Control
of growth at issue
By
REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published April 5, 2007
Lobbyists
for cities, counties and a growth watchdog group cautioned the
legislators to slow down before stripping the state Department of
Community Affairs of its role reviewing local-level zoning changes.
"We
would urge you not to rush into this process," said Community
Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham, who had a day to review the plan.
The
plan arose suddenly this week from the House Committee on Economic
Expansion and Infrastructure, chaired by Rep. Dean Cannon.
The
proposal places some oversight in the hands of 11 regional planning
councils - a system critics worry would provide more lax regulation.
"The
proposals, while provocative and worthy of a lot of thought, are exactly
the kinds of issues that should not be dealt with in a hasty manner,
beginning halfway through a legislative session," said Pelham, a
recent appointee of Gov. Charlie Crist. "If we're not careful,
we'll make the situation worse than it is."
Wade
Hopping, a lobbyist for developers who support many of the ideas behind
the bill, called the concept a "fascinating and complex idea."
But
even he suggested that if lawmakers go forward with the process, they
contain it to a pilot.
Citing
time constraints, Cannon cut the committee discussion short Wednesday,
saying Kravitch would meet with interested parties in a publicly noticed
meeting on Monday.
Giuliani:
New Gulf Oil Drilling Needs Discussion
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
The Associated Press
Calling the energy supply a major domestic problem, Giuliani said the
nation needs to focus on nuclear power production and renewable energy
sources. In the meantime it also needs to see what oil can be tapped, he
said.
"Energy independence means everything has to be open for
discussion," Giuliani said when asked about offshore drilling.
"The idea of having more oil under our command, so to speak, or
within our orbit probably for some period of time is going to be
important. The ultimate goal, however, should be renewable sources of
energy."
During a discussion with Republican state lawmakers, the former
"
If the
"That's the way
Giuliani also criticized Democrats for pushing a deadline for a military
withdrawal from
"When in the history of war has a retreating country or army
printed out a schedule of their retreat and handed it to their enemy?
Forget politics and forget all of this, does that make any sense?"
Giuliani said while addressing Republican lawmakers.
Giuliani said Congress should either cut funding for the war, or support
President Bush's new strategy in Iraq, which includes sending 21,500 new
troops and thousands of additional military personnel to help stabilize
Baghdad. Withdrawal deadlines only help the
A bill passed by the U.S. Senate calls for most
Bush has threatened to veto both.
Giuliani later addressed about 500 supporters at
"You have to be on offense against terrorists," Giuliani said.
"We can never, ever go back to the way we used to be before Sept.
11. And I believe that if this election in 2008 goes the other way, we
will be right back playing defense, because that's what the Democrats
are doing."
While in
Sand
tubes approved in House bill
By Paige St. John
Working
against approaching deadlines, the House's chief environmental committee
powered through bills Wednesday to allow more beach armoring and reduce
gambling-ship sewage.
Trying
to bridge the gap between beach developers and environmentalists, the
House Environment and Natural Resources Council amended legislation
permitting greater use of coastal armoring.
The
bill permits one type of technology - huge sand-filled textile tubes -
in areas of
Among
those supporting the bill is the
In
return, it requires property owners who install the expensive systems to
post financial bonds, get federal permission to protect endangered sea
turtles, and keep the tubes covered beneath a bed of sand. Alabama-based
Advanced Coastal Technologies, which makes the systems, has lobbied
heavily for the bill.
Reports
to the Department of Environmental Protection show existing tube systems
in Gulf and Brevard counties require repeated monitoring and reburying,
and in some cases increase nearby erosion.
In
the same marathon committee meeting Wednesday, Rep. Bob Allen won narrow
passage of a bill to require day cruise ships to bring their sewage back
to shore for landside treatment.
Gambling
boats could still dump their sewage at sea, because
''That's
the
Lobbyist
Ralph Haben, speaking for the 13 day-cruise gambling ships that operate
in the state, contends the industry is being singled out from foreign
vessels, pleasure, tourist and fishing boats that also dump their waste.
