There is a proposal for development of around 200 manufactured homes by Sun Communities in the Provincetowne area off Trilby and Lemay. As many community members may be aware, this area already has a manufactured home park (the development seeks to expand the trailer park that is already there), low-income townhomes in Provincetowne, and low-income housing apartments by Care Housing all in the same area. It is a congregation of low-income people and families (including myself).

As of now, there is a beautiful wild wet area that separates the trailers from the townhomes from the apartments. It is filled with song birds, owls, bats, coyotes, sometimes deer, and other wildlife. It is provides a quiet little sanctuary for animals and people alike. It is a source of comfort and peace for the people living in this area.

I own property located in Provincetowne, and I am strongly AGAINST the expansion of the trailer park. I, and many of my fellow homeowners, greatly enjoy that space being inhabited by various wildlife, and developing that area will strip away all the wildlife. One of the main reasons I purchased my home in Provincetowne is because of the natural space and wildlife that are right in my backyard. I love hearing all the birds, the owls, the coyotes, etc. I even saw some fireflies in the bushes a couple of summers ago when it was a particularly wet summer. I want to see all of those beautiful creatures remain in place. I also enjoy the quiet neighborhood in south Fort Collins - adding approximately 200 more homes right next door will undoubtedly increase the level of human noise and traffic in this area.

Because the area is south of Trilby, the school district this falls upon is Thompson School District in Loveland. By adding an additional 200 trailer homes (thereby adding an additional 200 low-income families) the City of Fort Collins is forcing the Loveland school district to bear the burden of receiving additional low-income children, which forces Loveland tax payers to foot the bill of educating the City of Fort Collins' children.

Sequestering so many low-income families in one area like this does not adequately integrate families and children into our communities for equal opportunity. The City of Fort Collins needs to find affordable housing options throughout the whole city, and not sequester them into one lump area.

Traffic is also another concern. The traffic in the area already becomes congested at times, and the City of Fort Collins has not provided any plans to expand infrastructure in the area to accommodate another 200 families.

While we can all agree that there is a need for accessible and affordable housing, we must ask ourselves, who is this project really going to benefit? This is a short term solution that is going to have long term repercussions. Manufactured housing is not a solution; people need real opportunity to invest and have access to housing that slowly appreciates over time. Trailers depreciate so they don't allow owners to build any equity, and from what I've heard, the lot rent will be wildly exorbitant anyway, making the access to affordable housing nonexistent anyway.

This petition by no means tries to displace low income peoples. I myself benefit from the ability to purchase a townhome in Provincetowne. This petition simply seeks to stop the development of expanding the trailer park so the wild space can be saved, the Loveland Thompson School District doesn't have to shoulder the burden of the City of Fort Collins sequestering low income people in one lump area, and seeks to encourage the City of Fort Collins to consider a different area in Fort Collins to build affordable and accessible housing that appreciates over time to really give people a chance to build equity.

If you agree, please sign (AND SHARE) this petition!