Florida, you get uglier by the dayBy BILL MAXWELL Since moving from Alabama back to Florida 14 months ago, I have traveled to every part of the Sunshine State except to the Florida Keys and Key West, where I lived and worked during the late 1970s. Most recently, I had the dubious pleasure of driving from Amelia Island to St. Petersburg - dubious because I mostly hated what I saw. But I am getting ahead of myself. Because I had driven up to Amelia Island by way of Interstate 75 to Interstate 10, I decided when I returned to take U.S. Highway 17 from Yulee to Palatka, to State Highway 19, to State Highway 50 in Groveland, to I-75 to St. Petersburg. I had not been on this stretch of Highway 17, also known as the Ocean Highway, from Yulee to Palatka since I was a teenager. Then, it was a pleasant trek through a world of hardwood trees, undisturbed river banks and family farms. Now, this stretch is a virtual gateway to the sprawl that reaches from the Atlantic Ocean to regions west of Jacksonville International Airport. The highway itself is nothing more than a frontage road for developers. Doubtless, the slogan "build it and they will come" has been put into action with a vengeance. At Palatka, I wanted to take Highway 19 so that I could see this section of the Ocala National Forest. When I lived in Crescent City as a child, we often camped and fished in the areas around Salt Springs, Juniper Springs, Alexander Springs and Paisley. Thankfully, the national forest is off limits to greedy developers, and it remains one of the gems of old Florida. When I left Putnam County and entered Lake County, I saw the handiwork of developers everywhere. The towns of Eustis, Tavares, Yalaha and Howey-in-the-Hills still hold hints of their old charm, but their environs no longer are blanketed with rolling citrus groves. The groves have been replaced with subdivisions with look-alike houses, strip malls and Wal-Marts that have killed family stores and that stick-whittling ambience that made these places special. As I came to the traffic light in Groveland, where State Highways 19 and 50 intersect, I was on familiar ground. As a child, I often came to Groveland with my grandfather, who was a truck farmer in nearby Mascotte. Downtown Groveland has not changed much, but it, too, has lost its miles and miles of citrus groves to houses and malls. Mascotte has not changed much, but I am certain that developers are ready to bring in the earthmovers and concrete. Highway 50 to I-75 is on track to becoming more of the same, a vast wasteland of modernity. A few large nurseries are holding their own for now, and a handful of cattle people still maintain modest herds. But you can feel the heavy construction machinery rumbling in the background. Five years? Eight years? How much time is left before this section of Highway 50 becomes a bumper-to-bumper strip for seasonal residents and vacationers to get to and from their fancy-named condos? On I-75 heading south, I regretted that I had taken the back roads. I saw Florida's future, and I hated what I saw: Gangs of fools - with public approval - are backfilling our swamps, bulldozing our trees, butchering our mangroves, gouging our shorelines and paving over our grasslands all in the name of development and profit. Every Florida resident should be concerned that we are losing our precious environment. To see the damage being done and what is left to be saved, all of us should get in our cars and drive some of the back roads across and up and down the state. [Last modified September 22, 2007, 22:03:11]
Developers
urge A
former state House speaker is urging voters to use a law that allows people
who sign petitions on constitutional amendments to change their minds. Posted
on Thu, Sep. 20, 2007 BY
MARC CAPUTO The
message comes courtesy of John Thrasher, a lawyer and lobbyist for one of
the state's biggest developers, St. Joe Co. and Associated Industries of
Florida, among others. He's urging people in a letter sent throughout the
state to take advantage of a new business-backed law allowing voters to
revoke their signature on a petition to get a constitutional amendment
before voters. In
this case, the proposed ''Florida Hometown Democracy'' amendment would give
voters the right to veto or approve any growth-plan change made in their
area. And that has developers, the business lobby and local governments
worried. For
starters, the amendment could delay some developments by months, and subject
even minor projects, such as the siting of a gas station, to a citizen vote.
And that could tie the fate of the smallest, least controversial projects to
larger developments. GROUPS
MOBILIZE The
Florida Chamber of Commerce is hitting back with its own group, Floridians
for Smarter Growth, and an amendment that seeks to all but cancel the
Hometown plan. The
rival petitions, Thrasher's letter, a debate Wednesday in Thrasher
said in a Wednesday debate at His
rival, Ross Burnaman with Florida Hometown Democracy, said Thrasher is
misleading people. Burnaman said the amendment would give citizens a final
say over how their community grows, and he pointed out that big developers
oppose this plan. Burnaman
said his group is only 100,000 signatures shy of the 611,000 needed by Feb.