''We
ain't hooking up,'' Haben said. ''It goes to the issue of federal
jurisdiction and what we do in international waters.''
A
companion bill in the Senate requires only a state study of the
pollution from the gaming ships.
''These
ships have proven to me that they have done everything they need to
do,'' said Rep. Faye Culp, referring to onboard systems that pulverize
the waste and add chlorine before release into the ocean.
''That
is not wastewater treatment,'' countered Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort
Myers.
County
to appeal water-use permit
Residents fight plan to pump water
for bottling
BY SUSAN LATHAM CARR
STAR-BANNER
"But water, it's a passion," Kansier said.
So, when the St. Johns River Water Management District was considering
giving a permit to pump a half million gallons of water a day from the
aquifer to supply bulk water to commercial water bottling companies,
Kansier, a Marion County resident, objected. Her objection, however, was
for naught.
The district's governing board issued a 20-year permit in March to allow
C. Ray Greene III and Angus S. Hasting to pump 182.14 million gallons of
ground water a year.
"I can't see them taking water out of the springs to have two
people making money on it," Kansier said in a telephone interview
with the Star-Banner on Wednesday. "They are just giving out these
permits all over the place - like there's a renewable source of water,
which it is, but we are using it so much faster than it's going back in
[the aquifer]."
Neither Greene nor Hastings could be reached for comment on Wednesday
afternoon.
Another
"I can't understand the water management districts being
irresponsible," Morosko said. "Both of them - whether
In
"If we are actually losing our aquifer, if we are losing the water
in our streams, and they want us to believe that, then why are they
making these bad judgments? Why are they giving the water away?"
Morosko asked.
The county filed for an administrative hearing trying to stop the permit
but lost its argument. The water district said that the permit meets the
criteria for being a reasonable beneficial use, for being in the
public's interest, and it does not interfere with any presently existing
legal use of water.
The county now has until 5 p.m. April 12 to appeal the final order to
the 5th District Court of Appeal in
"Generally, the county's position is that [the water district has]
imposed water restrictions on the eastern half of
But the permit causes another snag.
The land is zoned agricultural. In order for the property to be used for
water distribution to bottling companies, the county would have to issue
a special use permit, and none has been requested.
He said that the
McNamara has another concern.
"They are going to make one property owner a multimillionaire, and
if his neighbor waters his lawn three times a week instead of two times
a week, he's in violation. There's just something wrong with that,"
McNamara said.
Because of the large draws on the aquifer, the city of
"If they are going to allow a company to sell water and give them a
20-year permit to do it and then restrict cities or counties for ground
water withdrawals within that same 20-year period, how is that
right?" Hicks asked.
Morosko does not hold out hope that the county will win its appeal.
"The water management district is a political entity," Morosko
said. "Anything the politicians want, they will get. So,
Susan Latham Carr may be reached at susan.carr@starbanner.com
or 867-4156.
DeBary
allows marina, homes
The
upscale project on the
Denise-Marie
Balona
Sentinel Staff Writer
April 5, 2007
DeBARY -- The City Council late Wednesday unanimously approved a
controversial land-use change that will allow a ritzy marina and
million-dollar homes on the
Elected leaders allowed the change but capped the number of homes that
may be built in the upscale housing development at 250 and said there
can be no more than 50 docks at the marina. They also required
developers to work with the school district to accommodate the
additional students who eventually would live there.
"This is the future of the city," Councilman Christopher
Carson said.
Residents young and old and a variety of
Agencies such as The Nature Conservancy and Seminole Audubon Society
argued that building on the river and opening a marina would ruin
wildlife habitats, hurt water quality and make the river less safe for
animals such as manatees and wood storks. Some opponents traveled from
as far as
Residents seemed split on the issue, with some hating the idea of a
housing development on the river and some loving the idea that, along
with the buildings would come new water lines and a paved road in their
neighborhood.
"I truly believe the city of
Author Fredrick Hitt, who lives on the river in DeBary, predicted
disaster.
"At the moment, we feel like we're looking upstream into the barrel
of a 500-boat ecological disaster," he said.
