Letter: Smaller Highlands still a bad idea

Yuba Highlands has never been a good idea and in my opinion, never will be. After five years of work and consideration, it ended up being a threat to our wildlife refuge and our main economic engine, Beale Air Force Base.

Now Gary Gallelli Sr., the project sponsor, claims that the plan to build a road through the Spenceville Wildlife Area has been dropped in favor of building a bypass and a public access road through Beale.

Beale is a military base. Its purpose is to protect our national security, not provide benefits to a developer totally insensate to the needs and well-being of the people of Yuba County.

A road through Beale would greatly diminish its ability to be secure at all times. A large new community of 4,000 homes on its borders will create a new population making demands on the airport that could easily jeopardize its functionality. As other communities fight to protect the military bases they house, so should we.

There is a song titled "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away." That is the way I feel about Yuba Highlands. All it poses to those of us who live here are big risks we can ill afford.

Please join me in voting "no" on Measure N in the Feb. 5 election.

Jim Rosenthal

Browns Valley