But it's not a free for all - it depends on zoning. My previous house was in a subdivision right on the edge of the city limits surrounded by agriculture. I knew eventually the farm abutting my back yard would end up as housing and didn't complain when 30 years later it was. I went to all the planning meetings and listened to my neighbors complain but had the same feeling you did - yes, it sucks, but they don't get to say how someone else's land is used if it meets the zoning restrictions. I recently moved to an area that is zoned for Ag and large residential (minimum 5 acre lots). I feel I should have a reasonable expectation that a development of hundreds of houses on postage stamp sized lots won't be approved next door. I've been watching the meeting minutes of the zoning commission in my new town and I've seen several instances of variances getting approved for subdivisions in areas zoned Ag. That's not right.
It's not "woke", it's greed. I just moved from one extremely conservative town to another and both are encouraging or allowing this kind of unchecked development.
... which also adds to the county's revenue stream.
... which also adds to the county's revenue stream.
How is it greed? People have to live somewhere, and much of the country is experiencing a housing shortage. Old, defunct farms have been parceled out to build housing on for a very long time.
I don't know how the OP's area is zoned but it's no more NIMBYism to not want high density development in an Ag or rural area than it is to not want a pig farm to start up in the 'burbs. Of course, if you buy acreage near town and adjacent to large subdivisions you should expect growth to surround you eventually.
There was a proposal for a data center a few miles north of me, coincidentally, on the same county road. It would have covered a couple of hundred acres, would have required the town to upgrade their water system to supply the increased demand, and the electric utility to upgrade several miles of power lines. They public reaction was not good. Planning commission meetings was packed with protesters and angry adjacent land owners. As far as I know the request has been withdrawn or denied, thank goodness.
Unfortunate we are at a point in my county where some farmers and long timers can no longer afford their own property.
There is a huge uproar about a generational farmer that has sold his property to a data center developer. He also sits on the county BOS.
Another approach for the OP @BravoXray may be to enter discussions with the developer for his property. Use could be greenspace? Park? Fire station? Additional housing developments?
We have seen in this area property owners trying to sell their property that abuts future developments.
There is no housing shortage in this county. A quick search on Zillow showed over 700 houses for sale in this county, spanning every price range, so that an invalid argument.
We're going to look for a lawyer that has a track record of fighting and winning cases against developers.
My only suggestion would to carefully read your townships master plan. Find all the ways that this proposed development is a poor fit for the master plan (preserving farming, nature, avoiding negative impacts on ground water table, stream quality (septic fields), road traffic concerns, etc. You can generate a list of very real impacts that are negative for the township quality of life, and put their own master plan's document's words in their own faces as proof of what should guide them. They'll likely use some word salad to talk around your concerns, but if a room full of 100+ people is angry enough, they have to at least listen.
This county is unrecognizable from what it was 20-30 years ago. Dozens of industrial parks, hundreds of factories, that majority of which are recreational vehicle related. More RVs are built in Elkhart County that in the rest of the country. Then huge tracts of land are filled with houses to house all the people working for or owning all those businesses. Unfortunately, when the economy has a turn down, LOTS of people are laid off and some leave the area. Then when things pick back up, LOTS of people move back to the area, and more factories are built. Traffic has become a nightmare here. All the traffic has led to many roads having to be widened or completely rebuilt to withstand the traffic. Spring, Summer and Fall are always filled with road closings and detours because of all the construction. We have a saying around here, we have two seasons, Winter and construction.
