Page 24 of Holding Ground

“The idea isn’t to draw people out of downtown at all, but you make a good point.” Emelia makes a note on the tablet at the podium. “What do you think of the idea of restricting the ground floor retail to professional businesses only, rather than retail establishments? Things like dentists’ or lawyers’ offices. Nothing that sells commercial goods.”

Deacon mulls that over before he nods. “A good compromise.”

A chorus of agreement rings throughout the room, and irritation skitters across my skin like spiders.

Old man Gilroy is the next to speak up. “My family has lived on this lake for three generations. I don’t want to live by some resort.”

Finally, someone else with some common sense.

“I can assure you it’s not going to be a resort. These will be low-rise residential condos. We’re talking hundreds of people moving into the area and setting up a life here, not thousands of people coming into town during the summer months and abandoning it as soon as the snow hits.”

Every one of her answers is smooth, practiced. She’s done this before, sneaking into a town with her friendly smile and approachable demeanor before sticking the knife in their back.

One of the older residents gets up and asks her to explain where exactly the development will be because he didn’t bring his reading glasses and, in his words, he can’t see shit without them.

Emelia brings up a slide onto the projector screen that is a map of the area. “The development focuses here.” She points at the northeast shore on the screen. “Primarily undeveloped or underutilized lakefront with strong potential for mixed-use development.”

Underutilized.

I let the word sit for a minute. Unable to sit, I raise my hand and stand.

Emelia sees me, and something shifts in her expression. It’s a steeling of sorts, a bracing. “Yes, Mr. Mercer?”

I don’t know why, but the fact that she doesn’t use my given name when she knows it feels like a silent fuck you.

“Can you define that for me? Underutilized?” I keep my voice even, though you couldn’t mistake it for conversational.

“Of course.” She doesn’t miss a beat, as if I’m asking in the nice tones of everyone else in this room. “It means parcels of land that are currently unoccupied or operating below their economic potential relative to comparable properties.”

I nod, shoving my hands into my jeans pockets. “Below their economic potential…by whose measure?”

“There’s a standard assessment model that’s used in development planning.”

“My camp operates for eight weeks during the summer. The rest of the year, I rent it out to small hunting or snowmobiling groups. Sometimes for corporate retreats. By your assessment model, would that make it underutilized?”

The energy in the room shifts. Nothing dramatic, but everyone stills, and the low-grade murmur that’s always present whenever you get this many people in a room together quiets.

Emelia’s chin lifts a bit. “The current proposal targets the town-owned property on the northeast side of the lake. It doesn’t target any other residential or⁠—”

“Respectfully, that’s not what I asked.” Our gazes hold. “I asked if, based on your criteria, would my property be considered underutilized?”

She continues to hold my gaze, storm clouds gathering in her eyes now. I watch her mentally calculate how she should answer. Should she lie, tell the truth, a mix of both?

“Technically, a seasonal operation could fall within the definition of underutilized, yes. But that’s not the intent of this proposal.”

“Can you show me where it says that in the documents?” I arch an eyebrow.

Silence. Just for a beat, but it’s telling enough.

“The proposal, as currently drafted, focuses on the town-owned property on the northeast shore of the lake. Projections for other existing properties would be part of the community engagement process, which is exactly why we’re here tonight—to identify concerns and build them into the framework before anything moves forward.”

“So those protections don’t exist yet.”

“They’re being developed as part of the community engagement process, like I just said.”

“Which means that right now, as it stands, there’s nothing preventing the developer from expanding the scope.”

She doesn’t blink, doesn’t back down, and doesn’t flinch when I press her. “You’ve raised a valid point, and it’s one that I will take back to our team. There is the possibility of adding restrictive covenants to the development.”