"Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!" were the words of Union naval officer David Farragut in 1864 as he moved through the heavily mined Mobile Bay, center of the Confederate blockade. (Mines at that time were known as torpedoes.)

Farragut's quote occurred to me after Clearlake Planning Commission members expressed their enthusiasm on Dec. 16 for the idea of the proposed Provinsalia development which could become the largest housing project in the history of our city. This enthusiasm was in spite of the prior Dec. 2 Planning Commission meeting in which the bulk of the public comment articulately, passionately and wisely voiced its opposition to building this development.

Never mind the torpedoes of our time:

Torpedo 1: severe local and regional drought (golf courses need incredible water);

Torpedo 2: economic decline ( we hope “collapse” is too strong a word);

Torpedo 3: environmental decay;

Torpedo 4: scarce (and getting scarcer) natural resources;

Torpedo 5: home loan failures at record highs.

 

I can understand our city’s leaders wanting to raise our standard of living here in Clearlake at least to the level of other Lake County towns; however, I believe a Provinsalia would backfire at this point in history in that attempt. We would be better to promote the sale and renovation of our present numerous vacant homes.

I suggest leaders promote environmentally friendly cottage industries, private industry, drug/alcohol counseling and education for our city. Continue to improve the streets we have rather than build new ones. We can improve our quality of life here in Clearlake without desecrating our wild spaces.

Farragut seemed to luck out in that he made it through Mobile Bay; however, that is where the analogy breaks down. I predict we wouldn’t be so lucky. This project would be a blight on our city, and our children will ask, “What were they thinking?”

Barbara Christwitz lives in Clearlake.

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