In your article “Camp may move to town” (Herald, Jan. 27), you describe one of the parcels of land being considered for the homeless camp as a one-acre lot behind Centennial Center In Bodo Park.
This lot, which sits adjacent to a lot that I own, is a very valuable piece of real estate which the city ( read taxpayers) owns.
I hope the “local government officials who are honing in on this site” have done a very through cost-benefits analysis of locating the homeless camp at this taxpayer-owned site. It would seem to me that selling this land and getting it on the tax rolls is a much better use of the taxpayers’ money than using it for a camp.
The analysis should include the value of the land, as well as lost tax revenue, along with the cost to develop the site so taxpayers can clearly see how much this proposal will cost.
Furthermore, this is a highly visible location. It sits right at the entrance of Bodo Park. It is right at the beginning of the road to Lake Nighthorse. It is directly adjacent to the road to the Bodo Little League fields. Is a homeless camp the vision we wish to convey to visitors to our premier industrial and recreational areas?
I urge our local government officials to strike this highly valuable and visible site from consideration.
James P. McLaughlin
Durango
