Letter: Preserve Our Unique Lifestyle

Many people thought I was crazy when I started looking to start my family in Loxahatchee. Some said, “Why do you want to live out there? They don’t have anything.” Others made comments that poor people live in Loxahatchee. The minute I drove into Loxahatchee, I could see what it offered.

I agree my neighbors are not close enough that I can talk to them driveway to driveway, but they know I am there. I agree my kids don’t have the luxury of just stepping out their front door and connecting with 10 or more kids for play time. What we have is different, unique and very special.

We have like-minded people. We have our own type of community, and we have land — land that we can care for any way we choose. We may leave it in the natural state or keep manicured, but this is our choice. Where else can you do this?

Our kids learn about nature out here. We can paint our houses the color we want. We have cars that are not garage kept. We set bonfires and roast marshmallows, all of which people who live in developments cannot do.

I still drive down side streets and wave at other motorists, and they do the same in return. I can’t say that ever happened in town. We love our way of life. We all moved here to find something we were lacking elsewhere.

Please stop, take a deep breath of our air, and visualize what we see. Our land is our little piece of happiness. We don’t need a movie theater, a stadium or a hotel. We have managed without them for years, why add them now? What we need, most big business doesn’t want to provide.

What we need is serenity and family fun. If you want to build something in our community, why not ask us what we would like to see built? What about dirt bike trails so our children could actually ride the bikes they own, without worry of getting stopped? What about providing us with equestrian trails where owners could offer horseback rides, or what about a free roaming petting zoo for city children to learn about what we have? There are so many other options that would fit in with our lifestyle that should have been considered.

I ask each and every one of you to step back and consider what the Minto project will do to us. This will not just affect us, but our future generations. It will also affect other communities, not just Loxahatchee, because it sets a pattern of telling us how we are to live instead of asking us how we want to live. When there are no farms left, then what? Currently, the United States imports way too many items, most of which I refuse to buy. This property would be a wonderful place to have another grower take over and turn it into the orchard or farm it deserves to be.

Our vacant land is home to so many animals. Their homes will be destroyed forever with this development. I enjoy driving by and seeing the livestock that call Loxahatchee home. It brings a sense of tranquility to my day and makes me realize my busy day just ended and simple calmness just started. Did you know it has been probably 10 years since I have seen a wild rabbit? They were abundant on my property when I first moved in, and I enjoyed seeing them.

Please rethink your position on this move and have a little heart for those who like their simple life. Loxahatchee is no place for big business, and no place for Minto. Do your part to stand up to save the animals and preserve our way of living.

Vicki Stanley Brown, Loxahatchee

4 COMMENTS

  1. Lindsey – We know Minto is coming, but the fight is to keep them at their original 2996 alloted amount. With the additional amenities you feel will benefit the residents of the Acreage, you may not realize what we may lose. We’re not buring our heads in the sand, we are holding them up high and voicing our concerns about this overdevelopment.

    • Please explain what you think we are losing at 6500? I feel the benefits of the amenities far far outweigh any potential loss, but please comment.

  2. This is probably the most well written letter that I have read so far on this issue (from my perspective). I 100% wholeheartedly agree with Vickie.

  3. Can you not face the FACT that MintoWest is going to be built and quit burying your head in the sand with your fingers in your ears saying no, no, no. It is coming, either at 2996 or 6500. I prefer the 6500 that adds the amenities so that we, as residents, gain some benefit from the project.

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