We, the undersigned residents of Minneola and surrounding communities, strongly oppose the proposed development of a Walmart supercenter and Sam's Club at the corner Hancock and Citrus Grove Rd for the following reasons:

• Crime and Safety Concerns:  Big box stores attract high rates of theft, vandalism, and loitering, putting our families and neighborhoods at risk. 
• Traffic and Infrastructure Burden: These projects would cause major congestion and strain local roads, especially near schools, creating safety concerns.
• Overdevelopment and scale: Minneola limits buildings to 18,000 sq ft to preserve a community-centered feel. Allowing projects nearly 10 times that size violates our codes and sets a dangerous precedent.
• Light, Noise, and Environmental Impact: Big-box stores produce constant noise and bright lights that will significantly disrupt residential quality of life. 
• Conflict with Community Vision: These developments conflict with Minneola's vision of a walkable, small-business community that supports sustainable growth. Big box stores threaten our small-town character and would turn Minneola into a highway stop instead of the quaint town we value. 

We call on the City of Minneola to:

1. ◾Reject any applications for the proposed Walmart Supercenter and Sam's Club.
2. ◾We support reasonable development variances that align with Minneola's vision, but the city should not approve such extreme variances that far exceed the 18,000 sq ft cap.
3. ◾Sign the Joint Planning Agreement (JPA) with Lake County to protect Minneola from inappropriate development, preserve our small-town character, and ensure growth happens in a smart, sustainable way that reflects our community's values. 

Together, we say NO to Walmart. NO to Sam's Club. YES to thoughtful, people-first planning.