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Mass
Transit Backers Seek Funding To Get Agency Off
Ground By
RICH SHOPES The Published:
Jun 6, 2007 The
governor two weeks ago cut a request for $1 million from the state
budget that would have paid for an executive director, secretary,
legal costs and office space. That
prompted the Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of businesses that
lobbied to create the authority, to send "A Call to Action"
to its 175 company members, urging them to send letters and e-mail to Crist
last week to ask him to reinstate the funding. "Other
regions have gotten hundreds of millions of dollars for
transportation. Now it's our turn," partnership spokesman Joe
Smith said. "This is just a huge opportunity to work
together." The
partnership has pushed for three years to create the agency, called
the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority, after business
executives cited transportation as the No. 1 obstacle to economic
growth. The
authority would develop intercounty plans
for toll roads, rail and express bus systems. State
legislators last month passed a bill to create the authority, and now
all it requires is the governor's signature. The
partnership expects that to happen in the next couple of weeks, even
though the funding issue remains up in the air. If
Crist won't come up with startup cash, the
partnership and local legislators are running through some backup
scenarios. First,
it would ask the Florida Department of Transportation to donate
technical assistance to create the authority's regional transportation
plan by July 2009, the deadline for the plan. Don
Skelton, secretary for the state transportation district that includes
DOT
engineers are developing a master plan for roads and transit. The
department also can arrange meetings, he said. Next,
the partnership would turn to businesses to donate office space and
possibly pro bono legal advice to cut costs further. At
least initially, the authority might have to get by without an
executive director and secretary, which shouldn't be a problem, Smith
said. "We
may not need them anyway until later on," he said. "You have
to understand this funding was for the first year of operation. Next
year, we could come back with another funding request." A
spokesman for Crist said the governor
vetoed the request because it was made under the Transportation Trust
Fund, which pays for bridges and roads, not authorities'
administrative costs. Funding The
bill's sponsor in the House said he hasn't given up on asking the
governor for funding this year. Rep. Bill Galvano,
R-Bradenton, said he might request money from a fund that aids
communities. If
Galvano doesn't succeed, he said, he will
turn to local governments in areas covered by the authority - Citrus,
Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, "If
this issue is that important, then we need to show the governor and
others in Reporter
Rich Shopes can be reached at (813)
259-7633 or rshopes@tampatrib.com.
Growth
Headed For The Hills?
Published:
Jun 6, 2007 The
region between On
Tuesday, planners for the first time revealed to county commissioners
their vision for the 22,000-acre region - a vision crafted over the
past few months with the help of local residents. The
plan, as laid out for commissioners, sets aside about 12,000 acres of
wetlands and development "rural enclaves." The remaining
land would be developed by concentrating future growth in about a
dozen villagelike centers spread from The
scale and scope of the project will mean adding miles of new roads,
sewer lines and other utilities to an area largely devoid of them. That,
planners said, will be expensive. No
one offered a price tag for the work, but for the first time planners
laid out ways the county, landowners and developers might pay for the
new infrastructure. The
most likely way would be to create special taxing districts to draw
the funds for construction from the areas that will benefit directly,
said Bob Nabors, a consultant hired to analyze the project's financial
feasibility. The
region could also benefit from an impact fee created specifically for
it and from assessing existing residents to help pay for road
improvements. With
no dominant landowner to focus growth, the project could benefit from
having several smaller landowners join forces to build a few of the
future town centers as a way of inspiring others, Nabors said. "My
experience is, people have a hard time visualizing these
concepts," Nabors said. Nabors
was quick to remind commissioners that the financing plan is flexible. "These
are all ideas to generate thinking about how to get from here to
there," Nabors said. "They're not set in stone." The
Pasadena Hills plan has drawn little, if any, opposition from
residents, hundreds of whom gave their input on what should be done
with their area. Critics
from northeast "This
is something Reporter
Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813)
948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com. With
plan, county can take control of growth
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Centex
Homes unveiled plans for Phase 1 of the 2,068-acre project at a
planning and zoning board meeting Tuesday, with a proposed
55,000-square-foot clubhouse with such features as a ballroom dance
floor and spa, a fitness center and possibly a small community
theater.
Kenneth
DeLaTorre of Centex estimated about 2,800
of the 4,000 homes and townhomes on the
property west of
Despite
LTC's early entry into the world of
western development in Port St. Lucie, plans for the mixed-use
development never got off the ground except for a small industrial
park.
A
contract dispute waylaid plans for homes in 2003, just as nearby
landowners like Core Communities, PGA and G.L. Homes were announcing
dreams of building their own mega-communities on vast tracts of
farmland west of I-95.
With
the court battle settled and Centex paying $110 million for the land
last year, developers said they are eager to break ground next spring
despite the slumping housing market.
"We
think we'll have a unique product to offer the active adult who wants
to be surrounded by nature," DeLaTorre
said. "There's a lot of lakes and
wetlands, and we're going to use that as an attraction."
Three-fourths
of the 4,000 homes will be single-family, with the others townhouses
and owner-occupied apartments. No price range has been set, but DeLaTorre
said value will be a key factor in attracting buyers in a lackluster
market.
Previous
owners secured the right to build up to 4,000 homes, 2 million square
feet of industrial space and 725,000 square feet of retail space.
Centex is seeking some changes to the non-residential figures and will
present its overall plan this summer.
The
developer also must donate 120 acres to the city and school district
for a regional park and a school. The proposal will be discussed by
the city council later this month.
Couple
requests rezoning to build home
BY JESSICA RAYNOR
FLORIDATODAY
Peter and Lynn Pearson will appear at the planning and zoning
commission meeting at 7 p.m. The two have regularly attended city
council meetings within the last several months, questioning the
council on the city’s methods for determining wetlands by using
seemingly outdated maps.
The Pearsons’ previous attempt to build
on the property failed. The city will discuss the issue at its June 26
meeting.
In other business, the planning and zoning commission will discuss
naming a street in the Timber Trace apartment project, look at a Tire
Kingdom project, and discuss an ordinance that would transfer
development rights within the central business district.
Contact Raynor
at 360-1016 or jraynor@floridatoday.com
Impact
fee vote delayed as builders ask for time
Joshua
Davidovich
Staff
Writer
TAVARES
- A controversial vote on the first of several proposed increases in
impact fees won't happen until at least August.
The Lake County Commission voted Tuesday to delay action on
transportation impact fees for 60 days at the request of the Lake
County Home Builders Association, which asked for the time to review
and challenge the study supporting the fee increases.
"We just received the final report from Tindale
Oliver on May 21. We have a consultant on board," HBA president
Jim Bible said. "It's just really become known in the last week
or two what the significance of the numbers are."
The vote was taken before a standing room-only crowd of builders and
others at the county commission chambers in Tavares.
Many
were on hand to oppose the proposed rate increases which would make
Commissioners expressed hope that with the delay, they would be able
to vote on both transportation and school impact fees at the same
time.
"By then the school impact fee should be ready," Commission
Chairman Welton Cadwell
said. "By then the special session will be over."
The state Legislature will determine how to provide property tax
relief during the special section. How that is accomplished, and to
what extent, may affect county revenue.
The initial school impact fee study called for similar fee increases
that also would be the highest in the state. Though that study had
already been approved by the school board, it is under re-review by
the study's authors.
Commissioner Debbie Stivender drew large
applause when she told the crowd she opposed the fee increases.
"I came into this meeting wanting to deny this proposal,"
she said.
Officials had originally hoped to have the fees in place by Oct. 1,
the beginning of the fiscal year, but said they may have to delay that
until Jan. 1.
Bible said he would deliver a list of homebuilders' concerns to the
county commission later this week and hoped to meet with them to
discuss the issues before the vote in early August.
"It's not our intention to delay getting something adopted,"
he said. "We don't want to let this languish."'
Commissioner Linda Stewart waited until the end of the meeting to
voice her support for the fees, which she said were being presented in
an unfair light.
"I'm rather sick of the grandstanding and scare tactics,"
she said. "The fact about impact fees is that they are
necessary."
County
Allows ApplicationFor Stewardship Program
By
JIM KONKOLY
Published:
June 6, 2007
SEBRING
- Highlands County Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to allow the
county's two biggest landholders – Atlanticblue
and Lykes Brothers – to apply for the
state's new Rural Land Stewardship program as a development option.
RLS
allows development of a new, self-sustaining town in a rural area if
the landowner makes permanent commitments to preserve surrounding
areas for conservation and agriculture.
Atlanticblue,
which operates the 65,000-acre Blue Head Ranch west of Lake Placid,
and Lykes Brothers, which farms on 68,000
acres surrounding
Spokesmen
for both companies said they have no immediate plans for development
of a town but want RLS as an option to concentrate development in a
confined area while maintaining large portions of their land for
agriculture and conservation.
Commissioner
Barbara Stewart cast the lone "no" vote on declaring the
county's intent to consider the two sites – which collectively
account for 20 percent of the county – for RLS development.
Stewart said she supports RLS as a planning tool for rural development
and land conservation but wanted more detailed information in the
county's letter to the DCA.
Lykes
Brothers and Atlanticblue have agreed to
pay the county's costs for reviewing their RLS applications. J. Ross
Macbeth, county legal counsel, said details of those agreements are
being worked out while county officials look into hiring
transportation, environmental and planning consultants for RLS review.
Macbeth
advised commissioners to invite the cities of Sebring and
The
DCA has said development of large-scale RLS projects could decrease
the amount of development allowed by the state in other areas of the
county, Macbeth said.
"How
much that (RLS) precludes moving ahead with other development plans is
not known," he said.
Mark Morton, senior vice president of Lykes
Brothers Land Investments, Inc., said the company has no immediate
plans for a new town but wants RLS designation in case such a project
becomes viable in the future.
"This
(RLS) is a long range planning tool," Morton said. "If there
were a market for somebody to want to do a new town, if a new town
made sense, we would be able to react to it. And the county would be
in a position for lands to be be in
conservation and for agriculture lands to be set aside."
Lisa
Jenson, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Antlanticblue,
said her company views RLS as an important development option but has
no immediate plans to develop a town.
Wednesday,
June 06, 2007
STUART
— Mobile home parks cannot be bulldozed into condominiums in
Commissioners
unanimously approved a temporary moratorium barring the owners of any
mobile home parks from applying to change the use of their land or
rezone it in order to redevelop it.
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Mobile
home parks provide affordable housing for low-income and retired
residents. Commissioners instituted the moratorium because owners of
several mobile home parks have expressed interest in closing their
parks and turning them into more expensive permanent homes and condos.
"We
need low income housing," said
Bloomfield
Meadows park owner Art Palma is evicting residents such as Tower
because he wants to redevelop the park into condos. Tower said the
moratorium is needed because lower-income residents like her deserve a
place to live in the county.
"People
who live in parks are not white trash or poor people," she said.
"I work every day, so I don't consider myself a poor
person."
Some
mobile home parks in the county's seven community redevelopment areas
will not have to follow the moratorium. Mobile home parks in
Commissioner
Doug Smith supported the moratorium but said it may not do much to
help low-income residents because it does not stop a park owner from
evicting residents and closing a park, only from trying to redevelop
it.
"This
won't stop an owner from dissolving a park," Smith said.
Quigley
agreed that
The
moratorium bars any new applications for at least 15 months, Quigley
said, and commissioners will use that time to create ordinances to
preserve mobile home parks or create affordable housing.
