����ͷ��

Your recent coverage about the condemnation of the building at 620 Buckbee St. left me devastated.

This building, which once represented progress, industrialization, and advancement, now appears to be a "symbol" of urban decay.

However, rather than being a symbol of urban decay, it is instead a representation of the stubbornness of some members of our community to stick with outdated zoning legislation and a representation of legislation that hampers incentives for developers and builders to undertake new projects.

This is not just my opinion, but one shared by public officials and business owners in the recent podcast by Gregory Saunders. In the episode “Hot Rockford Housing Market–Local Leaders,” a constant question was, why is there no more housing inventory?

The recurrent response was that the cost structure was too high. Based on the commentary, this has doubled over the past decade, and is coupled with a lack of incentive to work on any property other than historical renovations.

This point is critical because, as a growing city, we need to become more than a tourist destination — we should become a city that houses our local workforce.

By absorbing these workers, Rockford minimizes the fiscal burden imposed upon local families and homeowners, in addition to providing more housing options other than the common car-dependent residential units and fostering the new generation to stay in town.

The future of the city depends on our public officials committing to disband current zoning regulations.

Carlos Martinez, Beloit, Wisconsin