Controversy

To the editor:

Twenty-one years ago, my parents had a zoning dispute with neighbors over changing the location of their Christmas tree farm.

Bitter words were exchanged in a nasty fight. My parents eventually won but they died being angry at their lifelong neighbors who lived a quarter of a mile down the road. It was a heavy burden to bear.

Since that time, my husband and I have made peace and become friends with the children of those neighbors.

In these years, my husband and I have talked a lot about what could have been done differently and concluded that my father should have talked with the neighbors about his plans before filing for a new conditional use permit with Marion County.

The impact of a 12-acre Christmas tree farm pales in comparison to an industrial wind farm spread out over four townships in southwest Marion County.

The wind energy company never spoke to the community about its vision before approaching individual landowners to sign leases for wind turbines. Our neighbors never spoke to us before signing leases.

With the stakes so high, the Sunflower expansion process guarantees stark battle lines will be drawn between winners and losers for years and perhaps generations to come.

That is a heavy burden for the entire county to bear.

Ardie Schroeder Goering
Pine Creek Farm, Goessel