Letter to the Editor
Dated: May 5, 1999
Published by: Milan News-Leader
Author: Carol McCrae Hokenson
To the Editor:
I feel we are at a point of great opportunity in Milan Township. We have all
heard that Cabela's is coming to Dundee. This news provides this area with options
and possibilities we did not see one month ago. Cabela's will bring tourism, one of
the largest sources of income in the state of Michigan. It has been estimated that 6
million people per year will come from all over the US and Canada to visit Cabela's.
This gives us in Milan Township the chance to create a welcoming atmosphere that
will encourage visitors to come back to our area. If we want to generate income for our
township we should look at Cabela's long coattails and assess how our futures might be
linked.
Cabela's plans to create 600 jobs for an area of 150 acres. The rail yard plans
to create 200 jobs using 900 acres. We need to evaluate potential business
opportunities with such figures in mind. Is a rail yard our chosen engine of
economic hope? Would residents and businesses rather live and operate near a retail
operation or an industrial rail yard?
The township is considering changes to its Master Plan to accommodate the proposed rail
yard. With the introduction of a new neighbor, Cabela's, we should be in no rush.
We are in a position to take our time now and see what opportunities are available
to us. The rail yard chose the Cone Road interchange land for its location and cheap
farmland. (I do not believe future business ventures will find the land here quite a
cheap as it was last October.) With Cabela's, as a retail anchor just 4 miles south,
many business interests will now find the Cone Road interchange appealing also. We
are in a wonderful position I believe to pick and chose.
Most importantly I hope we take our time to make a good, wise, future-oriented
decisions. I believe it is inevitable that our community will grow. Let us
create a vision for our own future and not accept any offer that comes knocking at our
door. I would like to see positive changes for our community, not changes that will
discourage people from living or working here. It will not be easy trying to find a
balance between economic development and the peaceful rural way of life that we each
cherish. But I believe that with good leadership and careful planning we will all be
happy to live here 10, 20 or 50 years from now.
Carol McCrae Hokenson