Terry
McCarthy,
Commissioners
have proposed solutions that would require owners who redevelop mobile
home parks to build more mobile homes elsewhere.
"In
the end hopefully we'll have some solutions for housing," said
Commissioner Lee Weberman.
Resident
Debbie Cooper, reading a letter for Indiantown mobile home park
resident Art Madsen, said elderly retired residents living in mobile
homes deserve to be protected as an "endangered species"
just like rare animals.
"Suddenly
they have become expendable and the land is getting sold out from
under them," Cooper read from the letter. "They do not have
as much protection as a tree frog or a turtle."
By
PATRICK WHITTLE
patrick.whittle@heraldtribune.com
That is the date of a public hearing for
According to county records, the ordinance would:
Prohibit
residents from using fertilizers that contain nitrogen or phosphorous
between June 1 and Oct. 1.
Create
a fertilizer-free buffer zone within 10 feet of any body of water.
Create
a "no-mow zone" within 6 feet of any body of water.
Require
completion of a training course for all professional fertilizer
applicators.
Require
rotary fertilizer spraying devices to include a special shield.
County leaders have spent more than a year crafting the new law.
"There's no way we're ever going to be able to restore the bays
to the state which they were before" the widespread use of
fertilizers, Thaxton said. "We're
shooting for the best that we can get."
The county's proposed law takes some cues from an ordinance passed by
the city of
Sanibel and
The county's proposed law also encourages residents to use
slow-release fertilizers rather than quick release fertilizers that
are prone to wash down drains.
The county commissioners added an exemption that allows residents to
use fertilizers in the rainy season on "damaged, diseased or new
landscaping."
The commissioners capped the use of nitrogen at five pounds per 1,000
square feet per year.
The commissioners also put a 2 percent cap on the amount of
phosphorous that can be used in fertilizer blends.
Fertilizer industry representatives have expressed concern that
The ordinance states that a strong law is necessary as "part of a
multi-pronged effort by
By
JOHN DAVIS
NORTH
PORT -- Experts are telling North Port's leaders the city will have to
charge people more for upkeep if it wants to stay ahead of maintenance
on hundreds of miles of roads and the city's massive drainage network.
This is the latest proposed fee increase in
In the past, the City Commission has been reluctant to increase city
taxes and fees, even when experts and city staff recommended it.
But
Today, two consulting firms will tell city leaders that
"It's a difficult thing for people to see and us to do,"
said
According to Public Works Director Branford Adumuah,
if
Today, Adumuah will likely recommend an
increase of about 30 percent for most homeowners, who now pay the city
$120 a year for repaving.
"We're going to advance slowly," said Commissioner Richard
Lockhart of the road fee proposal.
Last month, the consultant Government Resources Group recommended that
the city increase garbage pickup fees to $300 next year for residents,
up from the $209 residents now pay.
The commission has yet to make a decision on what next year's garbage
fee will be or whether the whole department will be turned over to a
private company.
This month, the commission will also talk about whether to go through
with a planned increase in construction impact fees. Beginning in
October, the impact fees the city charges to build a house will go
from $6,861 to $9,809, but with the massive slowdown in home building,
city leaders are rethinking the plan.
The city is spending $13 million on an unprecedented road repaving and
drainage rehabilitation program that will cover about 130 miles of
roadway. The city has hundreds of miles of roads and drainage networks
left to rehabilitate, but is short of the money to do it.
News
Chief staff
The
annexations total approximately 914 acres and more than 90 percent of
the property is proposed for residential development.
Of
the remainder, 47 acres is city property proposed for the expansion of
the
Eleven
acres is proposed for commercial or industrial development and a
9-acre site on Hunt Brothers Road next to the new soccer fields is
proposed for construction of a church.
Other
plans for property includes a business park
development and a real estate office facility.
Second
readings for the proposed ordinances will be scheduled for the next
meeting June 19, along with the first readings of ordinances assigning
future land use and zoning map designations.
In
other business, the commission has put to rest an issue that's been a
topic of meetings for at least two months.
The
issue was first broached at the Feb. 20 meeting, when it was made
known that the contract for preventative maintenance and repair of
heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment and controls for
the city was erroneously awarded to Gill's Heating and Cooling. The
award should've been given to the actual lowest bidder, Natural Air
Heating and Cooling.
At
the March 21 meeting, the commission decided to rescind the bid and
put it up for a rebid.
On
April 4, Natural Air Heating and Cooling Systems threatened to sue the
Lake Wales City Commission for rescinding the bids.
The
decision by the commission at the April 4 meeting was to rebid
the contracts.
Tuesday
night's meeting brought forth yet another decision with the
maintenance contract.
The
commission decided to reject all bids received on May 8 for preventive
maintenance and direct the purchasing agent to prepare a request for
proposals.
Commissioner
Jack VanSickle met with city staff because
he has expertise in evaluating these types of contracts and he
recommended that all of the bids be rejected.
"This
is a methodology of arriving at a fair evaluation of the bids,"
said Mayor Alex Wheeler.
During
talks about the issue, it was decided that preventative maintenance
would be done in-house and in August, a city staff member will attend
a 49-week air conditioning, refrigeration and heating technology class
at
"We're
trying to improve the process," said City Manager Tony Otte.
Jonathan
Carson, president of Natural Air Heating and Cooling, said that he was
glad that the commission knows what the contract evaluation was.
"I
understood it from the beginning and I tried desperately to earn your
business,"
The
commission unanimously agreed to reject the contract bids and adopt
the procedure for maintenance repairs.
michelle.godefrin@newschief.com
Bunnell
annexation 'alive and well and moving forward'
By
LAUREN SONIS
BUNNELL
--
City
commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday night to approve an ordinance that
would add 42,329 acres by voluntary petition to Bunnell's
roughly 75 square miles.
If
commissioners approve the ordinance on second reading, scheduled for 7
p.m. June 19, that would make Bunnell
about 145 square miles, about 30 percent of
"Everything
is going wonderfully," Elbert Tucker said outside City Hall.
Tucker, who owns some of the land, later said, "The annexation
issue is alive and well and moving forward."
He
said he does not know of anyone who has plans for development.
The
potential annexation, running northwest of the city's current
boundaries, would be the third large annexation in two years for Bunnell.
In
2005, the city annexed 10,500 acres extending five miles south of
downtown.
And
in 2006, Bunnell annexed 37,000 acres
south of the 2005 annexation, down to the
Bunnell's
community development director Mick Cuthbertson
said the city has more than 2,500 people in the current boundaries,
according to the
While
Cuthbertson does not know how high the
population would jump if the city annexes the proposed properties, he
doubts it would be much because the land is mostly agricultural.
Agricultural
zoning has taken a hot seat in Bunnell's
annexations. The city recently hired planning consultant Roger Wilburn
to work on a future land-use map amendment that could help Bunnell
meet state standards for growth management involving the 10,500 acres
annexed in 2005.
Department
of Community Affairs regional administrator Mike McDaniel met with
city officials in January and raised concerns about urban sprawl and
the city's agricultural zoning, which allows people to build one unit
per acre of land.
While
city officials and landowners have said most of the land would remain
open, McDaniel said the department didn't want people to come in and
develop however they wanted.
City
Manager Richard Diamond said Tuesday afternoon the policies Wilburn
develops for the 2005 annexation could apply to other annexations.
And
Diamond said if the city approves the newest annexation, there would
not be much demand on services because the additional population would
be so small.
"But
it will increase the demand for services, there's no question about
that," he said.
Diamond
said there is potential for development, and the question is whether
the tax base would cover the cost for additional services.
For
now,
The
county is 845 square miles with 89,075 residents, said
By
Published June 6, 2007
The
Dade City Commission will vote Tuesday, June 12, regarding annexation
of 60 acres south of the city. The developer wants to put 360 units on
this property. Approximately 30 percent of the parcels are wetlands,
resulting in the remaining land having nearly 9 units per acre. The
county zoning maximum is 5.8 per acre.
The
impact of this development upon the city will be extensive. First, the
entrance will be on U.S. 301, accessible from the north only, the exit
will be right turn only onto U.S. 301. This clearly will result in
hundreds more cars making U-turns. This is presently the most
congested section of road in the town.
The
development will not be able to contain its runoff in holding ponds,
thus requiring the city to pump extensive volumes of water into a
system that presently is overloaded and has in the past flooded sewage
into Hester Lake, and ultimately into the Withlacoochee River.
The
developer, out of the goodness of his heart, has persuaded the city to
"give" more than 3 acres to the development, thus relieving
the city of any potential liability. Potential value of this gift is
possibly over $1-million.
It
appears that one cannot only get the keys to the city, but a
gold MasterCard at the same time.
Patrick
Lawhead,
County
hears options for ballfields May 23, story
I
wish to thank St. Petersburg Times staff writer Theresa Blackwell for
her concise reporting of the May 22 County Commission meeting
regarding the fate of Brooker Creek
Preserve. It was heartening to see a packed room of residents who
sacrificed a work day to be heard and support the rightful future of
the preserve.
There
were some telling reactions to offers and alternative solutions. First
off, Commissioner Susan Latvala's
dismissal of Tarpon Springs Mayor Beverley Billiris'
offer of land for the ballfields.
Apparently, 3 miles is too far to travel for those soccer-starved kids
from
I
also found it odd that there was any discussion with regard to the
water blending plant, considering it appears to be a foregone
conclusion that this facility is being built on preserve land. It is
already shown on the
And
while I don't care if there's a soccer field for every child in East
Lake, the county can't afford to lose more natural resources to meet
that end. I take issue with the last speaker at the commission meeting
who damned all pro-Brooker
preservationists because we didn't appear to be inclined to bear
audible witness to the decibel-breaking, teeth-grinding screech of
children at play. Odd but true, there is a segment of the human
population that is not a parent or grandparent. It is not remotely
pleasurable, delightful, or even entertaining to be subjected to that
noise.
Kathleen
Finnerty, Largo Brooker
Creek
Let's
keep pristine land
Land
was set aside for a preserve at Brooker
Creek. This decision was official, and we citizens expected it to be
binding. Any action that changes the preserve changes the spirit of
the meaning "preserve" and is not the desire or the
intention, nor does it have the approval, of us citizens.
Greed
and corruption have depleted our natural resources. Inappropriate use
of natural resources has caused the extinction of plants and animals.
When will we stop?
Years
from now, do our county commissioners want to be known as the persons
responsible for the loss of this preserve by beginning to allow the
preserve to be used for other purposes? Are they going to be the
example for destruction or the example for preservation?
Now
is the time to stop all destruction of pristine land. Now is the time
to curtail development.
Do
we really need that golf course (condominium, new mall, bridge, etc.),
or does someone just want to sell some land for a good price? Who
benefits? The few or the many? If many,
then allow it. If only a few, preserve it for the future of all life
currently using it.
Should
we rebuild on land that has to be replenished after a natural process
such as a storm? Let's get smart and stop the destruction of the land
and start conservation of all natural resources.
Susan
E. Tanner, Seminole
Wetlands
figure into
By
WILLIAM COVERT
Correspondent
SOUTH
DAYTONA -- A condo developer has substantially changed plans for the
At
the May 16 meeting of the Land Development Regulation Board, board
members reviewed a revised proposal from Malaga Investments of Daytona
Beach, regarding the 3.4-acre parcel at
After
negotiations with the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department
of Environmental Protection,
Also,
the developer has pledged to acquire the vacant McBride property on
the south side to develop into "parkland" for public use and
public access to the shoreline walkway, which will travel over the
wetlands and along the river.
