SILVERWOOD: Need to control growth

There are some concerns for some Athol residents re: Silverwood Theme Park's request for a zone change on 98 acres south of the park from rural to commercial. While some of you may say, "You knew the amusement park was there when you bought in the area, you should just deal with it," you should be aware that the park has expanded greatly since 1988.

In 1990, the Corkscrew attraction was built at 70 feet high, in 1996 the Tiber Terror, 85 feet high, Tremors at 100 feet high, Panic Plunge is 141 feet high and in 2008, the After Shock opened at 191 feet high and is painted a bright blue and green.

When the park is open, screams and yells can be heard day and night coming from the attractions, not to mention the lights at night. Not a lot can be done about that now, but future development should have some restrictions put on the site. I'm not against growth, but the growth needs to be controlled. As a Silverwood spokesperson states, "They (Silverwood) don't have anything specific to build at this time," they are always talking about new attractions and Gee, what could we (Silverwood) be building next?

Most of the people who live in Athol live there full time, whereas the 600,000 people who attended Silverwood Theme Park in 2010 are there for a few days during the year. Nobody wants to see a rural area change into a commercial area full of hotels, businesses, restaurants and taller and brightly colored roller coasters that detract from the beautiful mountain views. More growth will mean increased noise and traffic congestion for folks trying to get home on Brunner (now a dirt road).

VICKI LAWSON

Athol