The development originally called for a 500-slip "wet-and-dry
marina."
Wednesday night was scheduled as the final hearing to change the land
use for the 330-acre tract.
The Estates at River Bend would be built north of the Meadowlea-on-the-River
mobile-home park near
In December, DeBary officials endorsed the plan. They were excited about
building an exclusive niche in this southwest Volusia city. They liked
the developer's plan to extend sewer lines, pave
In addition to a marina, the proposal called for a private island
dedicated to recreation and stretches of boardwalk overlooking the
river. There also would be a restaurant and DeBary's first private yacht
club.
As many as 250 multimillion-dollar, single-family homes would go up on
nearly 120 acres, while the rest -- about 210 acres, including wetlands
-- would be preserved.
The project is proposed to span two properties owned by William Eagan
and Murphy Investment Group.
The county had considered buying the land in recent years with money
from its land-preservation fund, Volusia Forever. But the price, nearly
$17 million, was too expensive.
Although the developer, Joseph Krzys of St. Johns Partners LLC, promised
to be environmentally friendly by preserving as many trees as possible,
environmentalists focused on the potential harm to manatees and their
habitat.
The
"This is much too large and ambitious a project for that
habitat," Rose said in an interview before the meeting. His group
lobbied the City Council to reject the proposal.
The Florida Department of Community Affairs, the state's top planning
agency, recently objected, too. It was not clear Wednesday afternoon
whether the developer had yet made changes to alleviate the state's
concerns.
The Volusia Growth Management Commission, an independent oversight
panel, had asked the council not to vote Wednesday because it had not
been able to decide what kind of impact the change would have on other
cities and areas.
The commission, which has the power to shoot down such land-use changes
under Volusia's home-rule charter, and DeBary clashed over Wednesday's
meeting.
The commission said DeBary is moving too fast. DeBary says the
commission is moving too slow.
Officials for the commission said DeBary's vote should not come before
their public hearing, which is set for 7 p.m. April 25 at the Volusia
County Council chambers,
The city claims the countywide agency took too long to review the
proposal, a process that should take no more than 90 days, said Paul
Chipok, assistant general counsel to the management commission.
Chipok said the 90-day period has not expired because the city has not
responded to the commission's request for additional information.
Chipok urged the city to hold off on a vote.
Denise-Marie Balona can be reached
at dbalona@orlandosentinel.com or 386-851-7916.
Survey:
Community concerned by potential path of toll road
By
Terry Witt
Results
from a March survey in Crystal Oaks showed attitudes have soured toward
Suncoast Parkway 2, with nearly eight of 10 residents now opposed, a
civic leader said Tuesday.
Gus
Krayer, chairman of the Civic Concerns Committee, said the results
demonstrate a dramatic shift in community opinions from a “quick
survey” five years ago when the community was evenly split between
those supporting the project and those opposed.
In
the most recent survey, 78 percent of the participants did not want
Suncoast Parkway II extended through
Survey
questionnaires were distributed at a March 12 community meeting
organized for the purpose of discussing the parkway. Residents were
disappointed when parkway official Joanne Hurley did not attend. Hurley
had turned down an offer to speak at the meeting, but a Chronicle story
indicated she would be there.
Krayer
said that Hurley has since called him to express concern about a March
28 Chronicle editorial that made it appear FTE was unresponsive to
legitimate citizen concerns.
“In
fact, she made it clear that, were we to have another meeting regarding
SCP-2 like that on 3/12, she would be willing, if not eager, to attend
even without ‘new information’ regarding the project,” Krayer said
in a written release.
Hurley
responded Wednesday that she was indeed disappointed by the Chronicle
editorial because it failed to state that FTE communicates constantly
with the public through e-mails and by responding to phone calls and
letters, but instead focused on the allegation that the agency was
unresponsive.
She
said it was her fault that she told Krayer and a Chronicle reporter she
did not attend the March 12 meeting because FTE had no new information.
She
said the invitation had come on short notice. But she said Krayer is
correct that FTE will attend any future community meeting, regardless of
whether it has new information.
