RESPONSE FROM LARRY WHITE, SALVATION ARMY
3-21-07
-------Original Message-------
From: Larry White
Date: 3/21/2007 2:50:56 PM
To: anita stone
Subject: RE: Thank you for your prompt response
Thank you for your thoughts as I do appreciate your input. I am in
meetings until tomorrow afternoon. I will be in the office after lunch
and will have the information I would need in order to speak to the issue.
Please know it was NEVER The Salvation Army's intent to do anything that
would harm or degrade the neighborhood. In all honesty
I am surprised the residents of Lexington Oaks have not attempted to have
rhe corridor rezoned to something other than commercial .
Again, I will look forward speaking with you.
Sincerely
Larry W.White
Major
-----Original Message-----
From: "ANITA STONE"
To: "Larry White" <Larry_White@uss.salvationarmy.org>
Cc: "Pipelinenews1" <Pipelinenews1@aol.com>
Sent: 3/21/07 2:34 PM
Subject: Thank you for your prompt response
March 21, 2007
Mr. White,
Thank you for responding so promptly. I am writing, instead of
calling, so that I can contribute to the record of communications for our
Neighborhood Newsline concerning the Salvation Army building across from
Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel, Florida.
Please let me know how much profit you would require to sell the Hwy.
54/Wesley Chapel property? We are well acquainted with the available real
estate in Pasco County, having lived here for several years.
I would be pleased to show you additional properties that would meet your
needs and that would not involve the headaches that will continue to plague
your organization if you decide to build on the chosen property.
Picketing groups and further petitions and County Commissioner letters are
already being organized. Lexington Oaks is a community of 1509 homes,
which constitutes a community that is the size of a small city, 4,000-5,000
people.
As you can see, this is a battle that will waste your valuable time,
efforts, and money to fight.
I am sure you would rather be devoting that time to your ministry.
Here is a list of information we will need to proceed:
What architect have you contracted with?
Has the land been developed for building yet?
What is the timeframe for the construction?
How many square feet do you need?
How much parking area?
The demographics of this area of Wesley Chapel is similar in nature to any
areas that would be within a 2-3 mile radius around the Hwy. 54/Lexington
Oaks Blvd. location. You would have numerous choices of other property
locations where you would not be plagued with the problems that will
continue to accompany the present location. The commercial real estate
companies and land developers in this area are top-notch people who will
act fast at my request to get this job done for you quickly, with no extra
time spent on your part.
After receiving the information listed above, we will follow up with a
formal letter of intent to purchase.
Thank you for your time and prompt response.
With kind regards,
Eric Stone
Suncoast Properties LLC
http://www.tampasuperhomes.com/
http://www.saveasuperhome.com/
-------Original Message-------
From: Larry White
Date: 3/21/2007 7:13:56 AM
To: ANITA STONE
Subject: RE: CONTACT PERSON
You need to contact me I am major Larry White 404-728-1372 or cell
404-217-0560.
lw
-----Original Message-----
From: "ANITA STONE"
To: "Donald_Smith" <>; "Larry_white"
<
Cc: "Pipelinenews1"
Sent: 3/20/07 9:34 PM
Subject: CONTACT PERSON
I sent a request through the Salvation Army website and have had no
response for over two weeks regarding purchasing the Wesley Chapel
property.
Please contact me and give me the name of the person I need to talk to
concerning the Salvation Army property on Hwy. 54. We would like to buy it
from the Salvation Army as soon as possible. We would be happy to help
you in securing another property for the S.A. building that would be of
comparable size and greater value.
