To some, preserving rural land means losing green dollars. So the rush is on before the vote to decrease the percentage of land area in the proposed rural ''greenbelt'' around Athens, and to reduce the minimum lot size needed for a single-family dwelling. There may be no longer a case of rural preservation in this community. If opponents of rural conservation prevail, suburban sprawl will continue out into our last remaining rural areas. And this brings us back to the issue of money.
Sprawl is costly.
These developments will need and demand more services than their taxes will pay for. The burden falls upon all of us as taxpayers to help pay for new sewer lines, water lines, police and fire protection, paved roads, and schools. The entire infrastructure also requires upkeep and drains tax dollars away from Clarke County and its center. A protected, undiminished ''green belt'' not only provides for everyone's quality of life through protection of rural and natural beauty, but it protects our crucial watershed areas as well. It helps keep Athens a unique community.