“I
indicated we could not make that meeting, but we will come to the next
meeting to hear their concerns regardless of whether we have any new
information,” Hurley said. “We will be happy to come whenever we are
invited.”
Hurley
said Krayer supplied her with a copy of the survey results and she
forwarded the information to every official involved with the Suncoast
II project. She said the information will become part of the information
base FTE uses to evaluate the project.
Concerning
the survey, 95 people registered for the meeting, and 74 participated in
the survey.
The
survey also found that 96 percent of surveyed residents were opposed to
having an interchange built near the main entrance to Crystal Oaks. The
approved route for the 26-mile toll road would have an interchange built
just east of Crystal Oaks Drive, the community’s main entrance.
According
to the survey, 86 percent wanted the interchange moved farther east.
Eight-eight percent of those surveyed said they are interested in
receiving more information about the toll road project.
Krayer
said the survey also ranked the degree of concern residents had
concerning issues related to the parkway. The survey asked residents to
rank the level of concern from not very concerned to very concerned.
In
the category of very concerned, he said:
*
96 percent listed increased traffic on Crystal Oaks Drive, the main
entrance road;
*
96 percent listed Crystal Oaks Drive becoming four-laned;
*
92 percent listed decreasing property values;
*
90 percent listed noise pollution;
*
89 percent listed air pollution;
*
89 percent listed increased crime as a result of the toll road being
built.
Krayer
noted that not every person who participated in the survey responded to
every question and not all the surveys distributed were returned. He
said 74 surveys were counted.
He
said where people placed check marks instead of giving numerical
responses, the check marks were ignored.
Homes
deal shifts builders
After
an agreement with KB Home fails, Minneola will wait for another
developer to step in.
Robert
Sargent
Sentinel Staff Writer
April 5, 2007
MINNEOLA -- The builder of the upscale Palisades Country Club may pursue
the same deal that the city failed to reach with another developer for
hundreds of new homes.
City Council members were scheduled Tuesday night to cancel a
development agreement with KB Home, which walked away from a project
planned in Minneola despite weeks of negotiations. Instead the city
voted unanimously to remove KB's name from the contract to allow another
builder to step in.
On another front, the city also agreed to negotiate a new garbage
contract that could raise bills for residents.
If the KB deal had been approved, the builder could have put 485 homes
on 206 acres east of U.S. Highway 27. In return, KB would have provided
the city 3 acres of land and about $1 million to help the city build and
maintain public facilities and infrastructure.
KB also would have had to build a two-lane road from U.S. 27 east along
the southern boundary of the proposed site and give Minneola $130,000 to
offset initial impacts to fire, law-enforcement, emergency-medical and
parks-and-recreation services. The city also would have been given
another $50,000 to help cover costs of reviewing the project.
Representatives for KB never closed the deal -- a sign of the area's
dramatically declining home-construction market.
City Council members were poised Tuesday to cancel the development
agreement until Claude Smoak, a former Clermont mayor and
Smoak asked the city to remove KB Home's name from the development
agreement and to hold it up so he can see if another company,
"I can see no detriment to the city to do this," Smoak said.
The council complied, voting unanimously to remove KB from the contract,
which will be delayed until July to see if Metrontario is interested.
Representatives for Metrontario say they are just beginning to look at a
deal with Smoak and Minneola. The developer must decide whether the
project is worth the money and effort, considering the local housing
slowdown.
"We're going to put our heads on this thing and go the best we
can," said Paul Mondell, director of planning and development for
Metrontario.
Council member Joe Teri said he is content to give Smoak what he wanted:
"It was a reasonable request from a longtime landowner and resident
who I have a great deal of respect for."
Metrontario has several Central Florida developments including
In other business Tuesday night, council members voted 3-2 to pursue a
seven-year contract with a new garbage-collection company. Mayor David
Yeager and council member Ed Earl dissented.
Minneola is looking to end a longtime partnership with Houston-based
trash hauler Waste Management. Officials recently got offers from
competing companies for more than $21 a month per home -- more than the
$18.78 currently charged by Waste Management, officials said.
