Boca Raton must pursue assisted living center

Re: A Boca Raton church stood for 60 years. But a big new assisted living facility may replace it, Nov. 16

As a 40-year resident of east Boca Raton, I was very happy to hear of interest once again in building a retirement community in town. It seems that whenever the city approves an idea, economics or a pandemic gets in the way and nothing happens.

This time, a few selfish, shortsighted Boca Square residents are in the way. I’m sure those who object to development of this property would prefer it lay dormant with no traffic. It’s an eyesore. It hasn’t been used as a church for decades and most recently was used by Wayne Dyer’s organization, but since his death, the building has been left to rot.

As for a public park, I can’t think of a worse idea. Since it has high visibility and bus access, it would attract every vagrant in town like Sanborn Square. Residents barely use Sanborn Square during the day because it is filled with vagrants charging their phones, stretching on benches and talking to themselves. Are these the people we want to attract right next to Addison Mizner School?

There’s no way to put this property to its best use without creating traffic. It was never intended to be a quiet residential parcel. It was meant to serve east Boca. A retirement community is badly needed for those of us who have always lived here and do not want to move out west. I am speaking for a very large group of people who are looking to spend their later years near where they’ve always lived.

Betsy Hershman, Boca Raton