Schoch
told the board the developer had done his best to reconfigure the
site, including reducing minimum unit size from 1,500 square feet to
1,178 square feet.
"These
proposed changes are reasonable and they will result in a more
attractive project," he said.
"However,"
he added, "the city would still like to find a way to increase
the building setback off of Ridgewood Avenue and to minimize impacts
on neighbors to the south."
Thomas
Wright, an attorney for
City
Attorney Scott Simpson replied that the density had not increased, and
the McBride property would be totally dedicated as a park for public
use.
Board
member Shawn Goepfert voiced a concern
that with a building height of 184 feet, the condo would tower above
Malaga
Investments owner Felix Amon countered
that he had opened up as much space as he could between the multiple
buildings in his project, as well as incorporated aesthetics, a more
Mediterranean design and public access.
The
board voted 5-2 to recommend approval of the project to the City
Council, with Goepfert and Rick Sita
dissenting.
City
Manager Joe Yarbrough said the item would not be on the agenda for the
next council meeting on June 12, but that city staff was receiving the
changes well.
"They
acquired the land to provide access to the wetlands, which effectively
reduced the density and gives the public a chance to have access to
the river and the wetlands," he said.
Rather
than seeing
Judge
orders Yankeetown government to respond
By
Jeff M. Hardison
BRONSON
— A judge on Monday ordered Yankeetown
officials to respond within 30 days to a lawsuit accusing them of
refusing to produce public records.
An
action filed May 20 in Levy County civil circuit court accuses the
government of Yankeetown of “willfully and knowingly” refusing to
produce public records, which is in violation of Florida Statutes
requiring public records to be accessible to inspect and/or copy by
any person.
Circuit
Court Judge David Glant ordered the town
to respond to the accusation within 30 days “to show good cause why
this court should not grant the relief Petitioner seeks.”
The
petitioner is Izaak Walton Investors (IWI),
a developer that wants to build a few marinas, a dry dock, and
residential and recreational living facilities along the
Attorneys
for IWI are seeking a writ of mandamus for injunctive relief to force
Yankeetown officials to comply with public records laws and
compensation for their client’s attorney fees. Mandamus is an order
from a judge to a government to abide by the law.
As
part of the action, the developer asked Judge Glant
to advance the cause on the court docket. Izaak
Walton Investors wants the town to be enjoined from continuing to fail
to comply with public records laws.
The
suit seeks this case to be decided by a jury trial.
The
accusing party says the town has failed, as of May 20, 2007, to
produce records that were sought as follows:
n
On March 31, 2006, IWI sought “… all zoning official records; and
all Planning and Zoning files related to B’s
n
On Oct. 13, 2006, IWI requested copies of 12 categories of public
records, which were never produced.
n
On Nov. 17, 2006, IWI made another request, and the majority of those
documents were never provided.
n
On April 4, 2007, IWI requested “… a copy of the agenda, handouts
and memoranda provided for the Town Council meeting of April 2, 2007;
and a copy of the tape recording” of that April 2 meeting. Those
records were not in the plaintiff’s hands as of May 20, according to
the suit.
IWI
also noted it had requested town budgets, but had not been provided
with those.
Yankeetown
Mayor Dawn Marie Clary said she believes the town will prevail,
because the town has records of it providing copies of materials
requested by IWI. She said the law allows the town to ask for payment
for copies in advance of providing them, and IWI has not paid that
money in advance.
The
developer contends it has been precluded from seeing those records.
When
complete, the proposed IWI work would include three projects next to
the
The
main developers are Peter Spittler and his
partner Jim Sherwood of Gulf to Bay Developers of Clearwater.
This
action is one of four active suits against the town and various
individuals by IWI. Three other cases were dismissed completely.
On
May 2, Judge Glant dismissed a lawsuit
against individuals in Yankeetown but he gave attorney Lewis 20 days
to amend the suit. As of June 4, that amended suit had not appeared
and would therefore be beyond the 20-day limit.
Jeff
M. Hardison is a reporter for the Chiefland
Citizen.
By
BARBARA BEHRENDT
Published June 6, 2007
But
a grassy hill tucked away in one corner hides what could have been an
upscale neighborhood for royalty hundreds of years ago.
For
16 centuries American Indians trekked to what is now known as the
Soon
many of those ancient secrets could be revealed thanks to technology
previously reserved for architectural, engineering and manufacturing.
Virtual
map
In
recent months,
"While
During
one visit, she sat in a truck watching as the results of a laser scan
unfolded, filling her laptop screen with a blizzard of dots. As the
minutes ticked by, the dots assembled into the shape of the adjacent
landscape. Doering adjusted the equipment
on the nearby mound to make the next laser sweep.
The
laser scan provides the texture of the landscape while the
high-definition GPS plots the geographic features in their global
location.
Every
indentation and slope of the land appeared on the screen, creating a
virtual blueprint of the knoll. Where the naked
eye sees a rolling field, laser scan images showed walkways,
foundations and mounds.
The
scanning also protects elements of the site. One of the most popular
features at the
3-D
puzzle
But
time is threatening to wipe it out forever. By laser scanning it,
"at least we'll have it preserved, kind of a time freeze of it
the way it is now, " Collins said.
"The
laser scanning itself is a very good interpretive tool and, more than
that, an archival measurement of the structures themselves because
over time they change, " said state
park manager Nick Robbins.
He
knows. Years ago his father managed the site, and he has in his own
lifetime seen the deterioration in features of the stelae.
On
another recent weekend, Collins and Doering
brought a short-range scanner to the
Nearby,
Collins sat on the pavement with other students gathered around her.
Piece by virtual piece, the details of the stela
displayed onto her screen. Then she began assembling the pieces
correctly - like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.
Barbara
Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com
or 352 754-6117.
Clear
Springs
hosts plant grand opening
BARTOW - More than 300 people turned out from all over the world for a
grand tour of the new
Dorn
Wenninger, vice president of Clear
Springs, guided the tour through the 100,000-square-foot facility,
explaining each phase that the blueberries go through. From the time
the growers deliver the fruit to Clear Springs, each berry is graded,
cooled and packaged before being distributed to stores throughout the
"We
have a grower room where we have complete transparency," said Wenninger,
pointing to windows where workers are in the packing house with
thousands of blueberries on conveyor belts. "Growers can see
everything that we're doing at all times. We don't want to hide
anything. We want the growers to come in here at all times and watch
their own fruit going through. There is a computer in the corner where
they can go online and look up everything about their fruit, from the
time it enters our facility until the time it's sold. They can check
on their fruit 24 hours per day by logging on to our server, as
well."
The
facility has an 18,000-acre farm in Bartow where planting has begun.
Currently, there are 150 acres of blueberry bushes in the ground and
producing fruit. The farm is 10 to 15 minutes south of the packing
facility, and the public is welcome to view it. This is the first year
the plants have produced, and Clear Springs was able to harvest its
own fruit. Blueberry plants are known to produce berries for up to 10
years or longer.
The
tour included a glimpse into the packing room where the berries are
sorted and packed into clear plastic clamshell containers and labeled
by weight with a bar code for safety and tracking. The code allows for
tracking the package once it leaves the facility and also provides the
date it was packaged as well as the grower. State-of-the-art infrared
cameras examine every berry before it is packaged. As the berries go
up the conveyor belt, the camera will spot and cause the machine to
reject berries that are soft, green or flawed and not suitable for
packaging. The rejected berries are sold to outside plants that use
them in the making of products such as yogurt. There is also a size
grader that separates the jumbo berries from the smaller fruit.
The
facility has refrigerated airlock chambers to ensure the cooling
process isn't disturbed as people enter and exit. Special cooling
devices keep the berries at their ideal temperature to ensure
freshness. The state-of-the-art cooling device can cool 12 pallets
down to 34 degrees in only 20 minutes. From there, the berries are
held in cooling chambers, which are hermetically sealed.
Clear
Springs has 33 growers for blueberries, ranging from small single
growers with up to two acres who deliver their fruit to the facility
in their own cars to massive 100-acre farmers who pull up in a
freightliner and drop off berries. Blueberry season goes from the
middle of March until the end of May.
"We're
very lucky to have blueberries right now," said Wenninger.
"Normally in
Visitors
were treated to a video presentation of the new facility before the
ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Charles
Bronson,
"People
are getting more concerned about food safety," said Bronson.
"Look at what's happening in
Jerry
D'Amore, vice president of Clear Springs,
reminded people that the impressive facility they were touring started
with just one person.
"At
times like this, you get caught up in the spirit of a new
facility," said D'Amore. "But
look back. It was one man's vision. One man's
commitment."
Stanford
Phelps, a Wall Street investor with no experience in produce, came up
with the concept of Clear Springs and acquired the property from
Terry
Atchley, director of operations, was
introduced by D'Amore as "The man of
the hour" for taking the facility and turning it into an
operating phenomenon in only six months.
"This
was a major undertaking, but we had a heck of a team working on
this," Atchley said. "We're real
proud. Especially since we were told by two different engineering
groups that this wouldn't happen, so that's why we're so proud.
Fortunately, we were able to prove them wrong and they were big enough
to come to us and admit they were wrong. So, today is a real
accomplishment."
At
the end of it all, Jura Zibas, president
of Clear Springs, officially cut the red ribbon to kick off the
official grand opening.
"In
this room there are dozens of farmers, husband and wife teams, and
family units," said D'Amore. "We
really, really appreciate our growers. We would not have a business
without you. These are people who know what they're doing and let us
represent their crops. I want to say thank you and tell you that
you're my heroes."
You
may learn more about
Taylor
By Bruce Ritchie
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
PERRY
- The Taylor County Commission voted Monday to allow a coal-fired power
plant on nearly 3,000 acres adjacent to the Buckeye Florida pulp mill.
Most
speakers during a three-hour public hearing spoke against the project,
saying it could worsen air pollution in the region cause traffic
problems or harm the rural quality of life.
Holding
up a paper air mask and then a rubber gas mask, Janet Monroe of Perry
said, "I ask you: One coal plant or seven coal plants? I say no
coal plants."
But
some county commissioners and project supporters cited the 180 full-time
jobs and economic spin-off they say the plant would create.
"Without
a plant like this coming here, there are zero jobs coming here,"
said Jim Moody of Perry.
The
project still faces a hurdle on the state level: The Florida Department
of Community Affairs has raised objections and could file a legal
challenge to block approval.
Burning
coal contributes to heart and lung diseases and unhealthy levels of
mercury in fish, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The partnership said the project will use state-of-the-art pollution
controls while providing affordable, reliable energy to meet growth
needs.
The
Taylor County Commission voted 4-0 to create new land-use categories for
power plants. At about 11:30 p.m. the commission finished debating a
proposal to apply the power-plant designation to the proposed site near
the Buckeye Florida pulp mill along the
"I
would never say I thought of you as a pointy-headed intellectual, so
don't refer to me as a redneck politician," Commissioner Rudolph
Parker said.
"I'm
not a redneck either," said Commissioner Pat Patterson, who is
black.
DCA
has raised concerns about 25 percent of the site being wetlands and half
being in a flood plain. The department also has raised concerns about
the availability of water and sewer at the site.
