Blue Ridge Paper

Homeowners Still Not Happy About Blue Ridge Decision 6/15/11

Meron Berkson
CBS 7 News
mberkson@cbs7.com
June 15, 2011



Midland, Texas



An apartment complex in Midland built the wrong way had dozens of homeowners upset and fighting for a change. Months later, the Midland City Council came up with a resolution hoping to put the issue to rest, but many are still unhappy.

"What my problem is for me is loss of equity in my home because of the way it was done," said Chris Holcomb, a Midland Homeowner.

Chris Holcomb has lived in his home on Caldera Boulevard in Midland for over 14 years. And like many homeowners on the block he was shocked when a new apartment complex being built the wrong way popped up.

"You pay off your house, build equity and a neighborhood like this you grow it so if you move you have a strong equity go with you. If I've lost 15% of my equity, if it's a $200,000 house, figure that out that's a lot of money."

"There won't be a solution that's perfect for everybody," said Jeff Sparks of the Midland City Council District One whose district Blue Ridge is in. He says that by approving the changes made by the complex such as the carports, and covered windows, enough was done.

"It looks like they eliminated the line of sight issue," Sparks said.

"The guys that approved it, the city council, they don't live here. It's not going to affect them one-way or the other. It looks good on the paper it's not going to affect their kids playing in the backyard," said Holcomb.

"I don't expect other issues to pop up and I would be disappointed if they did," Sparks added.

But some issues may pop up because some of the homeowners including Holcomb are working on a lawsuit to get some of the money they've lost from the Blue Ridge mistakes, but until then...

"You can be mad, that's what I am, mad. That and 5 bucks gets you a cup of coffee at Starbucks so I'll be mad," Holcomb said.

Tree-free “kenaf” paper. — Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine

Kenaf, a fast-growing, non-invasive annual hibiscus plant related to cotton, okra and hemp, makes ideal paper fiber as well as great source material for burlap, clothing, canvas, particleboard and rope. Its primary use around the world today is for animal forage, but humans enjoy its high-protein seed oil to add a nutritious and flavorful kick to a wide range of foods. In fact, kenaf has been grown for centuries in Africa, China and elsewhere for these and other purposes, but environmentalists see its future in replacing slower-growing trees as our primary source for paper.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research shows that kenaf yields some six to 10 tons of dry fiber per acre per year, which is three to five times more than the yield of Southern Pine trees—now the dominant paper pulp source in the U.S. And to top it off, researchers believe kenaf absorbs more carbon dioxide—the chief “greenhouse gas” behind global warming—than any other plant or tree growing. Some 45 percent of dry kenaf is carbon pulled down from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.

No wonder environmentalists are so bullish on kenaf for our common future. “The more kenaf we grow, we can not only absorb significant amounts of the carbon dioxide that is responsible for global warming,” says Bill Loftus of the non-profit Kenaf Research Farm, “but also educate the world on how to be self-sustainable through kenaf’s many properties of providing food, shelter and economic opportunities.”

As to its use for paper, 10 major U.S. newspapers have tested kenaf-based newsprint and were pleasantly surprised by how well it held up and how crisply it displayed text and pictures. And since it is already brighter than wood-based pulp, it requires less bleaching before it can be used to carry ink. But since kenaf is not mass-produced the way paper trees are on big plantations across the Southeast and West, it still costs more than regular paper and as such has not gone mass market, despite its environmental.

Also, while some policymakers and many environmentalists would like to see our paper feedstock switched from Southern Pine and other trees to kenaf, entrenched timber companies with big investments in tree farms (and who employ many a Washington lobbyist) do not. And with many timber companies already suffering economically, lawmakers are unlikely to mandate changes that could make matters worse.

Even if kenaf doesn’t become the paper of tomorrow, it may still have a bright future. The Kenaf Research Farm reports that Toyota is already using kenaf grown in Malaysia for insulation and interiors in some cars. Toyota is also experimenting with using kenaf to reinforce the sugarcane- and maize-based biopolymers it hopes can replace many of the plastic and metal parts in the vehicles it is designing today.

Blue Ridge Highlands Travel Times is out!

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Blue Ridge Highlands Travel Times is out!

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