Some Thoughts from Forrest Miller on South County

The recent furor over the new HUD project scheduled to be built in Oakville caught my attention.  I understand the frustration of feeling helpless about a situation you have little say or control over.  What is ironic here is that, a number of years ago, twenty years to be exact, the residents of this area had the opportunity to have more control over what  happens in their community by incorporating the area into their own municipality;  It was to be called the City of Southpointe.

 

            A lot of far sighted individuals who were concerned about the future of the area, voluntarily devoted many, many hours trying to make this happen for the betterment and proper growth of the community.  Sadly, Southpointe was defeated.  The County played the same tactic twenty years ago; the issue was called scattered site housing. The County quietly bought homes in the Green Park area, and was going  to rent them as section 8 Housing. The Residents of Green Park stood up and formed their own city over that issue and they have done very well ever since; never looking back.

 

If the City of Southpointe would have been formed, this issue would have been decided and planned by local people. We all know the outcome would be much different.

 

Having served as the chairman of the effort to incorporate the area I will never understand why the effort failed.  To me, it was a no brainer.  I thought we would win as at that time every other incorporation and annexing effort in St. Louis County passed.   Those who voted against it maybe would like to vote again, but it is too late.  After the vote laws were changed that would make it almost impossible to ever incorporate the area again.  I wonder who lobbied for that !

 

Forrest Miller