In
response, the partnership proposes requiring a 250-foot setback from the
The
department also raised concern about the availability of water and the
undetermined number of plants that could be built there.
The
partnership also says it will reuse wastewater from the Buckeye Florida
mill, reducing the power-plant's groundwater pumping by 80 percent to
1.5 million gallons per day.
The
partnership also proposed limiting the number of plants to four in one
category and three in another. That proposal touched off concerns among
some environmentalists that
The
Florida Public Service Commission still must determine whether the plant
is needed and whether it will be cost-effective.
The
governor and Cabinet could be asked to approve the project in early
2008. The site certification application was filed last month with the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The
other plant partners are the Florida Municipal Power Agency, the Reedy
Creek Improvement District and JEA, the former Jacksonville Electric
Authority. The partners say they expect to start construction on the $2
billion plant next year and begin operation in 2012.
Tuesday,
June 05, 2007
"There
is little doubt that the growth in FPL's territory warrants electricity,
but does that electricity need to come from
pulverized coal? No, FPL can generate this from natural gas,"
Florida Public Service Commissioner Matthew Carter II said early this
afternoon during a hearing in
|
|
Carter's
take on the project - a twin-unit 1,960-megawatt ultra-supercritical
pulverized-coal plant that would open in 2013 - came after a deluge of
questions from newly appointed commissioner Nathan Skop
to the PSC staff about whether building one large coal plant would do
anything to help diversify FPL's fuel, the majority of which comes from
natural gas.
If
the proposed plant is built, the percentage of fuel that FPL gets from
natural gas will be around 60 percent. If the plant isn't built, the
percentage will be 70.
"Going
from 60 to 70 percent is a big swing," PSC staffer Tom Ballinger
said. "We're not going to change fuel diversity overnight, but FPL
is going to have to start somewhere."
Skop
continued the argument later:
"We're
still exposed to fuel volatility, that's not going to go away,
" he said.
The
Still,
it was clear that the regulators are in for a long day of discussion on
FPL's project.
"This
is a landmark decision that will have a profound impact on
FPL
must still secure permits from the state's Department of Environmental
Protection as well as a final OK from Gov. Charlie Crist
and the Cabinet before building the plant, which will sit on 5,000 acres
about 5 miles northwest of Moore Haven.
The
PSC hearing continues this afternoon. The other newly appointed
commissioner on the five-member panel, former Sen. Nancy Argenziano,
has asked not to vote today because she has not had enough time to
review the case.
Crew
Finds More Tortoises, Glue In Locks At Mall
SitePublished:
Jun 5, 2007
WESLEY
CHAPEL - The developers of
They
found vandals had injected glue into the padlocks on the gates leading
into the property. The locks had to be cut off to get into the site.
They
found protestors from Citizens for Sanity videotaping their comings and
goings from the shoulder of S.R. 56 and from a tree on the bank of
Cypress Creek.
Then,
after biologists began digging up tortoise burrows, they found more than
the 10 adult tortoises they had set out to relocate.
Crews
also uncovered two clutches of eggs and a number of newly hatched
tortoises.
Gary
Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, said Monday that biologists moved 10 animals and left behind
the animals beyond that limit.
Mall
builder Richard E. Jacobs Group filed the paperwork to amend its
relocation permit Monday, according to wildlife officials in
Those
documents ask to move 40 more tortoises, allowing for four hatchlings
for each adult on the site.
A
state wildlife law enforcement officer called to monitor the relocation
Saturday issued the crew a warning because it had not posted its
permits, as required by law.
The
crew had the permits in hand, but the weather prevented them from
putting them on display, Morse said.
Shirley
Denton, vice president of Biological Research Associates, the firm that
handled the relocation for the Jacobs Group, said her firm will return
for the remaining tortoises after state wildlife officials amend the
existing relocation permit. That process could take a week or more.
Some
of the young tortoises may fall prey to raccoons and other predators in
the meantime, she said.
Citizens
for Sanity members Dan Rametta and Clay
Colson, who were among the half-dozen people watching Saturday's
relocation work, say Jacobs should do a more thorough study to find
undiscovered tortoises.
Rametta
said last week the mall site held nearly three dozen tortoises, not the
10 Jacobs claimed.
"It
flies in the face of common sense that there's no more than 30 tortoises
out there," Rametta said.
Colson
said Jacobs doesn't have the permits it needs to do the relocation, a
claim wildlife officials and county development officials deny.
Colson
and Rametta denied having anything to do
with the vandalism to the locks on the property's gate.
"It
wasn't us," Rametta said. "We try
to take the high moral ground on this."
Jacobs
plans to open its 1.3-million-square-foot regional mall in October 2008.
Reporter
Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813)
948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.
Wildlife
officials defend killing of bear
By Gerald Ensley
DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER
The
But
state officials Monday defended their decision Sunday morning to
euthanize a young black bear that wandered into
The
200-pound male bear was shot with a tranquilizer dart while in a tree in
the 1100 block of
Commission
officials said the bear was euthanized because he had been captured and
returned to the wild twice in South Florida during May, before being
relocated to the nearby
Fish
and Wildlife rules allow a bear to be euthanized after its third foray
into an urban setting. Once this bear was tranquilized to remove it from
the tree, his record of urban visits was discovered from the computer
chip in his ear.
Commission
spokesman Stan Kirkland acknowledged the agency got several calls of
complaint Monday following news coverage about the bear. He said
wildlife officials normally would have allowed the bear to leave on his
own, but he was wandering in a high-traffic area during church hours.
There
has never been a recorded attack on humans in
"We
don't use (the euthanasia policy) on a whim,"
It
was the sixth bear euthanized in the state this year. State officials
have euthanized a total of 27 since 1979.
Callers
to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Tallahassee
Democrat suggested the bear could have been donated to a zoo or nature
museum.
Yet
Russell Daws, executive director of the
The
museum has two bears, which were captured as young nuisance animals in
Daws
said he appreciated the commission's policies, but thought the decision
to euthanize the bear was made too quickly.
"You
always have the option of making the decision they did (Sunday) at any
point down the road," Daws said.
"I don't know if any place has a vacancy for a black bear. But you
don't know until you make the effort."
Betsy
Knight said the bear should not have been euthanized unless he showed
aggression - such as charging humans or baring his teeth. Knight has
raised 40 orphaned black bear cubs at her compound near Blountstown and
released them into the wild.
She
said bears wander into urban areas because humans keep "paving
over" their natural habitat.
"The
answer is you've got to learn to co-exist," Knight said.
"Leave them alone. They're not hurting anyone. If you don't want
them in the garbage, put it up until the garbage man comes."
"Moving
a bear is just a temporary solution many times," he said.
"They will come back."
Adam
Warwick, the Fish and Wildlife biologist who
euthanized the bear Sunday, said in an e-mail that "every
reasonable effort was made not to euthanize this bear." But
"I
haven't spoken with a single FWC employee who enjoys euthanizing bears
or any animal,"
Coalition:
Briny Breezes Redevelopment Plan Vague, Incomplete and Irresponsible
What Independent Experts Are Saying About the Proposed Briny Breezes Redevelopment Plan Under State Review
Those reviews, by the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, raise doubts about the Briny Breezes plan to radically increase the population density on an environmentally fragile, hurricane-prone barrier island.
“These are yet two more expert, independent agencies whose professional staff have serious concerns about deficiencies in the Briny Breezes redevelopment plan,” said Florida Coalition for Preservation Chairman Tom Evans. “This lends yet more weight to our Coalition’s contention that the Briny Breezes plan is ill-conceived, irresponsible and does not meet state standards.”
The following are samples of comments made by official agencies that have reviewed the Briny Breezes redevelopment plan:
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD):
“Our review has determined that the proposed land uses are not adequately defined, and their maximum allowable densities and intensities are not properly specified. Further, we have found that the amendment proposal does not adequately address the availability of water supply facility planning, nor provide a capital improvement schedule for water supply infrastructure.” June 1, 2007 Letter to DCA from P.K. Sharma, Lead Planner, SFWMD Water Supply Planning Division.
“The proposed land uses are not adequately defined with maximum allowable densities and intensities specified for all proposed land uses. This information is directly connected to the projection of future water and sewer demands and the capability of proposed utility providers to commit to future service provision. Additionally, needed associated land use impact analyses or other necessary water resource related data and analyses are inadequate or missing in several instances.” Source: SFWMD Review of Briny Breezes Redevelopment Plan, June 1, 2007.
“Our review has determined that the EAR (Evaluation and Appraisal Report submitted by Briny Breezes to the DCA) does not adequately assess the future availability of water supplies and water supply facilities, and does not adequately assess the capital improvement schedule for future needed water supply infrastructure.” Source: June 1, 2007 Letter to DCA from Henry Bittaker, Senior Planner, SFWMD Water Supply Planning Division.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP):
“The Department found several major deficiencies in the proposed comprehensive plan. For example, none of the proposed land uses have been adequately defined and all fail to provide maximum allowable densities and intensities for the proposed uses. …The submittal package also did not include the data and analysis necessary for a determination of land use suitability.” Source: June 1, 2007 Letter to DCA from Sally B. Quinn, Director, DEP Office of Intergovernmental Programs.
“Based on the information and analysis submitted, the Department finds that proposed comprehensive plan amendment does not meet the requirements of Chapter 163, Part II, F.S., and Chapter 9J-5, F.A.C. and is therefore objectionable. With regard to the following items, the data and analysis provided by the Town is insufficient: the extent and impact of the land use categories; availability of potable water, wastewater and non-potable water services; proposed marina facilities; and the CIE (Capital Improvements Element).” Source: June 1, 2007 Letter to DCA from Sally B. Quinn, Director, DEP Office of Intergovernmental Programs.
For
more information about the
Tuesday,
June 05, 2007
STUART
—
County
commissioners unanimously approved a moratorium on any requests to
rezone or change the land use on properties zoned for mobile homes.
Several
owners of mobile home parks are in the process of closing their parks
with plans to turn the land into permanent homes in condominiums.
Mobile
home parks provide much of the housing for low income and retired
residents in
Commissioner
Lee Weberman proposed the moratorium after
developer Art Palma evicted residents from the Bloomfield Meadows mobile
home park in Hobe Sound in order to develop it.
The
moratorium will remain in effect for 15 months for land use change
requests and for 18 months for rezoning requests, Quigley said.
The
county will use that time to try to create policies that preserve mobile
homes or other forms of affordable housing in the county.
Mobile
home park residents praised the moratorium.
"We
need low-income housing," said Bloomfield Meadows resident
"People
who live in parks are not white trash or poor people."
Tanya
Caldwell
Sentinel Staff Writer
June 5, 2007
For weeks, DeBary
officials have been fighting a legal battle to derail a public hearing
about a controversial marina proposed on the
But officials just announced that residents finally will get to tell the
Volusia Growth Management Commission what they think about Country
Estates at River Bend, a 330-acre development with upscale homes and a
private yacht club.
Monday's public hearing could determine whether the project passes a key
hurdle or whether DeBary taxpayers will
continue funding a legal battle for a project environmentalists say will
hurt manatees.
Staff planners for the growth commission, a countywide oversight agency
with 21 voting members, say the development should be rejected because
of such problems as inadequate protections for manatees and unanswered
questions about traffic, school capacity and wastewater.
