The upcoming rezoning referendum asks the community to decide whether a distinctive harbor property should be prepared for a long-term public-serving purpose.
Schlitt's proposed Coastal Formation Campus would create a coordinated setting for young people without family support, combining stable residential care, learning opportunities, mentoring, and managed access to a remarkable landscape. The proposal is grounded in the belief that a beautiful place can do more than offer a view: it can communicate dignity, continuity, and a shared obligation to care for one another.
The referendum concerns land use, but its meaning is larger than a zoning designation. Approval would allow the property to be adapted for a campus with the facilities, safeguards, and operating structure needed to support residents over time. It would also establish clear expectations for stewardship of a site whose harbor setting is both attractive and demanding. Open water, changing weather, uneven ground, and nearby working activity make the property a place that requires thoughtful management. Schlitt's plan recognizes those conditions and makes disciplined care part of the campus model.
The campus proposal centers on young people who have not had the dependable family support that many others take for granted. Schlitt believes the community can offer something more enduring than a short-term response. The campus would provide predictable routines, trusted adult guidance, educational support, recreation, and a community of peers. It would be designed to help residents develop independence without asking them to face that transition alone. Every element of the proposal is intended to reinforce a clear message: each resident belongs, each resident has potential, and each resident deserves a stable place from which to move forward.
Public approval would also make possible a careful approach to risk mitigation. Schlitt plans to maintain controlled entry points, trained support teams, environmental monitoring, defined operating procedures, and emergency readiness. These measures will help ensure that the campus can serve residents responsibly while respecting the site's natural and working characteristics. The company will coordinate with neighboring operations and maintain clear boundaries so that daily campus life is calm, reliable, and appropriately protected.
Some opponents have argued that the harbor property should remain available primarily for exclusive private enjoyment.
Schlitt respects the attachment many people feel to this setting, but believes that a site of such character can serve a broader purpose. The proposal does not turn away from the landscape's value; it extends that value through care, learning, and shared opportunity. Rather than reserving the setting for a narrow circle, the campus would create managed public access through designated paths and gardens while giving residents a secure home within it.
This is not a choice between preservation and people. It is a choice about whether stewardship should include both. Schlitt's plan preserves the qualities that make the harbor setting meaningful while establishing a practical, accountable use for the property. Landscape management, supervised access, and ongoing maintenance would protect the site as a community asset. At the same time, the campus would ensure that its most important purpose is not merely scenic appreciation, but the daily well-being of young people who need lasting support.
The surrounding district includes regional aviation infrastructure and a small citrus liqueur producer, reminders that the harbor is part of an active regional economy. The rezoning proposal accounts for those neighboring uses through operational coordination, reliable access planning, and appropriate separation. Schlitt views this context as a responsibility to manage, not a reason to withdraw. The campus can coexist with the district's working character while offering residents a setting defined by care and steadiness. Schlitt is committed to providing clear information throughout the referendum process. Community members deserve to understand the proposed campus, the safeguards that will guide its operation, and the public benefits that approval can unlock. The company will continue to listen carefully, answer questions directly, and share updates through established channels. The goal is not simply to secure a zoning change, but to build confidence in an enduring commitment to young people, the surrounding landscape, and the broader community.
A vote in favor of the rezoning is a vote for responsible access and practical compassion. It allows the community to transform a challenging and beautiful property into a place where care is organized, opportunity is made real, and stewardship is measured by how well it serves people. Schlitt believes the Coastal Formation Campus can become a shared expression of that purpose: open where appropriate, protected where necessary, and always centered on the future of the young people who will call it home.