Growth and additional jobs

Malt-O-Meal sent a letter to local homeowners adjacent to the conservation easement.  In that letter. Malt-O-Meal describes their discussions with representatives from the City of Lakeville and their parking lot and building expansion to facilitate their growth and the additional jobs.

With the tough economy as we are in, that's an argument that is very compelling.

In the same letter, Malt-O-Meal indicates that they intend to add  parking and drainage into part of the conservation easement and also that it is favorable to use part of the conservation easement for a new building.

What is being lost in all of this discussion is that there is a permanent conservation easement defined as binding on all owners of the property in perpetuity.  Malt-O-Meal is clearly coming out and saying that they don't care that there was a permanent conservation easement protecting that portion of the property and they want to put a parking lot and building on it.  They are asking the City of Lakeville to partner with them in removing the conservation easement - the message is "let's cancel that conservation easement intended to protect the land forever in its natural undisturbed state and put a parking lot and building on it".  They are convincing the city that "growth and jobs" is what is important and not any agreement or commitment made by the City 15 years ago to act as custodian and ensuring the wishes of the original land owner are enforced.

Unfortunately, that's the direction we are heading - the letter indicates that the City of Lakeville is receptive to considering removal of the conservation easement "to facilitate our growth and the additional jobs" and "the City Council has the authority to approve removal of the easement in a council meeting".