Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Letter to the editor: John Talcott


Letter-to-the-Editor

I do not oppose the reuse of Kasson’s old school. What I oppose are the actions of our Zoning Administrator. He told us that by law we have to allow this property to be used as apartments. But then, by his actions, we find out that the same law we must follow, the developer can ignore. We have to follow the law but the developer does not. He can be granted a variance to fit his needs. Why does he need a variance? So he can cram more apartments into that block. There is no hardship or practical difficulty facing the developer that warrants a variance. The only reason he wants the rule waived is the more people he can squeeze into those buildings the more money he makes. I am upset that the developer lied when he stated that his plan met the code. It does not meet the city code unless Kasson ignores the zoning rule that the rest of us must follow. I am not a critic of the project, just the procedure.

John Talcott
Kasson