Dear Commissioners,

We write to you today to request that you vote no regarding the implementation of the Hickory Sink/Lee property project.  We live approximately 1 mile south of this proposed development and per the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan the area is a high value conservation area with wetlands and a wide variety of habitats crucial to native species.  This area also serves as a critical recharge area for the aquifer that supplies our water. As stated in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan, these areas are to be preserved.  Follow the plan please.  

The Lee family had a consultant do a “special area plan” that I have reviewed and found wanting - lots of verbiage, not much data.  We would, at a minimum, want to see the board request an independent SAP be performed, so a more comprehensive assessment can be made of the issues and their ramifications  (SAP cost to be covered by the Lee family). 

The dangling of land for a golf course in front of the UF elite is nothing but a bad sign of intent and an attempt to manipulate the situation in their favor. The amount of daily irrigation water and fertilizer that will go into the aquifer is ridiculous and likely dangerous.

On a personal note my wife and I went to graduate school at UF in the 1980s (PhDs, 1988 and 1990) and then left for ~25 years.  Upon retiring we decided to move back near to Gainesville in 2016, as we wanted to be in a college town with good healthcare and warm weather.  We didn't move here to experience unending urban sprawl, which seems to be what is happening particularly in the last 2-3 years.

We understand that the so-called urban services area keeps expanding - now it’s out to Parker Road?  The growth in all directions can't keep up like this.  The Tioga/Jonesville high density cluster is starting to creep down Parker Road in major way - not envision led by the plan.  At some point you have to say "that's enough".  We need natural areas to support clean water and native species.  We need natural areas for people to enjoy and decompress.  Think more like Boulder CO and less like Cape Coral.  As my mother used to say, "just because you can, doesn't mean you should".  There is a bigger picture here and you need to draw a line in the proverbial sand and say "that's enough".  Please vote no to stop this project.  We thank you for your attention to this matter.

Kind regards,
Paul E. Kroeger, PhD and Carol D Ward, PhD
13220 SW 83rd Lane
Archer, Fl 32618

Sent from my iPhone
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