 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
MYTH: Suburban growth destroys trees.
FACT: Tree canopy cover is greater in the years following residential development than when the land was agricultural.
MYTH: Urban core residents are subsidizing urban sprawl through new highway construction.
FACT: Highway trust fund and gas taxes collected in suburban counties are equal to or greater than the resulting highway construction costs. Urban core residents are not subsidizing highway construction in outlying areas.
MYTH: Growth in suburban counties is urban sprawl.
FACT: Urban sprawl is a term used to described unplanned growth, where services can't meet the demands of a rapidly growing population. By way of contrast, St. Charles County is an example of "smart growth." That county has had planning and zoning in place for decades. Most new developments must meet rigid guidelines for lot size, sewage treatment, streets, lighting and common areas. Local residents have passed taxes on themselves for new roads, schools, police and fire protection services.
In the last two years, hundreds of acres of parkland for current and future open space and recreation needs have been set aside in suburban counties.
MYTH: Suburban counties are only bedroom counties. Most people work in St. Louis City.
FACT: Well over half of working suburbanites are employed at jobs in the suburban counties. In fact, it is estimated that a large number of St. Louis City residents commute to jobs in the suburban counties every day.
There has been much less emphasis on residential development, for many years, by local governments in suburban counties and much more on business and industrial development. All parts of the region should work hard to create even more jobs for the entire region.
MYTH: Suburban counties are stealing businesses away from St. Louis.
FACT: By way of example, St. Charles County has several large scale business and industrial parks and high tech corridors which are attracting businesses, many new to the region. But some of those businesses (like MasterCard) which have moved to St. Charles County, would have left the region altogether if they were unable to assemble enough land for their needs. The City of St. Louis can offer a development parcel greater than twenty acres and often the land comes with environmental impacts.
MYTH: St. Charles County voters rejected Metro Link expansion into their county
because they want to cut themselves off from the rest of the St. Louis Area.
FACT: 45% of St. Charles County voters wanted to pay for the expansion of Metro Link into the county several years ago. Those who voted against Metro Link lived primarily in areas of the county which would not have had access to the extension. The issue was rejected for most of the same reasons an expansion tax was later rejected in St. Louis County.
The St. Charles County Council unanimously placed on the ballot for November 7, 2000, the issue of passing a regional parks and clean water tax as proposed by St. Louis 2004. The issue was on seven county ballots at the same time. The issue passed in five of the seven counties, including St. Charles; it passed in St. Charles by 14% (57% for vs. 43% against). The support this issue has received from county officials and the voters demonstrates that St. Charles County and other counties are willing and important regional partners.