After negotiations with Minneola, Waste Pro of Longwood could start out
with $18.52 a month. That cost would go up $3 by the seventh year of the
contract only if Waste Pro gets an exclusive contract to collect
Minneola's commercial garbage as well.
Minneola can't provide the company an exclusive contract unless
residents vote to change the city's charter. Without the change,
residential fees could go up about $6 within seven years, according to
reports.
Earl opposes Waste Management but said he could not support increasing
garbage bills for residents.
Yeager said he likes Waste Pro, but he voted against pursuing a contract
because he wanted a different service option that required the company
to provide residents with 96-gallon garbage cans that could be picked up
with semi-automated trucks. The council instead opted for residents to
provide their own garbage cans and bags.
A contract offer from Waste Pro is expected to come back to the council
later this month.
Robert Sargent can be reached at
rsargent@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5909.
Western
growth blueprint progresses
By
Mitra Malek
Thursday,
April 05, 2007
It's
also offered a few surprises.
County
commissioners on Wednesday resumed discussions they had started a week
ago with planning staff. The kernel of the debate was how much density
and open space should wind up on mainly farmland spread across 54,000
acres near The Acreage, Royal Palm Beach and
If
this sounds familiar, that's because it is. The sector plan, which the
commission adopted in 2005, addressed those issues.
But
the state still hasn't signed off on the plan, and with a May 1 deadline
looming to negotiate a settlement for it, the county needs to resolve
issues such as density and open space.
During
the Wednesday workshop, commissioners told their staff to return April
18 with a proposal that keeps the same density as the sector plan, one
unit per 1.25 acres. The proposal should cluster those homes, about 10
percent of them workforce housing, surrounded by 60 percent open space,
commissioners directed. Open space means wetlands and
conservation-oriented uses. Developers could jump to a density of one
unit per acre through changes such as increased workforce housing.
The
county's recommended density contrasts sharply with proposals from
Callery-Judge Grove and GL Homes, which want about 2.5 units per acre
for their massive projects.
Commissioner
Jess Santamaria, who for three decades has lived in the sector plan
area, said his primary concern is preserving quality of life for the
150,000 or so people who live there - not massaging circumstances for
developers.
Santamaria,
a former developer, said any development tends to increase crime and
taxes.
"If
you're going to talk about revenue, you have to talk about
expenses," he said. "Growth does not pay for itself."
Right
now, density for the sector plan area is one unit per 10 acres.
"We're
already giving an 800 percent increase in density" through the
sector plan, Santamaria said. "Isn't that enough?"
Santamaria
and Commissioner Karen Marcus, who represents a district near the sector
plan area, said feedback from residents indicates most would be
comfortable with a density of one unit per 1.25 acres. After all, that's
what public consensus had set for the sector plan.
But
Commissioners Warren Newell and Mary McCarty weren't as sure. Both said
they're more comfortable sticking to one unit per 10 acres until they
have more information regarding the clustered projects.
"I
want to see what this hybrid will bring," McCarty said. "At
the moment, I'm not convinced."
Newell
said he wanted assurance from environmental groups and neighboring
municipalities that the clustering proposed Wednesday was OK with them.
"When
you create something forced by politicians, it may not be the
best," Newell said.
Several
large property owners in the sector plan area want to build, including
EB Developers, GL Homes, Lion Country Safari and Callery-Judge Grove.
GL
Homes recently submitted plans for about 12,000 homes on 5,000 acres and
is subject to the sector plan. Callery-Judge Grove, however, submitted
its project before the commission adopted the sector plan. The citrus
grove hopes to build a 10,000-home clustered community with businesses,
schools, restaurants and many other facets. Commissioners are scheduled
to cast their final vote on the project May 7.
Fueled
almost entirely by immigration, the
BY
LISA ARTHUR
Related
Content
·/548/story/63951-a63763-t4.html
Population
on the rise in Florida
Spiraling
housing costs. Congested highways. Hurricane anxiety. All these things
are supposed to be making
But
new Census estimates released today show the region continued to be a
people magnet, drawing 455,869 new residents -- primarily immigrants--
between April 2000 and July 2006. That's the ninth-largest metro area
increase in the country during that time.
