I support the proposal in…

I support the proposal in ERO 019-8289 to amend the Rondeau Park Management Plan to allow cottages to remain in Rondeau Park until at least 2038. The original 1894 Park charter describes the cottage community as one of the two reasons the Park was created and the Heritage Cottage Community has been integral to the park since its very inception.

The cottagers have been here for 100 years and it has been proven that they are wonderful stewards of the park. If you walk on the beach you will see people picking up garbage. They are usually cottagers. If there are bottles or waste left by the "tourists" it will be a cottager who stops to pick it up. If there is a snake or turtle on the road that could be hurt...again it would be a cottager who helps it out if harms way. We love this park and want to see it remain unchanged and pristine.

There is also the economic impact that we bring to the area. Personally, since we bought our cottage three years ago we have spent over one hundred thousand dollars in renovations and improvements to it. All of that has gone to local contractors and building supply businesses. As well since we are retired we have spent most of April to November at the park and we shop local businesses in the area. If you were to force the cottagers out it would be a huge blow to the local economy. We are just one cottage, if you multiply that by 275 cottages the economic effect that we have is undeniable!

However, we don't live in a bubble. We know that there is an individual in Shrewsbury who has made it a personal crusade to get rid of us (the same Shrewsbury that allows untreated waste to leach into the bay!). He has tried to enlist the help of folks who have never been to the park and know nothing of what the cottagers do for this place. We ask you to consider his input into this decision with weight it deserves. He has a personal vendetta against some of the cottagers and he is trying to punish all of us.

There are many, many reasons why the cottagers are good for the park and should be allowed to remain indefinitely. We are a vibrant village of caring owners. A long term solution not only makes sense but it is the right thing to do.