My response and opinion to development on P.I.
To the Editor:
As a fairly new resident on P.I., I too get the Eagle and read everyone’s point of view week after week after week on the opinions page. At first I got a kick out of the opinions and arguments back and forth to each other. It was like an ongoing sitcom or, better yet, a soap opera, but lately it has become down right disturbing to me so I have decided to reply.
Last week, Camille Coulborn wrote her feelings about development on P.I. and it was the last straw! I’m sorry Camille, but the last thing we need on this island is an elderly assisted living development. This will not bring any needed tourism dollars to the community, nor will it spark the needed resale of real estate, besides there are several of those developments in Cape Coral and Fort Myers and they are quite nice with water views and pretty landscaping. If I have to drive to Cape Coral to go to a decent grocery store, then you will have to do the same for your assisted living facility. In case anyone has not noticed, there are young people living out here, too, and guess what? We need to earn a living. You said that, “The goals for development on this Island should be reflective of its people and harmonious with it’s surroundings.” Did you think that there were no residents under 65 on this island? Are you even a resident? People like myself that are under 65 with families and jobs are looking to enjoy the surroundings also, but with the busy lifestyles that we face it would be nice if we did not have to drive 25 minutes each way and burn 4 or 5 gallons of gas just to get food at a reasonable price and quality. In a struggling economy, I do not appreciate throwing money down the drain. There are not enough people on this island year round to support many of the businesses already here, and many are just a heart beat away from going out of business. We need more visitors to come here and spend money to stimulate P.I’s growth and survival. If you stunt the growth you will kill Pine Island.
Developers are being pushed off this Island all the time. I doubt you would be able to find one for your elderly facility anyway because of the P.I. Plan. So until there is a meeting of the minds, the young and old minds, things will not change much and you and I will be driving off the island to meet our needs.
Oh, and by the way, all you Publix haters will have your way for now. Publix has pulled out of its plans to come to the center, but the building will still go up. Maybe we will get another bank we only have five so far and you still can’t get any financing to buy into a mobile home community, which the island hosts many of. Mobile homes are not attractive to the secondary trading market. So good luck trying to stay alive out here! It will be a long and cold recession on Pine Island.
Dawn Shevlin
St. James City