DeBary said the developer will follow all
the rules, including those aimed at saving manatees, and preserve about
213 acres, as well as provide other needed amenities, including paving
City officials and developer St. Johns Partners filed a lawsuit in April
to stop the growth commission from holding a public hearing on needed
land-use changes.
Now, because of settlement talks, DeBary is
allowing the public hearing, though the city has vowed to continue
fighting if the growth commission rejects the project.
The public hearing is set for 7 p.m. in the County Council chambers on
the second floor of the
"The worst aspect of this whole thing is the marina," Walters
said. "It's in the Wekiva River Aquatic
Preserve, and that would set the wrong precedent. It's a horrendous
idea."
If DeBary doesn't like the outcome of
Monday's hearing, it has the right to resume its lawsuit and argue that
the commission missed a deadline months ago
to respond when asked to review the proposal, City Manager Maryann Courson
said.
Tanya Caldwell can be reached at tcaldwell@orlandosentinel.com or
386-851-7910. Our
view: Saving Old
Local
doctor deserves award and gratitude for conservation work
The
lifelong commitment of
Later
this month, he'll be named Land Conservationist of the Year by the
Florida Wildlife Federation.
The
honor comes as a result of his work to conserve the Crescent J Ranch and
adjacent Forever Florida nature preserve in
At
Forever Florida -- which Broussard bought in memory of his son, Allen, a
wildlife biologist who died in 1990 -- visitors can camp, hike, ride
horses and birdwatch.
The
3,500-acre preserve is rich with native wildlife, including endangered
species. At night the stars are visible in a profusion that stuns
city-dwellers and helps teach many the value of keeping as much
unspoiled land as possible.
Now
Broussard is working with state lawmakers to sign over his family-owned
ranch, bought in the 1960s, so it can be maintained as a working
historical cattle ranch.
With
more of
His
generosity and wise stewardship ensure future generations have access to
at least a glimpse of Old Florida's beauty and mystique.
By
Dianna Smith
Tuesday,
June 05, 2007
Living
Color Property Development Group plans to build the house at 706 S.E.
"When
this property was demolished, it was clearly stated that any new
development would be under strictest guidelines. This does not meet
those," Ellis said. "It is one of our most pristine historic
districts. It is a jewel."
The
original plans brought by Living Color included a house that was an
estimated 11,000 square feet, which included a three-car garage and
terraces. The size of the home infuriated some residents because they
said it was not compatible with the rest of the neighborhood, so
commissioners asked the developer to decrease the size.
Building
in the historic districts has been a hot button issue in the city the
past two years. The city has been working the past year to create new
guidelines for historic districts. The guidelines have not been
approved.
Resident
Claudia Willis, who lives within 500 feet of the property, said that the
largest home in that district is less than 6,000 square feet.
"Compatible means similar," Willis said.
Commissioner
Gary Eliopoulos, the only architect on the board, said that the
developer made significant changes and that the plans do meet city
requirements.
Tom
O'Reilly, of Living Color, said that the property is hidden and can only
be seen from the Intracoastal. But residents have argued that if the
commission allows one developer to build a large home in the historic
district, other property owners will follow suit.
Deltona
OKs apartments for industrial land
By
SARA KIESLER
DELTONA
-- Despite numerous dissenting residents, commissioners OK'd changing
the zoning of industrial land in the planned
Impassioned
opinions -- and a little campaigning from the dais -- helped bring about
the change by a 4-3 vote because a majority of commissioners said the
economic engine at I-4 and State Road 472 will not bring office and
industrial jobs without the apartments.
Apartments
keep residents living, working and walking within the development, which
reduces traffic trips, City Manager Steve Thompson said.
The
center's Development of Regional Impact -- required for any large
development that affects surrounding communities -- only allows for
20,000 generated traffic trips each day.
Those
trips, Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Director Sally
Sherman said, are the equivalent of what two Wal-Mart-size
commercial buildings would generate -- leaving a whole lot of unused
space.
But
Mildred White, who was on the committee that helped plan the future of
Deltona's 900-acre portion of the
She
was one of seven speaking against the zoning change.
"Build
it the way it was supposed to be built and get infrastructure in
there," White said. "That was going to be our tax base, we
don't have one right now."
Commissioners
David Santiago, Michael Carmolingo and Zenaida
Denizac voted against the change. Carmolingo,
who is running for re-election in November, said his vote was purely for
the residents because he feels without apartments, the
"I'm
satisfied that it was passed," Carmolingo
said. "But I will go with the will of the residents."
However,
Vice Mayor Bill Harvey said while there is an obligation to residents,
there is also an obligation for commissioners to make the best judgment
for the city.
"Clearly
it needs to be some sort of multi-family land use if we expect the
Denise-Marie
Balona
Sentinel Staff Writer
June 5, 2007, 2:21 PM EDT
DELTONA -- Numerous residents say they don't want apartments built in an
area earmarked for commercial development, but elected officials decided
Monday to allow them anyway.
City commissioners agreed to a compromise, though: Instead of allowing
as many as 3,000 multifamily units -- apartments, condos or town houses
-- they approved 2,000.
The vote was 4-3 in favor of changing a long-standing plan that would
have developed about 900 acres near Interstate 4 into a commercial hub.
Mayor Dennis Mulder said he did not support
the change at first, but he knew it would help jump-start the area known
as the "activity center" by providing customers for stores and
restaurants.
"I'm not going to slow this up," Mulder
said. "Slowing the activity center up would be, in my opinion, the
most irresponsible thing the commission could do."
Jamie Jessup, an outspoken government critic, was one of several people
who urged commissioners to stick with the original plan.
Many residents at a recent forum the city put on to gauge public opinion
argued against apartments.
"The citizens don't want it, and they made it clear to you at that
workshop you did with us," Jessup said. "They didn't
equivocate."
New apartments would mean an enormous increase in the city's
multifamily-housing inventory, which is dominated by single-family
homes.
Community leaders have complained for years about Deltona's apartment
shortage.
They say apartments would serve young people, families and others who
can't afford single-family homes.
Commissioners had planned to have the final vote on the apartments last
month, but they tabled the issue at the last minute.
They wanted to give city staff more time to gather information,
including feedback from the public.
They also wanted to explain to residents how apartments would be
beneficial. At the recent public forum, however, city leaders did not
seem to win over many residents.
More than 100 residents signed a petition opposing the development.
Several people have fought it through fliers in neighborhoods and
e-mail.
Officials have said the homes would come in phases, with the first 500
opening within several years.
They also have insisted that because the work is not expected to be
completed for 20-plus years, they have plenty of time to work out
details.
Denise-Marie Balona can be reached at
dbalona@orlandosentinel.com or 386-851-7916.
Re:
"Threat to economy, property rights, affordable housing" (My
View, June 4).
It
is obvious Leonard Gilroy does not live in
In
the past we have been very involved in local affairs in our community.
We have seen up close how developers, planners and commissioners work.
Usually it isn't for the good of the community, but what is best for a
select few.
People
should have a voice, but all too often it falls on deaf ears.
If
government officials would listen to the concerns of citizens instead of
dismissing them, the need for the Hometown Democracy group wouldn't
exist.
DON
and CINDY LEE
cindon@earthlink.net
Area
citizens group is hoping to stopper water-bottling permits
NATHAN
CRABBE
Sun
staff writer
A
citizens group is calling for a moratorium on water-bottling permits on
the springs of the
While just one bottler now uses water from those springs, as many as four
more projects are in the works. The five permits combined could mean more
than a billion gallons pulled each year from springs feeding a three-mile
stretch of river.
Members of the citizens group, Our Santa Fe, are going before the Suwannee
River Water Management District next month to ask for the moratorium.
Martha Strawn, a Gilchrist County resident and co-founder of the group,
said falling river and groundwater levels show the need to restrict
bottling.
"We don't think we can afford to take any water out of the river that
we don't have to," she said.
A flurry of new water-bottling proposals on the springs feeding the lower
In March, separate proposals were made to bottle water from Lilly and July
springs. Last week,
Cheeseman said he's still weighing his
options, but could seek to build a bottling plant in
"The impact of bottling water is almost nil,"
he said.
The
But Strawn and other members of the Our Santa Fe group say irrigating
crops returns some water to the aquifer, while bottling can remove the
water completely. They point to low river and
well levels as showing the need for limiting groundwater withdrawals.
The
Groundwater levels are dropping but haven't yet reached record lows set in
2002, said Chris Bird, environmental protection director for
But some residents are seeing the effect of falling groundwater levels.
High Springs well contractor Chester Sheffield said he's been getting
three calls a week since March from people with well problems. Their wells
are either dry and need to be lowered, he said, or the low water levels
have caused limestone to cave in.
"We're already in a bad situation with our water," he said.
The district can limit groundwater withdrawals when water levels are
dangerously low, said Jon Dinges, the
district's director of resource management. But he said the district has
determined the lack of rainfall is behind the problem, a situation that
wouldn't be improved by restricting water use.
"We haven't felt that mandatory restrictions are appropriate at this
time," he said.
He said the public interest in water bottling doesn't equate with the
amount used by bottlers.
On the
Other operations are still seeking all the permits they would need to
bottle water. The district is now evaluating applications for
water-withdrawal permits at July and Lilly springs, though legal questions
remain about the ownership of the land around both springs.
The owners of
Kim Davis, whose family owns the property, said she has no plans to seek
another change at the moment. But she said she might again try to use the
permit in the future, if she could find an interested bottling company
that would provide well-paying jobs to the community.
"We're very picky," she said.
She said she views water bottling as compatible with the swimming and
camping at the park. Bottling companies take a "mere pittance"
of the water and have a vested interest in preventing pollution, she said.
"It protects everyone's water," he said,
Cheeseman has received permission to withdraw
an average of 150,000 gallons a day from
He said he owns a home on the
"I'm not there to destroy the environment," he said.
He must still obtain permission to build facilities allowing the water to
be pumped and bottled. While his water permit requires such a plant to be
adjacent to the property, he expressed interest in a bottling facility in
Dinges said the district typically requires
bottling to be done at least in the same county as the water is extracted.
He said the district's other restrictions are also being put on bottling
permits. He said the latest two applications must submit biological
information on the river, so environmental impacts can be assessed.
The district is also setting minimum flows and levels for the
The district is scheduled to complete the
Bird said he'd like to see a halt on permits until that process is
complete. The flurry of permits seems to be coming before that happens, he
said.
"There seems to be a rush of these permits now," he said.
Growth
referendum backers, critics girding for intense campaign
By
Dave Williams
dave.williams@graypub.com
Akin to seeking support for Mom and apple pie, those referendum questions
were no-brainers that were expected to pass by wide margins and didn’t
disappoint.
But next year, Georgians showing up at the polls to cast their vote for
president will be confronted with something more nebulous further down the
ballot.
They will be asked whether the state should allow developers to form
something called “infrastructure development districts” — modeled
after a concept popularized in
As with any vaguely worded ballot question, the potential that voters will
be confused and, as a result, skip it is huge, said Kerwin
Swint, a political science professor at
Kennesaw State University.
“People have never heard of it, don’t understand it and don’t want
to screw up,” he said.
With nothing clearly at stake to voters in the referendum, Swint
said it will be up to the proposal’s backers and detractors to show why
people should care enough to weigh in on the question.
After Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the legislation last week, leaders in both
camps vowed to step up to that challenge.
