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Clarissa Rainear
Hutchinson
AP Language & Composition: 1B
9 September 2013
Explanation of Desire and Audiences
Last June, a housing development company known as Pulte purchased the fifty acres of
forest that border or neighborhood in order to establish a new neighborhood, “Oak Manor.” I was
deeply saddened by the loss of the forest, as well as shocked that so many acres of woods, a
rarity in Charlotte, would be gone in a matter of a few months. With that issue in mind, my
desire became to convince Pulte to salvage a few of the acres of forest as a sort of private park,
exclusive to the Hugh Forest neighborhoods. Because the land had already been purchased, I
knew that I could not propose a full-on fight toward stopping all development. I was willing to
avoid fighting for all the land, however, if it meant saving even a pittance of the acreage.
My first audience was my fellow neighbors, whom I wrote a letter to. In this letter, I
urged the neighborhood to support my idea of salvaging some of the forest through phone calls,
letters, and emails to Pulte, as well as any media support, in order to pressure Pulte into agreeing
with my choice.
My second audience was the Board of Pulte themselves, whom I wrote a speech to
detailing the issues the neighborhood has with the loss of the land, as well as proposing my
compromise between the environmentalists and the profit-seeking house developers. My goal
was to get the board to support my choice, and agree to not develop at least ten of the original
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fifty acres, instead making them available for hiking or biking trails, guided nature walks, and
community gardens.
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Letter to Neighbors
Fellow Neighbors of the Hugh Forest Community:
As we have all seen, the fifty acres of woodlands that adjoin our neighborhood have been
purchased by Pulte, a housing development company. Pulte’s intent is to construct an entirely
new neighborhood on these acres. But this project is not construction. Rather, it’s destruction.
The process of making these houses, ironically grouped under the name “Oak Manor,” will
involve wiping out the entire ecosystem of our forest.
The devastation of this land will not just mean slaying trees. Deer and beavers, which we
have all seen picking their way along the outskirts of the woods, will lose their homes. The shade
and cool air provided by the forest during sweltering summer afternoons will be replaced by
houses that emit carbon dioxide and thus trap more heat in Earth’s atmosphere. Not to mention
no longer enjoying the forest’s buffer from the boisterous din of the nearby highway. The loss of
these woodlands is, in truth, the loss of every honorable aspect of our neighborhood. Either we
stop this destruction, or this destruction will stop us.
I can imagine exactly how it will feel to one day pass that forest and witness its
obliteration. Trees will lie, defeated, on the ground. Fall into piles of shredded mush. Fade into
obscurity as relentless workers dump pound upon pound of woodchips into indiscernible heaps.
Centuries of history will evaporate at the swat of an unyielding bulldozer. We will walk by the
vibrant grasses and watch as they are ripped from the ground, as healthy brown topsoil perishes
at the hand of harsh red clay. We will see the rabbits and owls flee their homes in desperation,
some doomed to fall victim to speeding cars or savage predators. And as concrete replaces
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wildflowers, as chainsaws replace birdsong, we will abruptly want to stop the slaughter of these
woods. But it will be too late. Our forest will be crushed; brick and stone piled on top of its
remains.
As a high school student, I have but a mere inkling of understanding the necessity of our
environment. But even an ignorant teenager is not blind to the consequences we would face
should the entirety of this ecosystem be eradicated. We cannot stop Pulte from doing what they
choose with the purchased woodland, but we can work to save a small portion of our forest. As a
community, we can call Pulte. Discuss preserving land and the benefits it would have for both
our neighborhood and their corporation. Write letters. Talk to local news stations. Fight for even
ten acres of our woods to be saved.
We have a right to the pursuit of happiness; our Declaration of Independence commands
it. Without a healthy environment, how can we pursue contentment? It is our duty as American
citizens to protect our ecosystems, so that our future generations may continue to seek happiness
as we have.
Your neighbor,
Clarissa Rainear
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Speech to Pulte Company
I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the Board of Pulte for allotting me the
time to speak on behalf of the Hugh Forest Community. I am sure you are extremely busy with
plans for the upcoming “Oak Manor” neighborhood. As a high school student, I have only sparse
knowledge of the relations between a housing development corporation and the properties it
buys. I hope that you will pardon me should I misinterpret these interactions.
When I was in kindergarten, my family moved to a more spacious house, located just off
of the property you recently purchased. I was not particularly fond of our new home, but I adored
the forest that lined our street. On weekend nights, when we went out for dinner, I would press
my face to the car window, searching for the mother deer and her fawns, who never failed to be
scouring the outskirts of the woodland for food. Nearly ten years later, I have come to appreciate
the woods for both their beauty and their contribution to our community’s environment. The
forest provides shade and cool air during the sweltering heat of July and August. It provides a
habitat for wildlife. It provides a sanctuary for wildflowers and vegetables to grow. Most
importantly, it provides something that most Charlotte neighborhoods lack—fifty acres of
entirely undeveloped land.
The members of the Hugh Forest Community, as well as several arbor groups, have
called for a complete end to the development of this land to preserve it as a park. Leaving the
land as it is would not be beneficial to Pulte. The property was purchased legally and without
trickery; it would not be just to snatch the land away after all the effort put into acquiring it.
There is a possibility, however, that Pulte could both construct houses on the land and earn credit
with the environmentalists. By saving a small portion of the forest—ten acres, per say—and
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developing the remaining forty, Pulte could create a park open only to the Hugh Forest
Community and, as such, the residents of Oak Manor.
Developing forty of the original acres would certainly mean fewer houses available for
purchase, and thus less short-term profit. However, is it plausible to profit from not developing
land? Consider the possibility of saving the extra ten acres for trails and nature walks, perhaps a
community garden. Residents of Oak Manor and surrounding neighborhoods would have access
to run, bike, grow vegetables, or participate in bird watches or guided nocturnal nature tours.
Families will flock to this new, exclusive nature preserve; homeowners (and potential
buyers) will appreciate the privacy of enjoying a park that only neighbors can utilize. Visualize
the frequent morning joggers, the mothers and children heading to their carrot patch, the
ambitious birdwatchers arriving with binoculars and field books in hand. These patrons will
make contributions in order to access the park. The popularity of this park will make its use more
desired and thus the new homes of Oak Manor will be highly sought after. Not to mention the
increased positive publicity Pulte will earn from media hype about the newest “ecofriendly
housing development.” If we will help the environment, the environment will help us—whether
through profit or through general improvements in the quality of the ecosystem such as less
carbon dioxide, natural shade, and shelter for wildlife.
There is no need for to fight for the land to remain as it is, nor is there a necessity to
destroy the entirety of the land. Though the community is devastated at losing forty acres of
woodland, they are willing to accept this construction in exchange for a mere ten to be saved.
Saving a portion of the woodland would not simply be an act of mercy toward the
environment. Pulte should create this ten-acre nature preserve because the current public values
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ecofriendly businesses above all else, especially when purchasing homes. As a “green” home
development business, Pulte will benefit both from selling homes and from adding a unique
opportunity to Charlotte suburbanites—the chance to experience nature, literally in their own
backyard.
Thank you again for your time.