Areas of exceptional natural beauty add to the quality of life for residents, especially when those areas are preserved and accessible to everyone.

Since Lake Auburn is one of those places and replicating it in a new location is not feasible, its primary value to the community as a place of recreation and renewal must be protected rather than exploited for business, manufacturing and housing, as has been proposed. That type of development can be readily located in other areas.

Preserving the watershed area as it is and increasing access for hiking, skiing and similar types of recreation adds to the desirability of Auburn as a place to live and work. This would serve as an attraction for both residents and businesses, not to mention the business opportunities related to outdoor recreational activities.

Auburn’s brand is of a place with forests, waterways, fields, families and natural beauty. If we don’t preserve what makes it desirable, we will become just another small city like every other small city, pockmarked with random business districts that diminish its unique charm.

I urge a long-term perspective on the use of land surrounding Lake Auburn with consideration for the irreversible damage and diminished appeal that development would bring.

Wanda Sprague, Auburn

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