“We no doubt have a lot of work to do on an education campaign,” said
Jay Walker, president and owner of MMV Consulting, which lobbied hard for
the measure during this year’s General Assembly session.
Environmental advocates and consumer groups who lost the legislative fight
against what they derided as “private cities” say they’re equally
determined to prevail in the court of public opinion.
“We’ll be educating Georgians in how this will result in more sprawl
and more taxes,” said Jill Johnson, land conservation program manager
for the Georgia Conservancy.
Controlling growth
The bill’s supporters, which include
developers and timber companies with large land holdings, say
infrastructure development districts would provide a way to steer
Developers would seek permission from local governments to form districts
with the authority to finance roads, water and sewer lines and other
amenities through tax-free bonds and homeowners’ fees.
“The city and county governments will be a partner to make sure these
projects are good projects and the growth is something everybody is going
to be happy with,” said Sen. Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, who
introduced the bill and accompanying constitutional amendment.
But the Georgia Conservancy and other environmental groups say the
legislation would allow land-hungry developers to gobble up pristine
portions of the state that wouldn’t be able to accommodate rapid growth.
“We see it as a real threat to the rural heritage of this state,”
Johnson said. “It’s going to encourage growth in places that aren’t
ready for it yet.”
Decades ago, before the ever-worsening traffic congestion that has metro
Atlanta in its grip, voters tended to buy into the pro-growth mentality of
political and business leaders.
Voters skeptical
But the referendum’s opponents say the
problems associated with growth have made urban and suburban voters more
wary, a reality that could give them an advantage in the coming campaign.
“
“With the constant increase in traffic we face ... people in developed
areas realize we need to get a handle on growth and grow smartly.”
“We believe that controlled positive growth is going to be the word of
the day from now into the future in
In fact, he said the campaign for the referendum will start with city and
county officials from rural areas.
Once the effort moves on to voters, he said the toughest task will be
overcoming the “private cities” moniker opponents have hung on the
legislation.
“Whoever the first critic was that called it ‘private cities’ did a
good job,” he said. “We have to go in and show that this is not
private cities but a financial tool to have people moving in pay for the
growth instead of the people who are already here.”
For the other side, the biggest challenge will be overcoming the resources
the referendum’s deep-pocketed supporters are expected to bring to bear.
A coalition of timber and paper interests, bankers, builders and
developers pushed the bill through the Legislature, represented by
high-powered law and lobbying firms.
“There’s a lot of money behind it,” Thomas said. “I’m hoping
some of the consumer advocates and environmental groups will use their
networks ... to try to explain to people why it’s not a good thing.”
Robert
Sargent
Sentinel Staff Writer
June 4, 2007
MINNEOLA -- The developer of Palisades Country Club will go before the
City Council on Tuesday with plans for a new community in an area already
planned for thousands of new homes.
Representatives for The Metrontario Group
recently met with individual council members to get their initial
impressions about a development with 678 homes squeezed onto 206 acres
east of U.S. Highway 27.
KB Home originally had targeted that site for 485 houses before the
builder walked away from a development agreement with Minneola. Metrontario
now could honor much of that agreement if it can get council support.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall,
The biggest change is that Metrontario
proposes nearly 200 more homes than KB. The new project also could have
different proposals for town homes.
"The new proposal has higher density, but it's got some unique
products that I think the council could embrace with detached garages and
mother-in-law-suites," Mayor David Yeager said.
Metrontario also could agree to
many terms that Minneola had negotiated in its agreement with KB, city
officials said.
If approved, KB would have provided the city 3 acres of land and about $1
million to help build and maintain public facilities and infrastructure.
The city also would have received $130,000 to offset effects on fire,
law-enforcement, emergency-medical and parks services. Another $50,000
would help cover costs of reviewing the project.
One thing Metrontario is dangling before
council members is that the company would build a two-lane road from U.S.
27 east along the southern boundary of the proposed site.
The estimated $2 million road could be constructed long before the
community begins building, some city officials said. But the builder also
could request credits on government impact fees charged to the development
to recoup the road-construction costs.
Yeager said the road is vital. It is needed to provide a direct route to
U.S. 27 and to limit traffic on other roads in that part of the city. It
also would help to handle vehicles from two elementary schools set to open
later this year.
"On a scale of one to 10, it's a 3,000,"
Yeager said about the need for a new road there. "We've killed the
old Minneola forever trying to get trucks in and out of there -- that road
is imperative for the future of Minneola."
That area of south
The city also is looking to annex the
Metrontario has developments in
Robert Sargent can be reached at rsargent@orlandosentinel.com
or 352-742-5909.
Clear
Springs Unveils Plans For 18,000-Acre
Development
By
S. L. FRISBIE, IV, Associate Publisher
Clear
Springs Land Co. unveiled the first draft of its plans for an 18,000-acre
development plan in and around Bartow Tuesday evening to a small group of
citizens, including city officials, agriculturists, and environmentalists.
The
workshop - the first of several planned by the company - showed a
conceptual plan that may be revised as Clear Springs gets feedback from
the public and from city, county and state agencies.
About
20 people attended the workshop, held at the
Jura
Zibas, president of Clear Springs Land Co.,
said that the tract consists of 11,000 acres inside the Bartow city
limits, plus 7,000 acres in unincorporated areas of the county.
The
city annexed the 11,000 acres in 2001.
The
plan is based on economic development for the area, and includes
residential, industrial, and agricultural uses, and will include a
research corporate park, a town center, plus schools and recreation/open
space property.
A
new training center to be operated by
“Science
and technology is the future of the country,” Ms. Zibas
said.
The
estimated build-out is 15 to 20 years.
Among
features depicted on a series of maps of the proposed development:
€ Two
industrial sites, one east of
€ Sites
for two schools: one an elementary school, east of Bartow and south of
State Road 60, the other an elementary or middle school, east of the south
side of Bartow.
€ A
large residential area, generally east of Bartow, starting between U.S.
Highway 17 and Bartow Municipal Airport at the northern end and stretching
down to Six-Mile Creek south of town.
€ A
research corporate park, straddling State Road 60 east of
€ A
district park and a golf course east of the south side of Bartow, near the
southern school site.
Georgianne
Ratliff, a planner with Wilson Miller, said her firm will handle planning,
engineering, environmental work, and transportation planning. The
development will be processed as an “optional sector plan.”
The
optional sector plan process that Clear Springs is using to win approval
of regulatory agencies differs from other development options.
The
optional sector plan process is ideal for large developments, particularly
when more than one government (in this case,
The
process begins with development of a “conceptual overlay,” followed by
detailed specific area plans. It includes designation of areas that will
remain rural in nature and areas to be left as recreation and open space.
The
sector plan will be submitted in a memorandum of understanding to the
Bartow City Commission, the Polk County Commission and the Florida Dept.
of Community Affairs.
The
memorandum will include a transportation network plan and specific design
guidelines.
Water
resources are a key to the development, Ms. Ratliff said.
A
master plan for the entire 18,000 acres will be created up front, she
said.
Major
issues developed thus far are water resources, protection of the Peace
River, the transportation network, the relationship with the city of
“It's
not going to be a gated community. It will have a variety of types of
housing,” she said.
An
on-site reservoir is planned south of town at the CS 11 mine site.
“We're
making a commitment to keep part of the property agricultural,” Ms.
Ratliff said.
Clear
Springs has 150 acres of land in blueberry production at present, and
plans to expand to 750 acres.
Pat
Steed, executive director, Central Florida Development Council, said that
Clear Springs wants to insure that as new communities are developed,
connections will be established to the present city of
Philip
Bryan, a member of Bartow's planning and
zoning board, expressed concern about the adequacy of water supply to
serve the developments.
Pete
Hubbell of Water Resources Associates said that capture of storm run-off
and use of reclaimed water figure into the planning to reduce the
consumption of groundwater.
Irrigation
of blueberries will be highly efficient, he said.
More
workshops will be conducted as planning progresses.
The
next public workshop
probably will be held around the end of the summer or early in the fall,
Ms. Zibas said.
Bear
visits once too often
Had
history of wandering too close to humans
By JacqueLynn Hatter
DEMOCRAT WRITER
A
"He
was going through people's backyards," Sgt. James Fairfield of the
Tallahassee Police Department said. "We got reports of him crossing
The
bear had a history of wandering too close to humans, state wildlife
officials said. He had ear tags dated from 2005, suggesting that he had
been captured and relocated before.
According
to Mike Crisfield, a regional biologist for nuisance wildlife with the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the bear had been captured twice in
May.
On
May 4, it was captured in
He
was first spotted in
The
male bear, weighing more than 200 pounds, was finally trapped in a tree
near the Whataburger restaurant on
"Standard
protocol in most rural areas is to leave the bear alone and let it wander
back into its own area, but based on this bear's history we made the
decision to dart it," said Adam Warwick, a biologist with the FWC.
Black
bears are not new to the area and sightings are not unusual for
"Black
bears are native to North Florida and the
FWC
officials did not want to euthanize the bear, but felt that his history
left them no alternative.
"We
don't like doing it," Crisfield said. "But when they travel down
that road (and get accustomed to people), we have to act."
Monday,
June 04, 2007
STUART
— Wildlife officers were having an early-evening squad meeting in the Allapattah
Flats area in western Martin County in March when they heard the sound of
gunfire from the southwest.
Several
officers and supervisors got into their trucks and followed the sound,
which seemed to come from a shotgun and a small-caliber rifle. They got to
an area about 3 miles south of State Road 714 near a sod farm that also
includes property owned by the South Florida Water Management District.
|
|
That's
when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Ray Woolrich
realized shotgun pellets were hitting his truck.
A
few minutes later, officers confronted three men who first said they were
target shooting and later admitted they were shooting at birds.
Two
dead songbirds were found in the area, and parts of a third were
recovered, prompting charges of "taking of non-game migratory
birds" and "willful and wanton waste of wildlife" against
all three.
Matthew
Bustin, 19, of
"I
already paid on the birds," Bustin said
Friday. "Now they want me to do weekends in the jail."
From
the date of the initial citation, officers recommended that the trespass
charge be pursued, but prosecutor Linda Bach said one of the things that
persuaded her to file was the fact that Bustin
had just finished a probationary sentence for killing a deer out of season
in January. Court records show his probation was officially terminated
March 6 and the bird shootings happened March 11.
Wildlife
officials applauded the decision.
"It
was just an absolute disregard for wildlife," wildlife commission
spokeswoman Dani Moschella
said. "He was lucky the first time with the deer case."
Wildlife
commission Capt. David Sterman, who did not
participate in Bustin's case, said he has seen
a number of repeat offenders in his 35 years with the agency.
"The
question is: Do you want to have a quality outdoor experience? Do you want
to have fish and wildlife to enjoy in the future?" Sterman
said. "If you just want to live for the moment, that's your choice,
but the majority of Floridians have a very serious concern about
environmental issues."
Bustin
said Friday that he knows what he did was wrong and that he will likely
make a plea deal in the case.
"It's
taught me a lot," he said, adding, "I'm fixing to move out of
Down
In The Dumps
By
NICOLA M. WHITE The
Published:
Jun 4, 2007
DADE
CITY - They pledged that if they built the landfill, they wouldn't accept
asbestos or treated biomedical waste.
But
the permit application the would-be landfill operators filed with the
state told a different story. In it, next to the boxes marked
"asbestos" and "treated biomedical waste," Angelo's
Aggregate Materials checked "yes."