1 to get the measure before voters in November 2008. THRASHER'S
MESSAGE Thrasher,
a former Florida House speaker, hopes to cancel some of those petitions
through his letter, which says people have been ''tricked'' into signing by
''mercenary'' signature gatherers. Thrasher
said he's not affiliated with the chamber's group, which is using paid
signature-gatherers. If
the Hometown amendment makes the ballot and passes, citizens could vote on
growth changes once a year, twice yearly or more often. Said
Thrasher: ``Democracy's not cheap.'' Will
housing bubble rise again? Developer
Cameron Kuhn thinks so. He tells Jerry
W. Jackson Sentinel
Staff Writer September
21, 2007 Downtown
County
delays Impact Fees ordinance County
officials on Thursday passed a motion to continue a public hearing regarding
a proposed Comprehensive Impact Fee ordinance on new construction until Oct.
18. By
ANDREW SKERRITT, Times Columnist The
This
is the "hydrologic heart" of central For
an up-close view of this wild masterpiece, I approached the Southwest Water
Management District, which owns about 120,000 acres of the back woods. We
entered through a gate off Trees
tagged with orange flags mark the As
we drove along miles of former logging roads, cypress trees stood tall along
the "It's
certainly significantly below what we expect this time of year," said
one of my tour guides, Eric Sutton, a land resource manager with Swiftmud. That's
reason to worry. If
the water levels in the "It
just exacerbates the conditions we experienced this year," said Sutton.
The
story is in the numbers. We began this summer with a rainfall deficit - 18.6
inches below normal. Usually we would have regular afternoon showers, but
that didn't happen this year. With a few weeks to go before the end of the
so-called rainy season, we're still 13 inches below normal. The
good news is that we don't have to panic. Where it once depended almost
exclusively on a handful of overused wellfields, the But
not everyone is as prepared for another dry year. The search for water has
towns in Lake and Just
when you thought the water wars were over, along comes a threat from the
opposite direction. Standing
in the Our
politicians are already lining up for the fight. The old water wars taught
them this: Voters love it when you fight for their water. Get
ready. Andrew
Skerritt can be reached at 813 909-4602 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext.
4602. His e-mail address is askerritt@sptimes.com State
slams waste disposal company with lawsuit A
longtime used-oil and-antifreeze disposal company in Lawyer
downplays developer representation By
TONY The
Brooksville firm is not cozy with developers and its attorneys have the
talent to make up for a lack of municipal experience. “I
don’t think we would in any way let you down or slow you down,” Hogan
said. The
council took Hogan at his word, selecting the firm out of four other
finalists. The
vote was close, however. The
Hogan firm tied with Carole Barice, an attorney with the Fowler &
O’Quinn law firm in Mayor
David Pugh admitted Hogan wasn’t his top pick. “But
I think they’ll do a fantastic job,” Pugh said. The
council decided to bring back the four finalists after its top choice, Jake
Varn of the Hogan
and the other applicants were clearly aware of the concerns council members
had voiced about them during deliberations two weeks ago. “We
haven’t represented a lot of big developers,” Hogan told the council. The
firm has represented “a lot of small guys” who seek, for example, a
zoning change from the city or county. At
a meeting earlier this month, City Attorney David La Croix warned the
council that of all the applicants, the Hogan Firm had the least municipal
experience. The
firm has represented the Hernando County Clerk of Court’s office and other
government entities but never a city or county. “I
realize we don’t have any experience sitting up here,” Hogan said,
referring to the council dais, “but I believe we have the brains to do
it.” Hogan
touted the firm’s stable of lawyers whose respective specialties would
translate to a broad range of legal expertise for the city. Council
member Lara Bradburn asked Hogan how his firm would balance the city’s
desire to grow and also “protect our environmental assets.” “I
see the role of the attorney as legal advisor,” Hogan replied. “My
opinion, if I have one, is not relevant.” Hogan
said he owns property in the city, spent most of his life here and has “a
vested interest” in Brooksville. “I
think my heart’s in the right place, but as attorney my attitude and
beliefs wouldn’t be important,” he said. Barice
said she had the most municipal experience, touting her role as attorney for
