The counter-productive NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude has reared its ugly head again. In this week’s Ellis County Commissioner’s meeting, approval of Mary Alice Unrein’s proposed Blue Sky Acres Addition was on the agenda.

What should have been a relatively minor matter, since all the county commissioners had previously expressed their desire to see Blue Sky Acres Addition move forward, was stopped dead in its tracks.

Why? Because the home owners in VonFeldt’s Subdivision to Ellis County, which is adjacent to the proposed Blue Sky Acres Addition, filed a petition to vacate the already dedicated Randall Road which provides access for Highway 183 to the proposed Blue Sky Acres Addition. Ironically enough, two of the homeowners are the current Register of Deeds and an assistant to the county counselor.

Why should they want this you ask? Good question. Because new homes built on the lots of Blue Sky Acres Addition would add much needed revenue in Ellis County and USD 489. The new homes would add to the overall value of the homes of everyone living in the area. Also, Mary Alice is not asking for any help from Ellis County. She has agreed to install private roads at her expense and to be responsible for all future maintenance. This is a win-win for Ellis County taxpayers. So then the question must be asked again, why are these homeowners trying to derail Blue Sky Acres Addition?

A person might conclude the homeowners are just being punitive, but Mary Alice wants more than anything to be a good neighbor. Another thought is that these homeowners don’t want their taxes to rise based upon the general increase in value that the new homes would probably generate. That seems a bit selfish given the fact all the taxpayers in Ellis County would benefit from the increased tax revenue Blue Sky Acres Addition would produce over the years.

It is possible we will never know what the motivation is of these homeowners, because they aren’t offering any reasonable explanation. This much is clear, however, the self-centered NIMBY attitude is alive and well in Von Feld’s Subdivision.

The question remaining is how the Ellis County Commissioners will react to the NIMBY petition to effectively kill Mary Alice’s proposed Blue Sky Acres Addition. If you are concerned about the financial situation of Ellis County, you might want to contact your Ellis County Commissioners and let them know you don’t think it’s right to take away access to Blue Sky Acres Addition.

Errol Wuertz, Hays