservation of open
landscapes.
5) The only major asset Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge have to draw future residents to
their communities is their "ruralness". This ruralness is described in the most recent
Future Land Use Study taken from the Governmental Services Agency, Inc. as
"Natural Features, Resources, and Geography," and translates into our countryside
with its trees, creeks, fields, and wildlife. Many rural related businesses such as
camps, horse riding facilities, retreats, etc. depend economically on this rural setting.
6) Because the Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge area still remains open and unslated on
the Collin County Land Use map, and because this section contains many Land
Heritage Members, numerous rural related businesses, and a number of historical
structures and archeological sites - preservation of this section's rural and historical
aspects would establish a diverse Collin County, maintaining a balance between
rural/historical and urban/commercial.
7) According to the Texas Legislature in the unanimously passed Agriculture and
Rural Development Act of 1999, "the effects of [preserving agriculture] are not
limited to rural areas and the agricultural community but affect citizens throughout
the state, including those in urban areas."
It is the suggestion of all the communities that the proposed transmission line route
be moved north toward the Grayson -Collin county border making use of existing routes
that do not threaten the future growth of the Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge area.
The communities of Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge are united in their efforts to push the
TXU transmission line out of their future growth areas as well as preserve the rural
atmosphere of their three communities for the benefit of the entire county. These
communities are equally committed to providing both existing and planned programs,
events, structures, and trails that would share the preserved historical sites and the rural
atmosphere with all of Collin County. It is our intention to share our rural amenities with
our urban neighbors.
Respectfully submitted,
The communities of Anna/Melissa/Blue Ridge