the city of Altamonte Springs in which she handled the kinds of issues —
annexations, condemnations, eminent domain — that lie ahead for
Brooksville as the city grows. Barcie,
who worked for the city for some 20 years, is board certified in local
government law. “My
primary practice is in that area, and I’m respected among my peers,”
Barice said. Barice
acknowledged her hourly rate is on the higher side but added, “Someone
with a great deal of experience is going to spend a whole lot less time on
an issue, hit the ground running and bill for a lot less hours. You’ll
save money in the long run.” That
was among several factors for council member Joe Bernardini, who still had
enough concerns about Hogan’s representation of developers and the lack of
municipal experience to rank the firm as his last choice. “If
we were going to pay top dollar, Barice has mostly municipal experience and
has done a lot of things we need to do,” Bernardini said. The
other finalists were Kristie Kroslack, who spent six years as assistant
county attorney in The
Hogan firm has offered to charge the city a rate of $178.30 for the first 14
hours each month and $200 per hour after that. A contract will likely be
ready for the council’s Oct. 1 meeting. La
Croix’s last day is Sept. 30 but he has offered to work beyond that on an
hourly basis until his successor is in place. Reporter
Tony Marrero can be contacted at 352-544-5286. Crisis
hitting home Home
foreclosures are surging in "Housing
in Greening
Found in Fatal
citrus disease has spread to all Kevin
Bouffard The
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has confirmed four
cases of citrus greening in Polk
Is Still on Top In Citrus Production ByKevin
Bouffard & Kyle Kennedy Write
an email to Kevin Bouffard mailto:kevin.bouffard@theledger.com Kyle
Kennedy LAKELAND
| Polk County continued for another season as the state's top
citrus-producing county with almost 22.4 million boxes of oranges,
grapefruit, tangerines and specialty citrus fruit, according to the
preliminary 2006-07 Citrus Summary released Thursday by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. Negotiations
may end Summerfield development fight By
Jeff Burlew A
bitter fight over the Summerfield development near Lake Jackson could end
with a peaceful settlement. Representatives
of nearby residents, who sued to try and block Summerfield, have been
meeting with the developer, Arbor Properties, as well as former Tallahassee
Mayor Scott Maddox, an attorney for Arbor, and County Commissioner John
Dailey, who represents the northwest district. Arbor
initially planned more than 400 residential units, most of them apartments,
as well as 70,000 square feet of commercial space on the 106-acre site on
North Monroe Street. The
latest proposal, however, calls for about half that many units. All of them
would be single-family homes. Commercial space would be dramatically cut.
And it's possible the development would be built according to national
"green" standards set by Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED). "We're
looking at it as a very positive step," said Mike Brezin, president of
the Lake Jackson Protection Alliance. Maddox
said he and developer Will Butler might invest in and develop the site
"if we can bring about a settlement that is acceptable to all parties.
But we're only interested in that if we can reach a compromise." He
added that he wants a development that is environmentally friendly and
aesthetically pleasing. Gordon Thames, Settlement
talks were held Wednesday and last week. Another meeting is set for Monday. Maddox
and Dailey expressed a bit of astonishment that the proposal has gone from
apartment complexes to talk of a "green" development. "That's
fantastic," Dailey said. "That's heading in the right
direction." It
wasn't immediately clear how a possible settlement would affect a dispute
between the county and the Florida Department of Community Affairs over a
proposed growth-policy change affecting Lake Jackson. Maddox said he's
hopeful that will be resolved along with the lawsuits filed by residents. A
hearing in the growth-policy case has been set for Nov. 28. Contact
reporter Jeff Burlew at (850) 599-2180 or jburlew@tallahassee.com. Florida
unemployment continues creeping up as construction slumps TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. (AP) -- Florida's unemployment rate ticked up slightly again in August
to 4 percent, the highest it has been since April 2005, the state's Agency
for Workforce Innovation said Friday. The
increase in joblessness is blamed partly on a slumping housing market. The
construction industry has lost 18,500 jobs in Florida since last year.
