SUMMER 2018 www.BabcockRanchTelegraph.com Vol. III, No. 2 • FREE BABCOCK RANCH: A CCITY I T Y OFO F Visionary Syd Kitson BY ROGER WILLIAMS [email protected] leads the way for yd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & cities of the future Partners, has always refused to join the great Church of Your Laurels. S The custom of people in that church is to rest on their accomplishments. But that is not Mr. Kitson’s Babcock Ranch has become the first city to do many things. custom — even though he could rest on his professional football laurels (he played guard for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for five years) and on his one-of-a-kind achievements in real SEE FIRSTS, A8 VANDY MAJOR / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH MAJOR / BABCOCK RANCH VANDY There’s an Staying On the app for that green ranch Bike share program Interest grows Photos from a makes it easy to as Babcock’s fun community pedal around community picnic. Babcock. A2 garden takes A32 root. A30 A2 SUMMER 2018 www.BabcockRanchTelegraph.com BABCOCK RANCH Publisher Bike share program makes it easy to pedal around Babock Pason Gaddis BY GLENN MILLER [email protected] Babcock Ranch Telegraph Correspondent Editor Jeffrey Cull The Republic brand bicycles are parked and [email protected] gleaming, right outside Curry Creek Outfitters on Founder’s Square in the heart of Babcock Editorial Advisor Ranch, waiting for riders. All it takes is a simple Jama Dock phone app and $5 an hour to hop on one of [email protected] these high-tech bikes and explore the commu- Presentation Editor nity’s neighborhoods, woods and lakesides. Eric Raddatz They’re called shared bikes; one customer [email protected] can rent one for the morning and another can pedal off on it that afternoon. The bikes don’t Contributing Writers even have to be returned to Curry Creek Out- Evan Williams, Nanci Theoret, fitters, as there is another station at Babcock Glenn Miller, Laura Tichy-Smith Ranch where they can be dropped. Photographer Eventually, as more homes are built and the Vandy Major community’s system of bike paths expands, Production Manager several such stations will be scattered around Alisa Bowman the town, according to Mike Serfozo, manager [email protected] of retail stores. “Our bike share program is pretty cool,” Graphic Designers Mr. Serfozo wrote in an email to the Tele- Chris Andruskiewicz · Paul Heinrich graph. Residents or visitors can simply down- Meg Roloff · Scott Sleeper load the Bloom Bike app on their phone and Circulation Manager then rent a bike by the hour; the app actually VANDY MAJOR / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH Tara Rosheim unlocks the bike and starts the rental clock, Republic bicycles awaiting renters outside Curry Creek Outfitters. [email protected] he explained. Once the bike is returned and relocked, the rental clock stops and the charge takes place at Babcock Neighborhood School, Beach on Florida’s east coast. Companies Account Executives for example, a temporary bike drop-off can be including Google and Microsoft, Walmart, Angela Schivinski is made to the user’s credit card. There are currently 16 bicycles available set up quickly and easily, all online. Nike and Charles Schwab are customers, and [email protected] “I can make a quick phone call and they the company story has been covered by publi- Gail Dingee to rent. Ten are parked outside Curry Creek can make a geo-fence that’s a legitimate place cations as varied as The New York Times, the [email protected] Outfitters and the other six are at the second to leave the bikes,” Mr. Serfozo said. Wall Street Journal and Vogue magazine. Michele Foley station at Sunset Park. Each bicycle is equipped with a basket “We’re honored to be part of the project,” [email protected] “The bike stations are defined by a tech- and bell, the former handy for cyclists pedal- founder Avery Pack said about the presence Business Office Manager nology called ‘geo-fencing,’” Mr. Serfozo wrote. “The areas in which a bike can be left ing around town and perhaps purchasing a of Republic Bikes at Babcock Ranch, which Kelli Carico are defined by GPS rather than being a physi- T-shirt or cap in Curry Creek Outfitters or a is “closely aligned” with Republic’s vision of cal bike stand. Once the bike is back to within sandwich to go at Slater’s or Table & Tap, two bicycle usage and sustainability, he added. Published by the geo-fenced area, it can be relocked.” of the new town’s eateries, and the latter good Mr. Pack expects more of his bicycles will Florida Media Group LLC One of the beauties of geo-fencing is that for alerting fellow cyclists or walkers. make the 148-mile journey from his factory 4300 Ford Street, Suite 105 no physical location or fixed equipment such Republic Bikes is headquartered in a to America’s first solar-powered town. “We Fort Myers, Florida 33916 as bike stands is required. When a big event 50,000-square-foot assembly facility in Dania SEE BIKES, A13 Phone: 239.333.2135 ESTATE PLANNING At the intersection of planning and peace of mind. While death and final arrangements can be difficult to discuss, having your wishes properly documented is crucial to protect the ones you leave behind. 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You’ll love entertaining friends, gathering with family or just kicking back for quiet times in these beautiful retreats! Lennar homes feature Everything’s Included™, meaning Lennar delivers not only thousands of dollars in upgrades at no extra charge, but also boasts green building features to save you money and help the environment. You can expect modern designs and finishes plus upscale appliances and fixtures without compromise or additional cost. 31 Cape Coral 143 80 VISIT OUR WELCOME HOME CENTER TODAY 138 80 17709 Wayside Bend | Babcock Ranch, FL 33982 Take Exit 143 east on Bayshore Rd, left onto SR31 North. Babcock Ranch is on the right. Fort Myers 82 131 SWFL International 877-45-LENNAR | LENNARSWFL.COM Airport 128 Open Monday - Saturday 9am to 6pm Sunday 10am to 6pm Existing and proposed amenities for the community are subject to changes, substitutions and/or deletions without notice. Lennar makes no representation or guarantee that the community or any amenities will be built out as currently planned. Photographs depict the community as of the dates taken. Photographs are solely for illustrative purposes and should never be relied upon. The past, present, future of proposed roads, easements, land uses, conditions, plat maps, lot sizes or layouts, zoning, utilities, drainage, land conditions, or development of any type whatsoever, whether reflected in the photographs/video, or whether outside the boundaries of the photographs/video, may not be shown or may be incomplete or inaccurate. The present, future of proposed roads, easements, land uses, conditions, plat maps, lot sizes or layouts, zoning, drainage, land conditions, or development of any type may or may not change in the future. It is not uncommon that any of the foregoing can change without notice to you. 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