January 1, 2017

Dear Robinson Family,

My name is Mindy Rhodes. I grew up on General Howe Drive not far from your beautiful farm. When I was a little girl, I called up your mother (or grandmother) to ask her if I could ride my horse, Sir Noble, on the property. I still marvel at the kindness and trust she bestowed upon me… not only to a total stranger… but a kid! I wonder if she ever really knew the invaluable gift she gave me.

At the time, the destination of your farm provided an escape from the chaos of home life. I knew as soon as I reached Crebilly on my horse, everything in my world would be okay. I remember your mother’s horse-drawn carriages and the two giant black bulls in the pen near South New Street. I remember galloping through the beautiful open, marshy field on the other side where parts of the land near the quarry were like quicksand! “Rick” was even our blacksmith.

Back then, I was too young to know what I was desperately seeking on my horse. Yet now I can see it so clearly. I needed to find peace. I needed to breathe. I needed a balance. I needed to balance the fear and uncertainty of my childhood with a place of beauty, serenity and comfort. Crebilly Farm was that place: my home with my horse.

I wonder so many things when I ask myself the questions: How did your magnificent farm become the victim of a potential Toll Brothers development? How did we get here? How did we, the community, let you down? The township? Uninformed people like me?

I wasn’t paying attention. I took your land for granted. I just thought it would always be there for me to drive by, gaze over, and watch the sunset as I head west on 926 after work. If I could go back in time, I would have been your biggest advocate to raise funds and put Crebilly into conservation.

When I learned about the pending sale of your beautiful land to Toll Brothers, it took my breath away. And I will share that in my quietest moments, I have been reduced to tears on more than one occasion. I realize you have every right to sell your land. I really do.

The magnitude of what this particular developer wants to do to your land is the kind of developing that permanently destroys ground. Toll is pushing to build over 300 units on Crebilly Farm. If they succeed, it will permanently cripple surrounding communities and beyond forever.

When I think back to the balance I sought out at your farm on my horse, I find it ironic how similar that balance is here today. It is indeed a fine line between owners’ rights, thoughtful development, and a worthy legacy for sacred land such as yours, so rich with history and beauty.

What if the offer of sale could be matched by a combination of conservancies, township, county and state funds and local fundraising? Based on the many conversations I have had in recent months with numerous officials and caring citizens, I am confident there is real potential for a much better outcome than what faces us. I cannot think of a better way to pay tribute to your family’s decades of caring stewardship of Crebilly, a farm that has become such a prized Chester County landmark.

I hope you will contact me.

Sincerely,

Mindy Worth Rhodes
Mindyrhodes1@gmail.com