Monday, June 27, 2005

Letter to Superintendent Browder

June 26, 2005
James Browder
Superintendent of Schools
The School District of Lee County
2055 Central Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33901

Dear Superintendent Browder:

This letter is in reference to the proposed purchase of The Golf Club in Cape Coral by the School Districtof Lee County. I am writing to share with you my deep distress and opposition to this proposal, not just in behalf of myself, but also in behalf of my neighbors in the Banyan Trace Condominium community and thesingle family home owners adjacent to The Golf Club.
I personally am in the process of retiring and moving to my Banyan Trace condominium, which I
specifically purchased for its tranquillity and peace, having been assured by the developer that The GolfClub was sold to its present owner under provisions that the land remain a golf course. In addition, Icarefully evaluated the zoning for that land to further assure myself of the developer’s presentation.
Naturally, I am scrambling to put my retirement plans on hold and will certainly not retire to Cape Coral ifmy home is going to be adjacent to a school complex. However, my primary concern is the bigger picture.
Many of my neighbors are elderly retired people who worked hard all of their lives to reach the pointwhere they could retire to a community offering peace, quiet and tranquillity, and they chose Banyan Trace for that specific reason. Moreover, many of these residents had to struggle to achieve thisfinancially, and carry significant mortgages on their property. For some, the assured drop in property valuethis situation causes will make it impossible for them to sell their condos, pay off their mortgage, and haveenough to reinvest in another property in a more peaceful location. They will live out their remainingyears upset and distress as they first endure years of major construction activity right outside their homes,and ultimately endure the disturbing environment a multi-school complex will bring.
The upset and anguish they feel is already taking its toll on many of my neighbors, who are frightened anddistressed, and certainly feel deeply betrayed. Another tragedy already in the making is that many ofthese same elderly residents are now on the precipice of seeking legal help, which will be an enormousdrain on their limited financial resources and emotional well being.
I implore you to recognize the multiple harmful consequences this proposal will deliver to so many goodand decent people in the Cape Coral community, who have trusted in their local government to makeleadership decisions in the best interests of all the citizens of Cape Coral. If there is anything I canpersonally do to further support efforts to achieve an alternate site for new schools, please contact me.

Sincerely yours,
Sue Hodinko
Sue Hodinko
Susan B. Hodinko
100 Harborview Drive, #401
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-685-2005
shodinko @ aol.com
4009 Palm Tree Blvd. #101
Cape Coral, FL 33904