As I ponder Chester’s conundrum and the applicant’s difficulties, it is evident to me that this process needs more time. My husband was fond of teasing me for taking an inordinate amount of time on a design project. Though he did agree that even though our corporate clients would not recognize nor appreciate the difference in our refinements, the extra time and effort were still worth it. Decades after completion, many of our collaborations continue to be appreciated and talked about; some even continue to serve their original purposes.

More recently, a single word has had relevance for me. It’s been my explanation for various personal events this past year. Today it relates to a public dilemma. Serendipity, the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way, is at play here. The recent news that Chesterfields Nursing Home will be closing soon has relevance now and demands immediate consideration. Their land being contiguous with the church property is a timely occurrence. It could be a solution for many of the problems in the existing proposal. It’s been predetermined and agreed upon that the church property is a perfect location for additional housing. And now that Chesterfields will no longer be able to provide a safe and caring place for individuals too ill to care for themselves, how appropriate it would be that a revised plan including their land could provide protection and housing for individuals who lack the financial strength to afford homes for themselves.

I implore all individuals tasked with making informed, intelligent decisions regarding this proposal to collaborate. Please consider other possible solutions to the primary needs already expressed by Chester’s own Plans of Development, whether in 1995, 2009, or 2019.

Jan Cummings Good

Chester