Editor:
Empire Electric should be required to pay the damages they have caused to Montezuma Valley Irrigation Co. They should pay for a real estate appraisal of MVIs property as it was originally and pay for an appraisal after they built a two lane access through their property, and pay MVI the loss in value. Their property value will definitely be lower after Empire blew a 100-vehicle-trip-per-day access past their front door. They should also be required to do the same for property owners along County Road 24 . Ten or more property owners will be affected .
The sad, ironic consequence is that because of higher electric rates, these people will have to pay for the loss of value of their own property! All future development will be stopped in this area as no one will want to build next to Empires industrial complex. A much better solution would be for Empire to build in a location farther north on Highway 491, south of Cortez, east of Cortez or on their own property by Totten Lake where turn lanes already exist along Highway 160 and County Road 29. Empires access problem at the present location will not be resolved; it will only be moved two miles farther north on Highway 491, where they will create a dangerous, hazardous, disruptive intersection at 11501 Highway 491, their access point. The only difference is that at the existing facility the speed limit is 45 mph; at the new access the speed limit is 65 mph.
These issues exist because Empire Electric did not listen to planning and zoning and they choose to ignore the problems they are creating. Poor planning can be corrected, but tall, ugly buildings and radio towers will remain forever. Management does not own Empire Electric; bill-paying customers do.
Jerry Koskie
Lewis
Via email