Mike Smith: State School development deal is not in NH's best interest

To The Daily Sun,

The sale and development of the State School land has had no mention of the preservation of important agricultural soils. These classifications of soils contain soils important to the country and those important to the state. Due to erosion, development, and climate extremes, all productive soils have estimates of a scant 60 years time before these soils are exhausted.

Affordable housing has not been mentioned. Estimates of one million-plus homeless Americans are real. Estimates of 21 million empty homes at any one time in America are factual. Yes, perhaps the majority of citizens may own their own home. Many own multiple properties. Many are Airbnb type. No, someone can’t seize some native’s (private) land and build a cabin anymore, things change.

The $10.5 million paid for State School land seems peanuts to the overall wealth of the state who just passed a law removing a dividends and interest tax worth $110 million. A category IRS calls "unearned income."

Once upon a time, towns made deals with developers, X number of units required X number of affordable units. Impact fees were calculated exactly. No exceptions mathematically speaking. Now they just pay lawyers a portion of that money and walk off on the cheap. Police, teachers, schools, water lines, roads still need to be paid for. Who gets the deals? Not the taxpayers, nor the people.

Mike Smith

Sanbornton