By Shane Goodman shane@dmcityview.com

Good intentions gone badly

Rezoning issue in Saylor Township causes a stir

I recall my father telling me the story of a man named Blackford who donated land on the western edge of my hometown of Algona for the purpose of creating a city park. My father and I would drive by the property, and he would comment, “What a shame,” as that land is now home to a sewage treatment plant — an awful wrongdoing to a man who wanted to give back to the city he loved. I am not sure who made the decision or when, but I am confident that there were justified reasons at the time. Regardless, it still seems like a horrible insult to Mr. Blackford.

I was reminded of this unfortunate turn of events when reporter Jason Hancock shared the details of the story he was working on for this week’s cover.

Steve Klein, after failed rezoning attempts, sold and donated property he owned in the Saylor Township of rural Polk County. The Johnston Soccer Club was to build fields on the land, and Klein decided to build his home and a miniature golf course nearby. The soccer club changed its mind, and the land has since been rezoned to light business, which now allows for the construction of warehouses. Through it all, Klein claims to have turned green, falling in love with the plant and animal habitat in the wetland area. He also claims that the reason the rezoning happened now is just another example of developers having friends in high places. County officials say the accusation is ridiculous and refer to how the rezoning falls in line with the county’s comprehensive plan and how similar rezoning benefited Klein previously.

You can draw your own conclusions about Klein, his motivation, the natural habitat and the county’s decisions, but we can all learn a lesson from this. Should we be fortunate enough in our lives to be able to give back to our communities, we must also be specific in our expectations of how it carries through. As for Mr. Blackford, he deserves a sincere thank you for his intentions and an earnest apology for the end result.

Thanks for reading.

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