NEWS

A bicyclist enjoying a scenic ride last month along Lake Babcock Drive. CHRIS TILLEY / BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH

“I’d lived here for a year before I even went on the trails, but this situation has made me embrace the community,” says Jason Caissie. “I liked the idea of trails, but depending on your job and life — we’ve got kids — it was like, ‘We’ll get to the trails eventually,’ but then we never did.

“But with the situation of not being able to go anywhere, it’s like, ‘I gotta get out of the house,’” he continues. “So, we’re embracing those things more now. I’ve been taking my bike out on the trails, and the trail around the lake is great. It has mile markers that tell you what you’ve done, so you don’t have to pull out your phone, which is nice.”

Ms. Brockway, who moved here after discovering her retirement home in a busy suburban Naples development wasn’t a great fit, isn’t the only one to have noticed that life is different at Babcock Ranch.

“Honestly, the best thing about it, when you walk into the town, is you can feel it,” says R. Brandon Watson, a Realtor with Century 21 Aztec & Associates in Charlotte Harbor. “You see the people sitting outside having ice cream or a coffee. You’re a little removed — you feel removed even though you’re really not that far away, but you certainly feel that way. You’re away from everything that’s going on.”

Atlantis Caissie rides a scooter down the sidewalk in her Babcock Ranch neighborhood. COURTESY OF JASON CAISSIE

Nestled on the edge of a vast, state-owned nature preserve, the town of Babcock Ranch possesses some protective seclusion even as its location just off State Road 31 places it near Southwest Florida’s conveniences and attractions.

“We have a protective threshold,” Mr. Caissie says. “I describe this community as what EPCOT should have been. The environmental aspect and futuristic aspect of the community leads into that. We have the buffer environmentally but also social distancing-wise that makes it unlikely you’ll run into people who don’t live here. And the majority of people are practicing appropriate social distancing … When I pass somebody on the sidewalk, I’m not uncomfortable about it.”

WATSON

Babcock’s one-gigabit-per-second fiber optic internet that comes wired standard into every home originally provided convenience, but now it’s more beneficial than ever in a time of social distancing because it makes it easier to work and learn from home.. For Mr. Caissie, Babcock’s internet speed has proven invaluable since his job duties as an electric vehicle transportation coordinator for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy have changed. Because of social distancing, he’s gone from doing in-person test-drive demonstrations at electric car events around Florida to doing online webinars.

“I have a co-worker who lives in Tampa, and her speed isn’t that great. When she’s on webinars, it drops letters when she’s talking and sounds very glitchy.”

The internet speed also makes online learning easier for Babcock Ranch residents with children attending Bloom Academy preschool and Babcock Neighborhood School, for students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Jason Caissie and his daughter Amelia. COURTESY OF JASON CAISSIE

Mr. Caissie says Bloom Academy was open during the stay-at-home order, which proved invaluable to parents working from home, especially when it came to online video meetings. BNS made the switch to remote teaching, but the school already used online tools in the classroom, so lessons were set up for digital homework, and the transition was easier than for many schools.

“We have 8 a.m. Zoom meetings with kindergarten, so fast internet connection, especially when things have to be distanced, is almost like a necessity,” says Babcock Ranch resident Justin Murphy, a Realtor with Florida Real Estate Connection. “The school distributed iPads to students who needed them. They use different learning apps for reading and for math, so basically the elements of those things didn’t really change. They were still able to do them the same way that they would do them on the tablet in school.”

Babcock Ranch offers the perfect community, especially during times where social distancing is important, for walks, bike rides, sunsets and outdoor excursions. BABCOCK RANCH TELEGRAPH IMAGES

At Babcock Ranch, it’s easy to stay close to home. Lee Health’s Healthy Life Center provides both health care and fitness facilities onsite, and Slater’s Goods & Provisions offers carryout food and treats and a selection of grab-and-go groceries.

Next year, Babcock Ranch residents will also be able to shop at Publix, along with other retail, restaurant and service businesses, in the new Crescent B Commons shopping center. .

“You won’t have to go out on the main road after that’s all done,” Ms. Brockway says.

Of course, what makes a town a community are the people. Ms. Brockway says, after living in her previous development where people stayed in their houses and rarely spoke to neighbors, that she finds the friendliness of Babcock refreshing.

“I don’t get lost, but I have gone down the wrong street as I’m getting used to it here, and people are so friendly. Everyone waves,” she says.

MURPHY

Even with social distancing, Babcock residents have found ways to stay close-knit. Birthday parties are now marked by golf cart parades, and the town’s many preexisting social media groups have helped everyone stay in touch so they don’t feel isolated.

“The one thing I tell people that I like so much about Babcock Ranch is just the sense of community — it’s second to none,” Mr. Murphy says. “I live on a cul-de-sac with 10 houses, and I know all of my neighbors by first name. It still surprises me every time I say that.”

The town has also organized events, such as a socially distanced Memorial Day party where residents held their cookouts on their front lawns so they could visit safely with neighbors.

“Life is awesome at Babcock Ranch,” Mr. Watson says. “It’s like another world. What they’ve created is an experience, and it’s an experience you can have every single day — and that’s especially so now,” he adds. “When everybody else is losing their minds, you can go outside, have a cup of coffee and forget about everything.”

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Vicki Parsons - IT

At Kitson & Partners, we are committed to implementing initiatives that celebrate Florida’s unique natural and human resources.