August was the sixth straight month in which Florida has seen a year-to-year
drop in construction jobs, the first time that has happened since 1992, the
agency said. The
rate of people who could not find a job inched up from 3.9 percent in July,
but at 4 percent was still below the national rate of 4.6 percent. Out
of a civilian labor force of 9.2 million in On
the Net: AWI's
labor information page: http://www.labormarketinfo.com A
new front in Florida's water wars
A
plan would pipe 43-million gallons from Hernando and Citrus to fast-growing
Central Florida.
By
DAN DeWITT, Times Staff Writer BROOKSVILLE
- After decades of fending off threats to pump their water south, Hernando and
Citrus counties now find themselves fighting a plan to ship water east. The
St. John's River Water Management District is backing a proposal to pipe
43-million gallons of water from the Withlacoochee River and Lake Rousseau, in
northern Citrus County, to fast-growing Central Florida regions such as
Clermont, Leesburg and Marion County. It
reminded some Hernando residents of the idea, abandoned more than a decade
ago, to withdraw water from Lake Rousseau for cities in the Tampa Bay area,
and the more recent Council of 100 plan to pump water from northern Florida to
South Florida. As
with those ideas, this one inspired fighting words. "This
will happen over my cold, dead corpse," said Hernando County Commissioner
David Russell. "We
need to let them know real quick and real soon that we oppose this plan,"
said Commissioner Chris Kingsley, who is also a board member of the
Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority, which covers Hernando, Citrus
and Sumter counties. At
a meeting on Wednesday, the council voted to do as Kingsley suggested and to
direct its attorney to research whether the proposal is legal. That
question could turn on whether surface water -- the water in lakes and rivers
-- is protected under the 11-year-old law that requires local governments to
tap their own sources before seeking water elsewhere. It
clearly is, said Dave Moore, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water
Management District, who attended Wednesday's meeting. Russell,
a former state representative, agreed: "In my mind, they would have to
change state law to get this done." St.
John's officials have argued that surface water is not covered, said Jack
Sullivan, executive director of the water supply authority. He believes it is,
he said at the meeting on Wednesday, though some of the state's water use
policy is unclear, especially if surface water is considered an alternate
source. That
is exactly how it is viewed by local governments in Central Florida, said Hal
Wilkening, St. John's director of resource management. The
district has directed these communities to find alternate supplies because not
enough water remains in the aquifer to feed future development. St.
John's "anticipates that the development of future groundwater projects
will be minimal because of stresses on groundwater availability," said a
report prepared earlier this year for the Lake County Water Alliance, a
collection of cities in the county. The
same report, which was partly paid for by St. John's, estimated demand for
water by alliance members would double by 2030. Wilkening
said plans to tap surface water -- still in their early stages -- include the
massive Villages project, most of which is in Sumter County and the Southwest
Florida Water Management District, commonly known as Swiftmud. One
proposal was presented at a meeting of utilities and local governments in
Orlando on July 18. It anticipated pumping water from the lower Ocklawaha and
St. John's rivers to the Villages, meaning his district is taking a regional
approach. "There's
no back room plan that somebody is going to ship water from the Withlacoochee
across Sumter to Lake County," Wilkening said. Except
development patterns almost ensure that will happen, said Joe Murphy,
conservation chairman of the Hernando Audubon Society. "There's
no way we're going to say, 'Come on over, harvest some water for
Clermont.'" Dan
DeWitt can be reached at dewitt@sptimes.com
or (352) 754-6116. Group
questions biz helping to set water rules Rachael
Anne Ryals A
local environmental group is concerned that there may be a conflict of
interest with a company that is helping to set the rules on how much water can
be taken from local springs and rivers. "Our
Santa Fe" is questioning the Suwannee Water Management District's recent
contract renewal with Water Resource Associates (WRA), a company that has been
hired to analyze how much water can safely be taken from local springs and
rivers. That's
because WRA also specializes in helping landowners sell water rights -- a
controversial practice that has not historically been allowed in Florida. Selling
water rights is a gray area in Florida law that is used in areas of the state
where there is no water left to permit. To
sell water rights, a person with a water use permit agrees to use less of
their allowed, permitted water and sells the right to use some of the
remaining water to another party that is interested in obtaining water. Our
Santa Fe President Russ Augspurg said that the group feels there is a conflict
of interest with the Suwannee River Water Management District hiring a company
involved in that type of business. "We