Local
activists balked. Alarmed about the idea of asbestos and treated ash
filtering through the soil and into the water supply, they have waved the
application like an antilandfill banner.
Angelo's, they claim, isn't telling the truth about the kind of landfill
it wants to build in rural northeast
The
developers say they will honor their promises for the 90-acre landfill
they have proposed for a 900-acre ranch off
Although
the state Department of Environmental Protection allows landfill operators
to accept asbestos and treated biomedical waste, Angelo's will not take in
these items, said John Arnold, the project engineer, echoing a pledge he
made at a packed community forum last month.
"I
was adamant that it was prohibited, and it is prohibited,"
So,
why the discrepancy with the application?
Largo-based
Angelo's Aggregate Materials, which operates a construction debris
landfill across the road from the proposed household waste landfill, first
applied for a landfill permit in October. The state Department of
Environmental Protection reviewed the application, which was several
hundred pages long, and sent back 60 pages of questions. In January,
Angelo's submitted a revised application, which the DEP reviewed and sent
back with more comments and questions.
Angelo's
is expected to respond and update its application by the end of this
month. In that response packet, Angelo's will make sure to uncheck the
"biomedical waste" and "asbestos" boxes,
Technically,
a household garbage landfill can accept treated biomedical waste and
asbestos. But if an applicant wants to cater to community concerns and
limit what it wants to take, it can do that, too, said DEP spokeswoman Pamala
Vazquez.
"They
can come to us and say, 'We have promised the community we won't be taking
Product X. Could you write that into our
permit?' And we could," she said.
Angelo's,
which has hired a public relations firm and printed user-friendly fliers
advocating the environmental benefits of building the landfill, has been
touting the landfill as a cheaper, more environmentally friendly
alternative to dealing with the county's growing garbage crisis.
As
it is,
Still,
the landfill has proved to be a tough sell, and residents near the
proposed facility have been more than vocal in expressing their
opposition.
Carl
Roth, a local resident representing a newly formed group called Protectors
of Florida's Legacy, is skeptical, despite the promises from the company.
"Our
level of trust in what they say and what they do is not very high,"
he said.
AT
A GLANCE:
PROPOSED:
Angelo's Aggregate Materials of
THE
ISSUE: As
COMPLAINTS:
The proposed landfill site sits less than a mile from the
WHAT
PROPONENTS SAY: The garbage has to go somewhere. Layers of clay and
special plastic liners would protect groundwater and the river.
Furthermore, the facility would act as an organic composting center.
WHERE
THINGS STAND: Angelo's is revising its permit application, which is
expected by the end of the month. If the state Department of Environmental
Protection approves the application, Angelo's would have to secure
approval from the county.
Reporter
Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.
Published:
Jun 4, 2007
County
officials will hold an informal workshop at 9 a.m. to discuss the 50-year
vision for one of
Pasadena
Hills covers 22,000 acres between
But
suburbia is encroaching as subdivisions sprout near
With
an eye toward controlling future growth, county planners convened a series
of meetings with Pasadena Hills residents to
craft a strategy that would allow growth while preserving rural
neighborhoods and scenic areas.
The
result of those talks calls for concentrating
growth in about a dozen village-style developments scattered through the
region. The plan would preserve land around
The
planning meetings drew hundreds of supportive residents from the region.
The final plan, however, has drawn criticism from people who see it as
letting suburbia devour more of rural
Trilby
resident Nancy Hazelwood worries the proposal, which could add tens of
thousands of residents over the coming 50 years, will overwhelm resources
such as water.
"Any
time you bring in more people, you're going to have demand for more
water," she said recently.
Reporter
Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813)
948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.
Oysters
Reveal Waterway Pollution
The
Associated Press
Published:
June 4, 2007
Scientists
say oysters are more efficient than water quality tests at pinpointing
pollution. Oysters, which filter impurities from the water, serve as an
early warning system for waterways: When oysters die in large numbers,
fish usually follow.
'You
can be doing a lot of things fine, but if you have one thing wrong it will
show up in the bay,' Jono Miller, an
environmental studies director at New College, told the Sarasota
Herald-Tribune.
Much
of the problem stems from drainage ditches dug years ago that channel
fresh water and contaminated runoff into the waterways. Both kill oysters.
'If
we're putting more fresh water in the bays, the problem is we are
increasing the pollutant loads as well,' said Jack Merriam,
The
county first recognized the value of oyster studies in 2003 and used that
research to start projects to reduce freshwater flow to two bays.
Merriam
said
No
Coal Plant For
The
Published:
June 4, 2007
It's
tough to imagine a more inappropriate project than Florida Power &
Light Co.'s plan to build a coal-fired plant near the Everglades, the
hydrological heart of
The
project would spew about 13 million tons of carbon dioxide and 190 pounds
of mercury into the air a year. It
would undermine efforts to reduce carbon emissions, which contribute to
global warming, a concern for our low-lying state. And it would put a
smudgy thumb in the eye of the $8 billion
Dan
Kimball, superintendent of
FP&L
wants the coal-fired plant to build capacity and ensure reliable
electricity for its 4.4 million customers. It also wants to diversify its
power sources and become less reliant on higher-priced natural gas.
Indeed,
A
worse location couldn't be found for a conventional coal-fired plant than
near
Gov.
Charlie Crist, a champion of
By
NATHANIEL P. REED
The
five new members of the South Florida Water Management District governing
board face awesome challenges, such as
Many
policy areas need new thinking, new purpose and new resolve. Excessive
growth and water mismanagement have led to a crisis in the
First,
the new board should repair the relationship between
When
All
parties must recommit themselves to the agreements made in 2000, reached
after years of negotiations. The district's unilateral decision to abandon
those agreements to focus on an "accelerated" restoration
process substitutes fast policy for good
policy. The governing board should pull the state-federal partnership back
together for the good of the Everglades and the people of
Next,
the district must address water storage in the vast Okeechobee basin. Too
much water is being drained from private lands into state waters.
There
must be a third outlet for lake water, from the lake's south shore. Water
flowing south through cleansing marshes and water storage in man-made
reservoirs may be the only hope for restoring the
The
Major
problems also exist in the design and construction of projects in south
Miami-Dade to clean water to send to the Everglades and
The
board members should be prepared to work with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, the Department of Interior and the superintendent of
Finally,
the board must work with leaders from the state departments of
Environmental Protection, Community Affairs and Agriculture. Most of the
problems north of Lake Okeechobee that generate high levels of polluted
water flowing into the lake are caused by the responsible agencies'
failure to get together and act to stop pollution.
The
five new board members will have a great opportunity to change the
direction of the agency, to make it genuinely responsive and deeply
concerned with environmental quality. This board can resurrect the great
sense of optimism, mission and purpose all parties felt in 2000 when the
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was approved.
Cities,
counties due to take big hit on taxes
Originally
posted Southwest Florida News Press June 02, 2007
Tax
Reform will fuel no growth and increase the likelihood of the passage of
Hometown Democracy (the ballot initiative that restricts land use plan
changes to local referendums).
It is difficult to state what the Legislature will do, but what they will
do will be law, so "waiting and seeing" is a consensus to
have those who talk, debate, and lobby determine the outcome. Since
the stated outcome is to punish cities and counties, cities and counties
should not take a "wait and see" attitude.
If the press reports are a reasonable guide, school districts and
independent fire districts will not face a rollback because of the harm it
would cause them. By that one statement, over half of the average tax bill
just got exempted, and it is admitted that the purpose of the rollback is
to harm who is left — cities, counties (including county constitutional
officers that depend upon property taxes for revenues, such as the sheriff
and the supervisor of elections) and independent taxing districts that
aren't fire districts. (And fire districts that aren't independent—such
as city fire departments—have no such protection). There are reports
that somehow the sheriff would also be exempted (although how this would
work given his budget revenues come in large part from the millage
levied by the county commissions, as is the supervisor of elections, is
unclear), and if that occurs, over 60 percent of property tax levies would
be exempt.
GROWTH
WAS SOUGHT
Which
leaves cities and counties as the primary providers of "tax relief."
It seems to have been overlooked that
In
many areas, population increases were so great that congestion and
deterioration of service resulted, leading to public anger and distrust of
growth. In response, local governments developed new revenue sources that
moved much of the growth costs from the tax rolls. That movement also
resulted in legal restrictions on how and where such money can be spent.
However, essential community service operations still remain funded by the
property tax, because the property tax has less variability than other
revenue sources—and the services are essential.
The property tax is levied by elected persons (with legislatively created
exceptions). These persons campaign commonly on the knife edge of the
lowest millages that can meet governmental
responsibilities, with the highest achievable services such funds can
provide. Achieving the promises of those campaigns is an art, not a
science. The common remedy for failure is the ballot box. A brief
historical note: In the past the ballot box established the statewide millage
caps under which localities have been operating for decades.
SAVE
OUR INEQUITIES
Now
the proposals are for rollbacks of property taxes — for nonresidents,
absentee landlords, limited responsibility corporations, and
non-homesteaded property. This will result —and is intended to be a
result —in service reductions for all inhabitants. Homesteaded residents
are not intended to see a tax reduction, particularly the longer term
residents, just service reduction.
The inequality in assessments was known to be an outcome of the "Save
our Homes" amendment. The rapid rise in property values in the last
few years is not a result, though, of "Save Our Homes" but is
the result of the belief that
Which
pretty much closes the loop.
The residents who get services will see services cut, and will then wonder
why more growth will make their lives better, for the benefit of
nonresidents and those absentee investors.
Usually, such discussions take place locally. However, a statewide
rollback will provide a statewide stimulus to no- and limited-growth
initiatives.
The impact of Save Our Homes was predicted, and the legislation was passed
anyway. The impact of "Tax Reform (for a few)" is predicted, and
...
—
Wayne
Daltry is Lee County Smart Growth Director.
![]()
Wendy
Wills
wwills@pnj.com
TCoast
growth groups just keep growing
By
Jason Schultz
Monday,
June 04, 2007
STUART
— A new slow-growth supergroup
wades into the county's ongoing battle over land development tonight.
The
"It's
just a coming together of the movers and shakers," said group board
member
The
group's board of directors is a who's who of slow-growth and environmental
activists in
"If
you are having a problem, you can come to the Consensus and there is such
as wealth of experience there," said Chairman Tom Fullman,
founder of the Jensen Beach Group, a collection of activists who are
fighting a housing project in that community.
Former
County Commissioner Maggy Hurchalla
and Virginia Sherlock, the attorney for the Jensen Beach Group, will speak
at tonight's meeting, though neither was sure what they would speak about.
The group is nonpartisan and nonpolitical and is intended mainly to
educate people, Fullman said.
Future
meetings would have speakers about community redevelopment areas and water
use.
"Each
month we'll introduce a new theme and a new speaker," he said.
"It's working very well and over time we expect to grow."
Another
board member, Linda Grand, said the group plans to draw most of its
funding from the $25 fee members pay when they apply to join the group and
won't be accepting financial backing from any other groups.
The
group put out a 15-point position paper with all the beliefs it plans to
support. The Consensus will oppose clustered pockets of homes in rural
areas and support a requirement for a four-commissioner vote for any
amendment to the county's comprehensive plan, its blueprint for growth.
Three votes are sufficient now.
It
also will support revisiting recent plan amendments that may have hurt the
area's quality of life.