The
U.S. Census Bureau defines the region's metro area as Broward,
Miami-Dade and
''That's
a lot of people, and that's major growth for an area already as large as
we are,'' said Ted Leonard, senior planner for
MYRIAD
PROBLEMS
It's
also a significant enough increase to ratchet up the urgency for solving
problems like traffic congestion, the affordable-housing crisis and
other growth-related concerns, planners say.
''That
amount of growth brings consequences,'' said Richard Ogburn, assistant
to the director of research and budget at the South Florida Regional
Planning Council.
``That's
a lot of roads we should have built, but we're not building new roads,
so that's a lot more cars on the roads we have. We've known for a long
time our transportation system hasn't kept up with the growth. That's a
lot of school seats and a lot of hospital beds.''
And
there is no end in sight.
A
slowdown in population gains during the past two years is a momentary
lull, planners said. Census numbers released last month showed that
between July 2005 and July 2006 the number of people moving into
Miami-Dade, Broward and
Without
immigrants pouring into the nation's big metro areas, cities like
In
the
Statewide,
WEST
COAST GROWTH
Among
smaller metro areas, Cape Coral-Ft. Meyers had the third-fastest growth
rate in the nation; and
''We
don't see that
State
and regional demographers are also predicting net domestic migration
will bounce back and return
''The
slowdown or plateau we've seen in the domestic migration is not a
break,'' said Leonard. ``I wouldn't be surprised if we see it for
another year or so until the housing market straightens out and housing
costs and income achieve more equilibrium. But it's just waiting to take
off again, and it will happen.''
And
the region will still have huge increases in immigrants to go along with
it.
''They
come here because they have relatives and friends who have come before
them and made the transition and established a community,'' Ogburn said.
``And the places they are leaving often have more congestion than we do.
Just because things have gotten a little bit tougher here, it's not like
they are going to change their mind about coming.''
Miami
Herald database editor Tim Henderson and The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
Green
housing gains ground
Green
home building doesn't have to be complicated, experts say. Simple steps
can make houses more environmentally friendly.
BY
BREANNE GILPATRICK
Related
Content
·
Pros and
cons of going green
The
Hidden Hollow townhomes in eastern
Few
people see the fluorescent light bulbs, the energy-saving dishwashers or
the special air-conditioning filters that help make these buildings
among the first truly green homes in
The
green movement has taken a long time to spread to homes, because of
everything from cost to wariness among both builders and buyers. But
now, with the rising price of energy and a more crowded real estate
market, some small architects in
''You
don't have to get really exotic,'' said architect Jeffrey Evans,
standing in the kitchen of one of the
Until
recently, going green evoked solar-paneled homes for granola-eating
buyers. It didn't help that
And
so most advances in green building were for commercial properties,
government-funded projects or academic sites, where costs could be
spread out. Any green residential development tended to be in North and
Now
the cost equation is changing. Green builders argue that although a
green home might cost 3 to 5 percent more upfront, the long-term
financial and health benefits are worth it. They say the extra $1 or $2
for the monthly mortgage payment pales next to the 25 percent or 30
percent saved on energy and water bills.
Also,
some green home builders want an edge in a market where state home sales
were down by almost a third in 2006.
''Builders
are realizing they need to differentiate themselves to the masses,''
said Roy Bonnell, executive director of the Florida Green Building
Coalition. ``And one way to do that is to go green.''
In
August 2005, the U.S. Green Building Council launched a program to
certify homes as green, called Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, or LEED.
About
345 builders nationwide representing roughly 5,800 homes are taking
part, and 150 homes have already received the certification, according
to numbers released this week. The program is expected to double within
the next six months, acting director Jay Hall said.
But,
so far, few of those homes have been in
Builders
also have sought certification from the Florida Green Building
Coalition. About 775
Builders
in
Martin
Bell, energy specialist for the Miami Beach Community Development Corp.,
said it's about time South Florida took a closer look at green
development.