think that with someone that is helping to set the levels of water, there is a
possibility that they may set those levels of water low with the thought that
later on down the road, that may be water to broker," Augspurg said. But
Kirk Webster, deputy executive director of water resources for the district,
said he does not think there is a conflict of interest with the company that
has been doing Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) research for the district for
four years. Minimum
Flows and Levels are established to determine how much water can safely be
removed from a river or spring before the environment is harmed. "We
hired a firm to do a good, strong technical job for us, and that is exactly
what they are doing," Webster said. The
reports from the company are also peer-evaluated by scientists from outside
the company. The peer review is a voluntary step that the district has chosen
to do to ensure the science is accurate, Webster said. And
District Board Member David Flagg also said that he trusts what the staff
recommends because they are knowledgeable and educated on the matters. "I
can understand why some people can perceive that there is a conflict of
interest," Flagg said, adding that there is no proof of wrongdoing and
that the company has done good, scientific work for the district. Flagg
said he has not received any phone calls saying that the contract should not
be renewed. If someone has a concern, however, Flagg said he would like to
hear from them. "I
respect their opinions," he said. "And if they indeed have what they
think is valid proof to their opinion, please let us know. Let the executive
director know." Peter
Hubbell and Mark Farrell, two former Southwest Florida Water Management
District executives, founded WRA in 1997. The
company has a wide variety of specialties from conducting in-depth
environmental studies to helping clients find water and sell water rights. And
that's where the perceived conflict comes in. Kirk
Hatfield, the director of Water Resources Research at the University of
Florida, said he could see a potential problem with a company that does
studies that are used to determine the amount of water that can be taken and
also helps people find and sell water. "It
would seem like you could have a conflict of interest," Hatfield said.
"I would be concerned." But
Webster said the company was selected through a competitive process. Webster
said that the company was one of five to six companies that submitted
proposals in response to the bid that occurred a few years ago. The
process for selecting a company to conduct the MFL research is similar to the
process that the district does whenever they hire any company, Webster said. First
an advertisement is placed in Florida Administrative Weekly stating what the
scope of work is that the district needs. Then the district reviews the
proposals, which commonly outline a company's experience, number of staff
members, skills, price and a summary of how they would approach the work. Staff
members then shorten the list of proposals and invite the companies to give a
live presentation to a selection committee that is made up of district deputy
directors. The
selection committee then ranks the applicants and submits their ranking to the
board that then votes on what company to select. The
process is similar to what a city or county does when work is needed And
so far, the district has been happy with the work that WRA has done, Webster
said. The
district staff believes that the same company should be used to complete all
the Suwannee River and Santa Fe River MFLs both to speed up the process of
setting the MFLs and to keep continuity with the results, Webster said. The
Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers' MFLs are scheduled to be complete by 2008. A
new proposal for bids from companies can be placed at any time, Webster said,
but most likely will be re-bid after the rivers' MFLs are completed. Webster
is quick to point out that the contract also has a conflict of interest clause
that could allow the contract to be terminated at any time if there was a
concern, Webster said. "After
the first year, if we had been unhappy, that would be the end of it,"
Webster said. Augspurg,
who voiced his concerns at the recent governing board meeting to renew the
contract with WPA, said that he is still concerned with the possible conflict
of interest. "To
us, someone that is not brokering water would be a better choice," he
said. Speakers
Predict Heartland's Growth Environmentalists,
planners, officials and developers outline visions. By
Tom Palmer AVON
PARK | The key to successfully planning the future of Florida's Heartland is
to look generations - not just years - ahead, a panel of experts said
Wednesday. STATE
BIRD: Mockingbird or Scrub Jay? By
DAVID HUNT, MockingbirdMimus
polygottosA Senate resolution made the mockingbird Florida's state bird in
1927. It also is state bird in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
It's an avid singer, carrying tunes throughout the day and sometimes into the
night.VITAL STATISTICS: Common throughout North America.RANGE AND HABITAT:
Desert, forest and city alike may be home to the mockingbird. In recent years,
the species has migrated north, stretching its range from Mexico to
Canada.WHAT THEY EAT AND WHAT EATS THEM: Eats insects, seeds and berries.
