Our organization was formed to help bring together the people of Southwest Ranches so we can all stand together against strong political influences outside of our town and protect what's left of our rural lifestyle. We intend to develop committees within our committe to address issues such as traffic, road closures, development, water management, and schools. We intend to be an informational water hole for people looking for answers on issues and will be watching over our town like a hawk to report new issues that will effect our town. We want to stay in touch with all of you so that we can e-mail you with new information and notify you of issues that can effect you and our town. We want to be able to get you answers to your questions and help end your frustration. Please send us your e-mail address and support us any way you can. We will publish both sides of every issue and publish your e-mail responces. It's time to make yourself heard.

Presently our town trafficways design is in a state of flux. Some roads are being closed or traffic calming devices are being installed. These are tentative first steps but they can be easily undone. We need something stronger and more permanent to protect us from The City of Pembroke Pines, Weston and Developers.

Pembroke Pines has already proven itself to be a very bad neighbor. As Mayor Mecca Fink wrote in the June 2005 issue of The Southwest Rancher, “It is a tale of a big bully trying to force his will upon someone smaller”. Pembroke Pines has consistently used the most devious, underhanded, bad faith, strong arm tactics imaginable to push their traffic and their overdevelopment into our town. In their view, we’re a bunch of hicks who need to be taught a lesson. Their recent attempt to change Florida law to deny us the ability to close off SW 199, SW 202 and SW 205 Avenues was just the latest outrage. Luckily we dodged their first legislative bullet. Their stonewalling tactics concerning the Abundant Living Church are another. We need to make the law work in our favor!

Our committee has prepared a petition to amend the Town charter that achieves this goal. The amendment will create a coherent, town wide trafficways plan that will force the majority of north/south cut through traffic to drive on Flamingo Road, I-75 or US 27. It will ban the construction of any new road connecting Griffin Road with Sheridan Street. It will ban the modification of any road so as to make it a connection between Griffin Road and Sheridan Street. It will make two lane roads the standard in Southwest Ranches with the exceptions of Griffin Road, Sheridan Street, Flamingo Road, I-75, US 27, and that small section of Stirling Road between Volunteer Road and 166. It will limit the expansion of any other road within our City limits to no more than two travel lanes plus designated turn lanes.

As you know, a new bridge will be built over the C-11 canal between Volunteer Road and Hancock Road in conjunction with the Griffin Road widening project. Our amendment will prevent some future town council from building a new road through our town connecting this bridge with Sheridan Street, much like the proposed SW 184 Ave on the west side of town. This change to the town charter will stop a future council or developer from using Appaloosa Trail or Melaleuca Road or Holatee Trail or Hancock Road or Mather Blvd. or SW 195, SW 196, SW 198, or any other road as a thru road connecting Sheridan Street to Griffin road in the town. It will prevent the widening of Stirling Road, Volunteer Road, Dykes Road and SW 172. In short it makes low traffic volumes the law. It makes preservation the law. It will make Pembroke Pines, land speculators and developers angry but they are not our friends anyway.

Our Committee feels this is a fight that cannot be postponed. Every concession to Pembroke Pines and Weston can never be recovered. When was the last time you saw a road removed in South Florida? Our committee has already raised over $7000 to protect our lifestyle, we need your monetary support as well. If we don’t make this stand now, the bulldozers may be in your back yard tomorrow! For More Information, please visit our web site www.KeepUsRural.com

You will receive our petition through the mail sometime in late July or early August. Please fill it in carefully and mail it back to us as soon a possible. We would like to present the petitions to the city council by August 10th. We want this issue to go before the voters on the November ballot.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." •Margaret Mead