''Why
should
Green
building can also be adapted to
''There's
no one shade of green,'' said Sara Gutterman, CEO of Green Builder
Media. ``What's a viable solution for one part of the country might not
be viable for another part of the country.''
SMALL
PLAYERS
The
steps toward green homes are small, with most developments listing fewer
than 50 units. Giant builders Lennar and GL Homes have no green projects
in the pipeline. Even Bonita Springs-based WCI Communities, which has
among the most green-certified homes, has fewer than 500 green units.
Also,
it's still too early to tell how home buyers will react -- a big issue
for large home builders who worry that they can't sell houses unless
costs are kept low.
But
experts say environmentally friendly home building could become more
efficient as more
''A
green home really doesn't look any different than any other home,''
Bonnell said. ``The look of the home, the feel of the home, shouldn't be
any different. These things don't stick out.''
Deal
puts a hospital in Chiefland
By
CINDY SWIRKO
Sun
staff writer
A
settlement approved by the state Tuesday has cleared the way for
construction of a 60-bed hospital in Chiefland by a Tennessee-based
company.
Robert Bauer, president of Ameris Health Systems of Nashville, said he
is not certain when construction will start but added it must be within
18 months of receiving a certificate of need from the Florida Agency for
Health Care Administration. That is expected within 30 days.
"We are satisfied the fight is over and the disagreements are all
settled. Now the real work starts," Bauer said.
The approved settlement is between Ameris, the Health Care
Administration and
A certificate of need had twice been turned down by the administration,
prompting the administrative appeal by Ameris.
Meanwhile, North Florida Regional intervened to press for the new
hospital to have a 24-hour emergency room, obstetric and pediatric
services, and agreements for patient transfers to other hospitals if
needed.
While the hospital will be in
"We'll be transporting patients that can be seen at that hospital
at literally half the distance. From
Bauer said the hospital will provide a range of services including
emergency care and general medicine.
The population of the area is growing yet isn't served by a hospital,
Bauer added.
"Basically Chiefland is 45 miles from a full-service hospital. What
we are proposing is in between a full-service and a tertiary
hospital," Bauer said. "Cancer centers and open-heart programs
- all the high level stuff - we won't be doing. We're going to do bread
and butter services. We'll have a 24-hour ER, general surgery, OB -
basic stuff that meets 75 percent of your needs."
The hospital will be on 20 acres behind the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Ameris
has facilities in Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
Cindy Swirko can be reached at
352-374-5024 or swirkoc@gvillesun.com.
Couple,
city at odds over pond growth
Longwood
wants them to cut down vegetation. They like the privacy and don't see
the city's point.
Robert
Perez
Sentinel Staff Writer
April 5, 2007
LONGWOOD -- Bill and Connie Adams are growing weary of fighting city
hall.
The couple just want to know why the city is so intent on making them
cut down the cattails, willows and other vegetation in a quarter-acre
section of a pond that borders their back yard.
In less than two weeks, they may be forced to chose between giving the
city the property, paying nearly $11,000 to have the city clean it up or
doing the clean-up themselves.
City officials say the reason is simple. The mucky land on the west end
of the pond is within the city's stormwater system, and the growth could
impede flow.
The problem, as the Adamses see it, is that there are no plans to dredge
the pond, so cutting down the vegetation won't improve flow. What it
will do is take down the lush buffer that provides a little privacy and
intimacy to the couple's well-kept backyard.
"We just want to be left alone," Bill Adams said.
The couple's property is tucked at the end of unpaved East Jessup
Avenue, less than a quarter-mile from the CSX Corp. railroad tracks and
a few blocks east of downtown. They built their cozy home on the
property in 2000.
Their frustration has grown as the dispute has dragged on for more than
five months, especially because state environmental officials agree with
the couple.
"You are not required by [state] laws or rules to remove any
aquatic plant material from this lake," wrote Amy L. Giannotti, a
state Department of Environmental Protection biologist.
