Letter: Housing ‘preserve’ is swath of destroyed ground

I live in Willowbrook Heights in south Richland, and my back yard backs up to Leslie Road. I picked this property back in 2001 because of the beautiful view across the Amon Creek Natural Preserve. For years, I could hear the coyotes yipping and frogs croaking in the evenings. Sadly, the traffic has increased so much that those sounds are lost.

This past weekend, a sign suddenly appeared behind my house advertising the Willowbrook Preserve housing development. I cannot think of a more offensive name. There were dirt movers out there all weekend, tearing the hell out of the preserve, but someone has the nerve to call this giant swath of destroyed ground the Willowbrook Preserve?

I know there have been ongoing efforts to save the Amon Creek Natural Preserve, and maybe after nearly all the green is replaced by asphalt, one tiny little oasis will be left alone. But to call this latest urban sprawl the Willowbrook Preserve? Perhaps the developer would be willing to donate a few of the lots closest to the preserve, providing a natural buffer between the development and the preserve it’s being named after. It’s the right thing to do

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 4:14 AM with the headline "Letter: Housing ‘preserve’ is swath of destroyed ground."