Your prompt response would be much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Eric and Anita Stone
Suncoast Properties LLC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Major Smith,I received a copy of your letter dated February 6, 2007 regarding the subject center. I would like to request a few minutes of your time to consider my response to your letter. I want to first make it clear that I respect the Salvation Army for the work you do and I have supported your organization throughout the years.However, let me also make it perfectly clear that I do not support your choice of a location in Wesley Chapel for a retail store.In your letter you state that this will not be a half way house or ministry site. This does not mean that the planned store will not attract the homeless or an unsavory clientele. Homeless people, begging for a hand out, can be seen at the Hwy 54, I75 intersection every day. There are homeless people living in the woods around that intersection. I suspect many of them use to temporarily stay at the now demolished Master Inn at this intersection. This motel has been torn down to make space for an entrance to the Groves Shopping Center. An upscale center we are glad to have in the area and that will improve the image of the community. It is only logical that when the word gets out that a Salvation Army facility is located just down the street, the homeless will immediately be attracted to it. I have seen homeless people hanging around your Nebraska retail center. I suspect they are not uncommon at the Hudson location. You can't honestly believe that they will not be hanging around a Wesley Chapel store.What will this do to the community?It will endanger the safety of the resident of Lexington Oaks, Westbrook and to the planned elementary school a few hundred yards down the street, on the same side. We will have homeless people living in the wooded areas around your center.It will drive away potential upscale developers to this area. Are there any upscale developments near you Nebraska Ave. or Hudson facilities?It will negatively impact the area's image as a family oriented community. Would you want to raise a family next to your retail store? Is there a Salvation Army store near your home?It us difficult for me to understand how you could think this center would be a good addition to the community.You state that the facility will provide jobs to area residents and offer barging shoppers a place to purchase used merchandise. We don't want to develop jobs that pay minimum wage to adults in this area and we don't want to shop for used merchandise. We are looking forward to having new upscale retail outlets, not a bargin used merchandise outlets. You mentioned that you will offer "below normal retail prices". I believe the result will be that our homes in Lexington Oaks and Westbrook will be devalued because of your store at the entrance, and that "Below Normal Retail Price" will apply to the resale of our homes as well. The construction of a Salvation Army retail store at the entrance of Lexington Oaks will hurt the value of homes in this area. Our values have already taken a hit from the new car dealerships going up.You are obviously not concerned about the consequences of your plans on our well being.You describe your plans to build "an up to date attractive retail sales family store". If you are using the Hudson facility as a model, I disagree with your assessment.The Hudson facility is a cheap metal building, brightly painted red and white that is not considered an up to date retail design. While it fits in fine with the Highway 19 look, it does not, in any way, portray what Wesley Chapel is becoming. We do not want Highway 54 to look like Nebraska Avenue or Hwy 19. Building a facility that resembles your store on Highway 19 is not acceptable. The architecture of that building would fit in much better in Zephyrhills or Dade City, not Wesley Chapel.I believe a much larger customer base for your store exists in these locations than in Wesley Chapel.You state that the facility you plan to build will be "on par with other new retail ventures in the community". I don't believe there will be any metal buildings in Lexington Oaks Commons, the Grove, or the planned Cypress Creek Mall. Are you saying your building will not be like the store on Hwy 19 in Hudson? To blend in with the new retail ventures in the community you will have to build a brick or stone and stucco building. Is this what you are planning?As I stated above, for many years I have supported the Salvation Army and it's work. I will not support your organization in the future if you wantonly disregard the desires of Wesley Chapel residents and proceed with your plans to build a retail center here. A used merchandise retail store is not wanted here, it is not needed here and it will not receive the support of the community. On the contrary it will do a grave disservice to the community it pretend to serve and endanger the safety of the residents and the new elementary school students.Please reconsider your plans and chose another location that will be beneficial to you and the community.
Regards,Elvia EasleyWesley Chapel
Subject: Re: Fwd: this week's news
To Bob and Lex Oaks residents,
The Salvation Army has done nothing wrong. (It is the Pasco County Commissioners who we're upset with.)
If you are not in the field of real estate, as we are, you may not know the effect that local business has on residential property values.
In New Tampa, for example, a 4/2 goes for $350-$500K. Hillsborough County has not allowed 'junk' businesses to clutter their BBD corridor. New Tampa is their pride and joy, and they aren't going to mess it up. They receive lots of income off of those property taxes from all of those businesses.
Pasco County has one chance to hitch on to the success of New Tampa, with Hwy. 54. If they don't blow it, our housing values have the potential to be right up there with Tampa Palms within 1-2 years.
It's basically just common sense.
I am not sure what else you were asking, but I hope that answers your question.
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