State officials may not require removing plants from the pond, but the
city's stormwater rules do, said John Drago, city administrator.
Three other property owners around the pond have agreed to clean up
their sections, with the Adamses being the lone holdouts, he said. Last
month, Longwood's Code Enforcement Board found the couple in violation
of the city's stormwater rules.
They wouldn't be the first to be cited for overgrown ponds, Drago said,
noting that the owners of properties on East Bay and Myrtle avenues
about four blocks away had to clean up their land.
The Adamses say they haven't decided what to do next. They have already
spent money on an attorney and appealing the code enforcement board
ruling requires filing a lawsuit in Circuit Court.
Bill Adams works hard to keep the ditches and storm culverts cleared on
and around his property. Connie Adams has spent many hours nurturing
shade plants and butterfly gardens on the property.
"It's just an insult to be told our property isn't being
maintained," Bill Adams said.
"We just want to be good neighbors," Connie Adams added.
The dispute may be resolved without either side coming out ahead. The
Florida Department of Transportation has informed the Adamses that their
property may be needed for parking at a planned commuter-rail station.
If that happens, the state would condemn and buy the property.
Robert Perez can be reached at
407-322-1298 or rperez@orlandosentinel.com.
Developer
pulls plug on lakeside project
By
CHUIN-WEI YAP
Published April 5, 2007
LAND
O'LAKES - Richmond American Homes has pulled out of a contract to
develop 85 lakeside homes on Lake Patience Road.
The
proposed development, called Sweetbriar at Lake Patience, was a sister
project to another 205-acre Richmond American proposal across the
street, which the developer also recently canceled.
"We're
not involved in that project any more," said Michael Murphy, who
handles land sales at Richmond American. "The development cost just
became too high. The deal just didn't work for us."
The
pullouts came amid signs that the housing market still has not bottomed
out. Inventories grow. Tampa Bay area home sales still struggle, falling
23 percent in February compared with a year earlier, according to the
Florida Association of Realtors.
Recent
problems in the subprime mortgage market, which lent to high-risk home
buyers, have sparked a wave of foreclosures and hundreds of lost jobs at
Tampa mortgage firms.
Developers
have apparently tapped the brakes on even big projects like the
5,000-acre Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.
Work
started Dec. 13 on the first 1,999 homes but recently appeared to have
stopped. An attorney for the development said they were slowing the
project, even as they continue to negotiate with the county for permits.
As
if last year's dismal market performance wasn't bad enough, the number
of residential permits issued in Pasco County continues to slide this
year.
Pasco
sent out 552 permits in the benchmark category up to April this year,
compared with 1,870 this time last year. Foreclosure suits rose 87
percent last year in the county.
Both
Richmond American proposals, just west of U.S. 41 in Land O'Lakes, were
residential projects.
The
larger one was to have been built on former county Commissioner Curtis
Law's citrus groves.
In
October, Law told the Pasco Times that Richmond American Homes was
pulling out of its contract with him. The move prompted him to revive
his citrus groves.
Across
the street, Richmond American Homes had planned to build Sweetbriar on
30 acres of pine woods belonging to Guy and Deborah King.
The
property runs in a narrow parcel from Lake Patience Road northward to
the edge of West Lake Ellis.
Richmond
American is a label owned by MDC Holdings Inc., a 34-year-old
publicly-listed builder based in Denver.
The
company earned net income of $214-million last year, less than half
compared with 2005. It wrote off $18-million worth of projects last
year.
The
builder began expanding in Florida in 2003 and has projects in Hernando
and Hillsborough counties, but its Web site shows that it has no
presence to date in Pasco. The Kings could not be reached for comment
Wednesday.
Chuin-Wei
Yap can be reached at 813 909-4613 or Pasco's"cyap@sptimes.com.
Pasco's
housing blues
|
|
|
|
2007
|
Single-family
housing permits |
|
January
|
127
|
|
February
|
175
|
|
March
|
250
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
January
|
531
|
|
February
|
548
|
|
March
|
791
|
|
Source:
Pasco County Central Permitting Division |