by David Britten

The continued sale of farmland for expansion of housing developments in Gaines Township and neighboring Byron Township is troubling. The loss of rural wildlife areas and their food sources are driving more groundhogs, skunks, deer, and even the rare coyote and fox into the suburban areas. Won’t be long and the migration of bears from the north will make their presence known.

Humans are greedy in many respects, desiring single-family homes with three-stall garages, often on acreage larger than they need just continues the dreaded suburban sprawl. Interestingly, the suburbs closer to the core city (Grand Rapids in our case) are taken over by landlords and lower incomes (nothing wrong with that), while the higher incomes move out further or gentrify the inner city. Addition of road networks and expressways such as M-6 only serve to speed up the sprawl.

There are countless books written on this problem but little seems to be done about it. People are much self-centered and express concern about sprawl, but won’t do much of anything as individuals to slow or stop it.

Anyway, enjoy our second summer this week!

David Briiten is a former principal at Pine Street Elementary in Wayand and retired superintendent at Wyoing Godfrey Lee Schools.