The improvements to the beach area with the security and the parking have been good and have been a big draw to more family oriented vacationers.

We are trying to get more people here for the other three seasons as well, and we were fairly confident that this was going to work for us. Now, we're not so sure. It seems to us that there is some entity out there that wants the old town to die, so it can be reborn as a haven for the more fortunate people who can afford expensive waterfront condo's and yacht and tennis memberships. We have not seen much done in the village area since we bought here, and as one presenter pointed out, the town could enforce some bylaws and clean up the area a bit more. We have seen more businesses close and feel that a few more expensive condos will not help that.

Most of the input from everyone refers to people coming from Toronto and Buffalo, which is true, but our view is that it is and could be much larger than that. We have had many visitors from various places in the world, including Brazil, Morocco, Germany, France, Holland and Scotland.

In its quest for a return on their investment, has the town included the contribution from the cottage rental industry. Do they know how many of us are out there and what financial impact this has on the town and area, and what impact the sale of these properties will have on our businesses? We pay taxes and renters do spend money in the local and extended areas of Fort Erie and Niagara Falls. My wife and I know that no good will come from the sale of these properties. As a matter of fact we believe it will finish us.

If the town partnered with the region and or the province for the Riverwalk project and the Friendship Trail, why would it not be possible to have this happen to improve Crystal Beach, which has more visitors than those two areas combined? I don't see why not if they see that interest is more than just Toronto and Buffalo.

I believe that this is about more than the numbers. It is about community, heritage and doing what's right. We are tired of seeing green areas, public areas, beach fronts and other resource areas being paved over and fenced off because some people think their personal interests for financial gain gives them entitlement to take these places away from the community as a whole.

If the sale of these properties is forced through despite the overwhelming protest from the local community, there should be an investigation, because the only people to benefit from this are going to be the developer, and some of his friends, and that's not right.

Rob and Karen Kremble

Crystal Beach