County is 'wasting' stormwater money with 'needless clearing'

Editor:

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I enjoyed Barry Paschal's recent column about the stormwater issue. While I agree with the general concept of having to maintain these areas, apparently the new mandate coming down the pike is profoundly different than what we have experienced in the past in Columbia County.

As a board member of the Stratford Association, we have met with Mike Englett in the past several weeks trying to work with them on a wooded area slated to be clear-cut and scraped bare. This area is between our clubhouse and activity field and provides an aesthetic value to this neighborhood.

Our understanding so far has been that the neighborhoods that will be effected by this are countywide, and Englett has stated numerous times we have no say in it whatsoever.

He also stated they would work with us on replanting some trees along the edges to block the blighted area. Many of us feel this will not be sufficient and will look very unappealing. The area in question has never held water or caused any problems at all.

Keep in mind that this area was left natural at the beginning of the neighborhood for a reason: It has several very old trees.

We cannot understand why it has been fine for years and now all of a sudden the clear-cutting of these areas are necessary. Seems to me they could use the money they are wasting on this needless clearing and pay off some county debt.

Greg Mangum

Evans