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I completely respect your enthusiasm, but question how incredibly disillusioned you are as well. Has anyone considered consulting with the Planning Board? The City's Planning Board will ultimately have a "say in the matter" if not exclusivity in rezoning this property. So, go right ahead and spend thousands on architectural renderings (you have to start somewhere...) to build up false hope in your followers.

I do wish the disillusioned well as you will need a great deal of luck. Now consider this, the Y has stepped on so many toes and spit on so many faces, watch out for the lighting bolts (guilt by association). There is nothing "Christian" about the YMCA's (Marco Island branch) business practices. Their CEO can barely manage the small operations of quite possibly the smallest Y in the state, let alone share her campus with a charter school. Maybe if current MICMS principal is ousted, Mr. Love could be the principal of this disillusioned, school-of-dreams. This is why the Greater Naples YMCA parted ways with the Marco branch for inappropriate activities and practices. Miss Watt... I commend your efforts, but question how fit do you really see a future relationship with the Y could be!?! Beware of your desire to partner with the Devil.

Guessing that after the City said, "ummm, no thank you", you ran out of options and sought out those at the Y. I am not clairvoyant; however, it does not seem feasible to have an elite high school on Marco. I'm also guessing that you view yourself as an elitest, because if you may recall, MICMS started in portable class rooms. Yes, that is right, Marco Island children were actually educated in portable trailers. After years of hard work and dedication, they now have a beautiful campus that they can barely afford to keep up and maintain. My point is that you need to be realistic, not outlandishly optimistic. No matter how savvy your grant writer may be, our economy is still uncertain and unstable. Dr. Thompson will likely laugh and snicker at your very presence in his office so please do not anticipate in getting up your hopes. He has greater issues to consider. Do what the smart, Marco residents do, buy a residence in Naples, and send your child to high school other than Lely. By the way, great students and athletes from Lely graduate and do wonderful things

After all, it is really that bad to have your child go to Lely (Community School of Naples or St. John Neumann)? The inability to expose your children to social interaction and diversity will increase how dysfunctional your home is.

Good Luck and consider being realistic...