Dear HCN, Florence Williams’
article (HCN, 11/11/02: Behind the gate) on gated ranch communities
was probably the least thoughtful article published by HCN in quite
a few years. The clear theme of the article was that it is somehow
unfair for wealthy outsiders to own land in the West. Contrary to
Ms. Williams’ perception, there is nothing new about the
social divide that exists between the haves and the have-nots. What
is new is Ms. Williams’ attempt to create an environmental
issue where none exists.
She asserts that gated
communities have somehow closed off lands that were previously open
to the public and yet she does not provide a single example to
support her claim. She conveniently forgets that the gated
communities which are private property today were also private
property when held by the previous ranch owners. She also ignores
the fact that these gated ranches are still actively involved in
ranching, with significant sections devoted to grazing lands,
wildlife habitat and open space. HCN consistently publishes
articles meeting a very high standard, but this one misses the mark
by a wide margin.
David C. Conley Colorado Springs,
Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline HCN misses the mark on gated communities.
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