Letter: What would he say today?

Regarding the article about the dismay of residents of Jeepers Road in East Naples at the destruction of their view:

My late husband worked very hard to secure the Lake Avalon property and the beautiful forest adjacent to it south of Jeepers Road for a botanical garden. He was told by Collier County officials who toured this property with him, “It can never be built upon.”

This was in 1995.

He told them he had no interest in building on it — the wetlands near Bayshore Road would make a perfect Amazon riparian area. The melaleuca would be harvested for excellent mulch for the garden, and the upland woods would shelter young rain forest trees from drier zones as they matured. He knew this was a perfect spot for a rain forest exhibit as a large African tulip tree on the Jeepers Road side, among other things, showed the area did not freeze.

So much for preservation of sensitive land. Tons of fill took care of that little wetland. We can see this approach everywhere in our county. Is there any thought to our fragile hydrography?

Must every area — small and green — in the urban area be developed? The ugly, scraped lot on the west side of U.S. 41 north of the old Inn of Naples is another example of a lovely natural area no longer providing a peaceful view and clean air to neighbors. Smaller wooded parcels on U.S. 41 East and U.S. 41 North sport development signs.

So sad.

Mrs. Robert W. Read/Naples