As is usually the case, the actual reality is opposite to what the politically correct statement is.

In this case the best tactic to preserve farmland is to encourage urban style development. You see the simple solution to all this is farmers don't sell the land.

So what happens, urban development is off limits, the farmer sells, and rural type residential goes. We get a living unit for every 3-4 acres instead of 3 living units per acre

Just look to Dane County and see what a mess they are in with so-called sustainability minded government versus private land rights.

Let's see: Plastic bags outlawed, now private land rights... a Pandora's Box of proposed silly "sustainable" regulations in a sad effort to copy Dane County. It will not stop until we are paying for Green Police to patrol our neighborhoods and businesses to fine us for improperly sorting our #1's and #2's, or which kind of weed killer we sprayed...

Worst of all, it sends a signal that Janesville is not friendly to new business development. Just what this area does not need at this economic moment.

I would wager that Rock County will prosper faster if it positions itself completely opposite of Dane County, avoiding costly and ludicrous PC "goals and objectives" and agressively marketing itself to potential businesses and residents that value low taxes and freedom.

The Smart Growth plan is designed to guide Janesville Development for the next 25 plus years. The Plan is interesting as it spends equal efforts to encourage Redevelopment of existing underused areas as it does expansion of city borders. According to Mike of Vanderwalle Associates, and City Planning Staff the east side expansion has already been reduced in size from early drafts of the plan.From what I heard at last nights meeting, Once the Smart Growth plan is adopted, it will be much more difficult to annex lands outside the plan limits. I beleive it will be in Janesville's best long term interests to keep the Expansion limits as the plan now stands to allow flexibility in the future. McDonalds suggestion to put a defensible border at Hwy 14 and north along Townhall road is absurd. Janesville is at those limits today.The protection of Farmland is very important, however the Smart Growth plan needs to balance that with sensible and orderly growth at the city perimeters. As a side note the farmland north of county A is not really the "Best Farmland" The Moraines, kettles, drainageways and rocky outcroppings limit it productivity. The Flatter Lands in LaPrairie Township and east towards Darien is the really good stuff. That land is sensibly protected by the plan as presented.

I believe that McDonald raised some good points, prompted somewhat by public comments at the meeting. But this was not a focus of the plan (a Smart Growth plan is required by state law). If there is public support for a more substantial plan it should be discussed in a broad consensus process just as this plan was, and filed as an amendment to the plan once passed by the Commission and Council. I don't believe by itself it is a reason to block the adoption of the plan, because the plan explicitly does not encourage sprawl. As noted by the consultant, farmland is often sold for personal reasons of the owners, not because of development pressure itself. The owners already have the opportunity to enter into conservation easements, if they wish the next owner to preserve the land for agricultural use. This might be an initiative for the towns to take up.

Which leg of a 3 legged stool is most important?..Land use is like a 3 legged stool. We must preserve the farms, to provide food. We must preserve "homes" to provide shelter, we must preserve "industry", to provide work so we can buy homes & food. All three must be treated equally, & preserved equally, or the stool will colapse..