In your role as public officials it can be a tough job to make decisions that affect the lives of real people and I want to thank you for taking part in this process.

As residents of Silver City in Lyon County and property owners within the Virginia City National Historic Landmark for the past 32 years, we have been playing by the rules. We have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in our home. We have hired local builders and contractors to improve our property and continue to do so today. We have gone before the Comstock Historic District Commission on more than one occasion with plans to renovate our home. When this same commission ruled that we could not tear down a dilapidated building we had purchased, we abided by their rules. We have been active participants in our community and have served on the Comstock Historic District Commission, the Silver City Advisory Board, and the Historic Fourth Ward School Board.

During the time we have lived here, we felt protected by the zoning laws and then the Master Plan because we understood that mining was not permitted within the Silver City Townsite. And now our largest investment, the place where we intend to spend our retirement, is in jeopardy. An open pit mine across the street will neither add to the value, indeed it will decrease the value of our home, nor will it be a healthy living environment. If this zoning change that CMI is requesting is allowed, it will turn our community into an industrial zone. One only has to drive a quarter mile up Hwy. 342 to get the visual impact of what could happen within the Silver City townsite. Please help us protect our community and turn down this request.