Akron Beacon Journal Theiss Woods must be preserved Many thanks to the Editorial Board for your full-throated support of conserving Theiss Woods in your editorial April 18. We fully agree with the points made, particularly the arguments against tax abatement for high-end homes should this property be developed. We support the use of tax abatement in the core of the city where infrastructure is in place. However, we do not support abatement for locations such as Theiss Woods where the housing market is already strong and there is limited infrastructure. The Western Reserve Land Conservancy proposal made a compelling economic case for conservation. Each Akron utility account operates at a loss of $481 per year for sewer and $91 per year for water. At 110 proposed new dwellings, the city would have to cover an estimated $62,920 shortfall per year to subsidize water and sewer services to the new development. The forest along Theiss Road intercepts over six million gallons of rainfall per year, saving taxpayers an estimated $49,000 in annual stormwater management expenses. The Land Conservancy projects a value of carbon credits for protecting the existing forest somewhere between $92,610 and $185,220. These figures make the conservation option a bargain for Akronites.