To the editor:

In response to the recent article concerning the campaign for the East Zone high school campaign of ALVA Inc. being built at Tuckahoe Road and Joel Boulevard:

– Environmental concerns

– Community impact

– Wildlife impact

Environmental concerns: Septic tank systems and how they may impact the community; no city sewer system water wells; concern that the high school could possibly effect the community wells, from immense water usage – possible drying up of our shallow wells – and possible contamination; effluent from septic tanks; herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers to maintain fields; and runoff.

Flooding concerns – this property is a watershed: holds and releases extensive amounts of water; filling and elevation increases and nowhere for all that water to lay; and saturation of chemicals, herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides into the soils and aquifer.

This area of the community has suffered flooding multiple times. There are numerous ditches. Water flows from this property literally as small waterfalls.

The water from this property flows into local streams – Bedman Creek and Hickey Creek – into the Caloosahatchee, which is just one mile north. Currently, a massive concern and focus of environmental cleanup and protection.

There is endangered and threatened wildlife – documented and reported: the crested caracara bird and Big Cypress “Sherman’s” fox squirrel.

The property is surrounded on three sides by Conservation 20/20 lands. It is a wildlife and FWC corridor. The property serves as the surrounding communities aquifer.

Community impact: A rural community, peaceful, quiet and safe; offering opportunity for recreation; agriculture; residents live here for the rural lifestyle and what it affords to us and our children; no street lights, dark skies and minimal traffic on the small quiet streets; and minimal crime.

The streets of the community are narrow – barely wide enough for two cars to pass by each other – must pull off to the sides. Deep ditches along both sides of streets. No area for pedestrians/bicyclists to move off of the roads.

Traffic concerns are the avoidance of the traffic lights should a high school be built there. Traffic would divert down Edwards Drive, Styles Road and Packinghouse Road. These roads would be used for high school traffic, as well.

Alva is a community of just over 2,000 residents. Mostly retired; few young families. Last U.S. Census estimate: a total of 200 children. Of that 200 children, 100 are of high school-age.

Wildlife impact: The property is surrounded on three sides by Conservation 20/20 land, which us as taxpayers have spent millions to preserve the wildlife, their habitat and protect them from disturbance. A high school of 2,000 students, with support staff, traffic, noise and lights would have a extreme detrimental effect. Loss of habitat – killed by traffic – mating habits disrupted.

This is a very environmentally sensitive area.

And interestingly, these same disruptions also apply to the residents … if you get my humor. We lose our peace and quiet and safe surroundings – why we live here. And it is a very unsafe area for pedestrians and bicycle traffic should a high school be built here. Causing us stress and distraction. Loss of property value is a large concern.

The whole mission statement of ALVA Inc. is to maintain its rural lifestyle and it’s historical relevance. It’s beauty, charm and peace.

I hope this helps you all to understand our community and why we are so protective of it.

Also, I hope this sheds some light on the exorbitant costs to develop this property and the length of time and the agencies that would need to be involved – SWFWMD, FWC, East Lee County water, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, federal wildlife conservation.

Furthermore, the whole area is a FEMA designated flood zone.

Ninety percent of residents in the vicinity are opposed to a high school being built here. The whole of the direct vicinity – South Alva/23rd Street – and north Lehigh Acres.

Denise Eberle

Alva