Commissioner
Lee Weberman questioned several of the group's
positions and said it is a lot more politically minded than it lets on.
"It's
loaded with politically inflammatory buzzwords instead of dealing with
issues," Weberman said.
Mary
Dawson, an environmental activist who has been on opposing sides of the
clustering debate from most of the members of the Consensus, said she
agrees with all of its positions except the stance against clustering.
"I
hope you don't have to toe the party line on everything,"
The
group is looking for people who would work to support all of its
positions, Fullman said.
For
months he has been considering running for the District 1 county
commission seat next year, but he said the Consensus would not be
connected to any eventual campaign and is not political in nature.
"This
is about educating the residents about quality of life," he said.
Shore
said Fullman will have to step down if he
runs.
"We're
not here to provide a political platform for anybody," Shore said.
Weberman
said that, if the group tried to influence which candidates will run or
which other groups will support which candidates in next year's commission
elections, it will smack of "election manipulation" andprobably
will backfire.
"It's
been my experience that when people try to orchestrate the outcomes of
elections it never works out the way they planned," Weberman
said.
Fullman
said the group is still too new to think about any involvement in the 2008
elections and that was not its main goal right now.
"It's
way too early for that," Fullman said.
"We have to unite the community first."
If
you go
What:
When:
6 p.m. today
Where:
Blake Library,
Information:
(772) 334-0122
Chairman
Thomas Fullman: Founder of the Jensen Beach
Group slow-growth activism organization thatopposes
a housing development in
President
Bill Summers: Member of the
Secretary/Treasurer
Al Forman: Stuart West neighborhood resident, publisher of the
Linda
Grand: Member of the Guardians of the
Jay
Honan: Rocky Point resident who opposes the proposed expansion of the
Tony
Parkinson: Key member of the Jensen Beach Group.
Lynne
Pine: Airport activist who has worked to get the county to shorten Witham
Field airport's main runway. Also opposed fluoridation
of the county's drinking water.
Paul
Shidel:
The
saga of the Blue Lake Mobile Home Park appears to shape up as a classic
tale of rich vs. poor.
Park
owner Bruce Rapee told residents six months
ago that they had to vacate the park at
The
park's residents are mostly low-income working class immigrants who had
sunk much of their savings into buying their trailers. They own their
homes, but not the ground underneath.
But
this story is more complicated than one dusty mobile home park of 278
trailers that have fallen into disrepair and -- like every other mobile
home park still in business -- is ''low-hanging fruit'' for redevelopment
in land-starved
It's
about the region's affordable housing crunch. It's about political will.
And it's about finding an answer to a vexing question: Who is responsible
for creating a safety net for the tens of thousands of residents displaced
by redevelopment?
The
story of the Blue Lake Mobile Home Park is an example of why finding an
answer hasn't been easy.
Housing
advocates concede private property owners such as Rapee
ultimately have the right to sell their land. They say it's the
government's role to step in to help those people on the wrong end of
redevelopment.
One
example: the city of
Housing
advocates want Miami-Dade to follow
At
the state level, a bill proposing placing most of the burden for
relocating the residents of mobile home parks squarely on local
governments failed to pass last session.
Such
ideas do little for the 85 families still living in
When
Rapee first told residents he intended to sell
the park last September, its residents looked to a civil rights attorney
who had been working with them to deal with a flurry of code violations
the county issued to them six months earlier.
John
de Leon, who is also an at-large board member of the ACLU's local chapter,
said Rapee acted in bad faith. He has filed a
lawsuit against Rapee.
''He
should have never let these people spend money to fix their trailers just
months before he told them they had to move out,'' he said. ``No one
thought these folks would fight back.''
Larry
Goodman, Rapee's attorney, said his client has
followed all the laws and has done nothing wrong. ''I can't comment
anymore than that because of the lawsuit, and a courtroom is the place to
make statements now,'' he said.
While
lawsuits play out and government bureaucracies try to find solutions to
the affordable housing crisis,
His
options are limited.
Gavidia,
a 47-year-old fleet service attendant for American Airlines, has been
living at
''
For
now, Gavidia will move into a relative's empty
duplex unit for $900 a month.
County
agencies have been trying to help the
That
doesn't buy much in the
''A
family of four or six who is living at Blue Lakes right now is paying $450
a month to rent the land their trailer is on,'' said Alyce
Gowdy Wright, an organizer with Justice With
Jobs, a non-profit group that has taken up the residents' cause. ``You
can't find anything like that for them in
Public
housing, for decades the biggest government safety net available, is not
an option.
There
are 40,000 people on the waiting list, which has been closed for a year
and won't open again until next year, said Kris Warren, director of the
Miami Dade Housing Agency.
''I
don't know if there will ever be enough options,'' she said. ``No matter
how much we build.''
All
the more reason, argue housing advocates, that Miami-Dade County needs a
one-year moratorium against mobile home park rezoning.
''There
are 90 mobile home parks still operating in the county, and the people who
live in them have not been on the radar of the county as far as affordable
housing,'' she said. ``They have to be part of the new affordable housing
master plan the county is drafting.''
''I
don't know the answer to this problem, but I do know we have to include it
in the conversation,'' she said. ``Rezoning is not a right and land use
policy is the government's responsibility. We have a huge affordable
housing crisis and we have to be asking ourselves `Do we want to get rid
of affordable housing that does exist?'''
Trailer
parks do present an added complexity, she said, because generally mobile
homes aren't the best housing solutions in a hurricane-prone area.
''We
should come up with solutions that create the safest affordable housing
possible,'' she said.
Jaimie
Ross, affordable housing coordinator of 1000 Friends of Florida, a
Tallahassee-based non-profit sensible growth advocacy group, said it's
urgent that counties find solutions.
''State
growth management laws say it's the responsibility of the local government
to make sure there is housing for all its residents, and there is
incredible pressure on mobile home parks right now all over the state,''
she said. ``It's like low-hanging fruit to developers because it is some
of the last chunks of open land left in places like
A
study by the Florida Manufactured Housing Association estimate that
between January 2005 and June 2006 about 7,600 mobile home lots were
lost when 58 parks closed.
But
Ross and local advocates say local governments have to step in and stop
rezoning the parks for now.
''By
changing land uses and rezoning away existing affordable housing, local
governments are facilitating homelessness and urban removal,'' Ross said.
``They have to have the political will to be progressive like Davie and
other places, and take a time out and figure out the right thing to do.''
CSX,
In Creating Railroad Hub, Could Transform Its Public Image
The
Published:
June 3, 2007
CSX
Transportation wants to build a first-rate, rail-to-truck distribution
center in
That's
the good news.
The
bad news is that this powerhouse railroad company, which is so used to
getting its way, tried to skirt a comprehensive review of its facility by
suggesting the venture wouldn't have a regional impact on this part of the
state.
Poppycock.
If
ever a project had regional sweep, this state-of-the-art facility would.
As
Tribune reporter Billy Townsend reports, CSX has envisioned a 1,250-acre
complex in
Nice
try.
The
railroad is not proposing to build a strip shopping center. It's proposing
a major industrial complex that will send trains through the heart of
Fortunately,
the state Department of Community Affairs told CSX last week that the
project meets the threshold for a 'development of regional impact,'
meaning all stakeholders - Polk County, area communities, environmental
agencies and the state Department of Transportation - will have a say in
whether the hub is right for Winter Haven.
It
may be humbling for CSX to work in partnership with state and local
governments, but it's a perfect opportunity for the railroad to serve its
shareholders while improving its standing as a corporate citizen.
As
a gesture of good will, it should start by ending pricing strategies that
gouge regional taxpayers, as reported recently by The Tribune's Lindsay
Peterson.
For
example, whenever government agencies work near CSX rails, the company
charges taxpayers as much as $25 an hour for a flagman to watch the tracks
and warn of an approaching train - even if the road workers are well away
from the crossing. Hillsborough and Polk counties paid at least $3 million
to CSX for flagmen between 2003 and 2006, including $160,000 to a flagman
who sat in his truck, drank coffee and watched a road crew over 14 months.
For
another, the railroad charges local governments
millions to maintain railroad crossings on public roads, but offers
no accounting for how these tax dollars are spent. Hillsborough spokesman
Steve Valdez said: 'They give us a lump sum total and say, 'Pay this.' If
we don't pay them, we won't get any more work done.'
CSX
has kept local governments over a barrel because most of its tracks
existed before most county and state roads.
However,
the rail-to-truck distribution center represents an opportunity to get
some concessions for regional taxpayers.
CSX
could decide to walk away from the land deal, which hasn't yet closed. Or
it could appeal the state's decision. But a wiser course would be to
accept the state's rightful conclusion.
Like
the rail lines that wind through so many
This
is a perfect opportunity for the railroad to serve its shareholders - and
its home state - by working better with its neighbors, participating in
public reviews and taking the time to get this project done right.
Developers
At Impasse On
By
KEVIN WIATROWSKI The
Published:
Jun 4, 2007
LAND
- O' LAKES - When it's finished,
But
it has to get built first.
The
souring of a deal between two companies that share responsibility for
building the road has raised questions about how and when it will be
built.
The
dispute has embroiled two of the
The
developers have struck deals with
The
trouble comes north of
The
county's deals with Newland and Lennar don't spell out who builds which
lanes. And that's driving the developers' disagreement.
Newland
President Don Whyte said his understanding has
been that Lennar would build the first two lanes. Lennar President Ken
Wagner said that's not practical, given the current pace of home
construction.
"We
have to have it before we can start selling houses," Whyte
said.
Lennar,
however, doesn't have to build its part of the road until it reaches its
601st new house. So far, Lennar has relied on nearby
The
road also is important for access to two schools slated to open this fall.
School
officials say they will build their own driveway to access the schools
from Mentmore until Sunlake
is finished.
As
part of its deal with the county, Lennar agreed long ago to do the initial
earthwork needed to build the roadbed through its development. Now,
company officials are asking to be released from that part of the deal.
Wagner
said the company can't justify the cost of building its portion of the
road now, given that it's not building houses in the part of Concord
Station adjacent to Sunlake.
Lennar
has given Newland access to its designs for Sunlake
and permission to build on its land, Wagner said.
"They
have a need, and we weren't ready to build," Wagner said. "So
we've made it as practical as possible."
That
will leave Newland to do all the work itself - work that includes building
drainage ponds on Lennar's land to take runoff from the road. That's
something Newland says it doesn't want to do.
The
developers recently met with county officials to try to find common
ground. Whyte said the two companies will
continue to try to reach a deal on the issue.
Neither
developer would quote a price tag for the road work, which would require
Newland to build a roadbed large enough to handle the two lanes Lennar
would eventually add.
Whyte
described the costs as "astronomical."
"You're
building a drainage system to benefit another builder," Whyte
said.
Reporter
Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813)
948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.
Published:
Jun 4, 2007
Thinking
of a career in agriculture?
If
you are, images of pitching hay, slopping hogs and small paychecks
probably come to mind, chilling your penchant for work in the field.
But
agricultural jobs have moved well beyond the farm into the worlds of high
finance, science and marketing.
Today,
those who specialize in agriculture can end up in well-paying jobs
managing golf courses, analyzing financial markets for Wall Street and
developing new breeds of plants to improve food production.
Opportunities
in agriculture-related jobs are abundant and those with the right skills
are in high demand, experts say.
In fact, the number of job openings in agriculture exceeds the number of qualified college