Best-laid plans of mice and men?

Dear True,

When I read that the EDA had opened its arms to a homeland security presence in the Cedar Grove Business Park, I was almost too stunned to react – what next? I felt betrayal. I had attended those sessions that spoke of creating a model community within our community for sustainable living and working. I read about plans for a professional office building to house Higher Ed and others, and I asked myself: how does homeland security fit into this picture? I then did some research to discover if my feelings of betrayal were justified, and this is what I found: First, from northlandconnection.com:

“The Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority is very pleased to announce the development of the Cedar Grove Business Park.

Cedar Grove's design has taken on a very environment sensitive attitude with undisturbed out lots hosting natural streams, large cedar groves, and a multi-use trail system.

[The Business Park is a designated Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) providing opportunity to substantially benefit from state tax exemptions through the year 2016. These state exemptions include: corporate franchise tax, income tax for operators or investors, Sales tax on goods and services provided, property tax on commercial and industrial improvements, a wind energy tax, and an employment tax credit for high paying jobs.]

To further complement the growing interest in our community, the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA is in the early stages of a planned unit development. This new 60-lot housing development will provide properties for affordable housing for medium and higher income families, addressing the present and future housing needs of our community.”

I then reviewed a copy of the EDA Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Easements and Restrictions for Cedar Grove Business Park and found a lot of language in there that does not support the kind of building complex proposed by homeland security: large parking areas, a complex surrounded by high (barbed wire?) fences, huge security lights – does all that sound environmentally friendly to you?

Most of us admit that our local economy is disproportionately dependent upon two income streams: tourism and real estate. I understood that a primary function of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) was to remedy that by wooing in new business to the area. MY mental model for our business park comes from Ely and it’s Miner’s Drive business area which houses Steger Mukluks (light manufacturing), Sato Travel (a computer based business that brought high paying jobs to Ely), Incredible Ink and the state revenue building, all environmentally friendly and economically viable. Instead of grabbing the first hundred dollar bill someone waves in our faces, wouldn’t it be more sustainable in the long term to seek out smaller industries such as those? If we put homeland security into the park – will we be able to attract such businesses. Would you want to live right next to the feds? These are not rhetorical questions. Our community deserves answers to these and we as citizens need to hold the EDA, the County and City Council accountable for those answers.

I urge you all to read the Cedar Grove covenants; to review the building plans for the proposed homeland security complex; and, if you care, show up and speak up. But be prepared for a subtle manipulation of your sense of security: at a recent meeting I heard an interesting justification of the project. It goes like this: if we put them (the feds) there in the business park where we can control the situation, they will not be going after private property using eminent domain to get what they need. Sound familiar?

Linda Bauer
Grand Marais