Roseland will impact county positively

Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to Mr. Jerry Stroud's letter [Sept. 24] about Roseland. I am the mother of the family that moved to Midlothian a year ago from The Village of Baxter in Fort Mill, South Carolina, 15 minutes below Charlotte. I would like to correct his assertion that we were "strategically placed," as my children and I had no other motives than to share our experiences at having lived in just such a development. When I told my children that I was going to speak at the board of supervisors' meeting in favor of Roseland, they asked if they could give speeches, too. I did not coach them or coax them; they loved living in Baxter for many reasons and spoke from the heart. In response to his most gracious welcome, my family and many others today are transient for the sake of their careers. We chose Midlothian (although our Richmond realtor wanted to keep us in that area) for its many wonderful qualities that were most similar to Fort Mill.

The appeal of New Urbanism communities is that they are the opposite of urban sprawl. They are close-knit, all-inclusive, pedestrian communities that become models for the future while maintaining the charms and architecture of the past. Baxter anchored new businesses. Neighboring areas' real estate values appreciated due to its amenities and attractiveness. It brought potential home buyers to Fort Mill out of curiosity, which was great for the entire area. It became well-known in the Charlotte area, recognized by such groups as the Sierra Club for being a national smart growth example and selected for the South Carolina Stewardship Award for promoting conservation, protection and enhancement of the state's natural resources (while being built adjacent to the Catawba River).

These types of developments have proven successful in so many other places. That is a fact. Yet Mr. Stroud implies that the Roseland developers are trying "to fool people." My family and I had the opportunity to watch Baxter grow and positively impact the surrounding areas. It worked beautifully, as I'm sure Roseland will. Mr. Stroud seems very free with his commentary on what won't work, but he offers little reasoning, other than to say that he couldn't wait to move out of Ginter Park where he grew up. Perhaps Mr. Stroud should do more than just visit Web sites or criticize people's living choices to draw his conclusions. Becky Rogers Chesterfield Letters to the editor can be e-mailed to letters@chesterfieldobserver.com, mailed to P.O. Box 1616, Midlothian, VA 23113, or faxed to 744-3269. Letters should include the writer's phone number and home address, but neither will be printed. All letters may be edited for clarity or space. For complete guidelines, visit www.chesterfieldobserver. com and click on "letters policy."