Preyed on by snakes, owls and hawks.THE FLORIDA CONNECTION: Part of its range
includes Florida.WHY IT SHOULD BE THE STATE BIRD: The mockingbird has been a
Florida favorite for decades and its love of lush lawns may help the bird
flourish as the state continues to develop.WHY IT SHOULDN'T BE THE STATE BIRD:
The mockingbird is also state bird of several other states, making it a more
general choice. Florida
scrub jayAphelocoma coerulescensThis species is found only in Florida. As
such, the state's rapid development has fragmented and cut down its habitat.
Population of the bird has declined by 90 percent over the past century,
according to the Audubon Society.VITAL STATISTICS: The species is considered
threatened, with a population of about 8,000.RANGE AND HABITAT: The Florida
scrub jay restricts itself to small patches of pine and oak scrub within
peninsular Florida.WHAT THEY EAT AND WHAT EATS THEM: Eats berries and
vegetables, but could take small prey like lizards. Preyed on by hawks, feral
cats and bobcats.THE FLORIDA CONNECTION: Its range does not extend beyond
Florida.WHY IT SHOULD BE THE STATE BIRD: The scrub jay is the only bird found
specifically in Florida.WHY IT SHOULDN'T BE THE STATE BIRD: Some critics say
giving such a distinction to a threatened species could be a ploy to stunt the
state's development. Dirt-rich
neighbors will lose to pavers Safety
Harbor will pave 600 feet of Marshall Street E, pleasing half the residents
and peeving half. By
EILEEN SCHULTE, Times Staff Writer SAFETY
HARBOR - Kiss this bit of Old Florida goodbye. Only
about 10 feet wide and shaded by two walls of mature oak trees, Marshall
Street E looks like a 19th century wagon trail. About
120 feet of the street was paved a few years ago, and that surface started to
crumble almost immediately. The rest is more or less dirt - mostly more. When
it rains the road is muddy and when the sun shines it's dusty. You'd
never guess it was a public road. But
it's one of the last remaining unpaved public streetsin the city and a rarity
in Pinellas County. Yet
it is lined with some expensive houses. You
might think all the residents along the street would have rejoiced this week
when the City Commission decided to pave it. They
didn't. Of
the eight residents on Marshall Street E, half were upset. They told city
commissioners Monday night they like the road just the way it is. "You
could say we bought into the street before we bought into the house,"
said Michael Svatek, 47, a business manager for a food broker who has lived on
Marshall Street E for seven years. "The street is very quiet, it has a
natural trail look and feel, which to us and many other residents on that
street is an integral part of our home environment." He
said he can tolerate a little mud, the occasional pothole and the dust kicked
up by passing vehicles. As
for the residents who want the road improved, he asked: Why did they move to
Marshall Street E to begin with? "It
would be like purchasing a boat and then asking the city to build a lake for
that boat," Svatek said But
Lawrence Burke, 69, a retired developer who lives on N Bayshore Drive and has
a garage and driveway that opens onto Marshall Street E disagreed. For him,
it's a safety issue. "When
the large trash trucks that we have within the city come down that street,
they have to dodge the potholes because they have a tendency to roll when they
go into them," Burke said. "It's dangerous. It's not right. ... The
city doesn't need the liability and we all need the safety. We don't have to
go back to the 1800s, when residents had no choice." In
the end, Safety Harbor city commissioners decided to pave 600 feet of Marshall
Street E between Westley Avenue and Bayshore Drive. The work will cost $6,000
and take place in the spring. Sixteen other substandard roads in Safety Harbor
also will be improved. "That's
a public road," said Brian Bergin, 60, a retired Fortune 500 executive
who lives in one of the homes lining Marshall Street E. "It's been
treated as a private road by the people that don't want to see any
change." Eileen
Schulte can be reached at schulte@sptimes.com
or (727) 445-4153. Rescue
the Wildlife Center Tweak
in zoning code could save rehabilitation facility A
measure of how much residents of Sarasota County care about wildlife is the
volume of mail sent to the planning staff in support of the Wildlife Center of
Venice. Sam's
Club debate pits two giants By
JEFF ADELSON 12:00
am, September 19, 2007 The
skirmishes over a plan to expand the Sam's Club on NW 13th Street could be
seen as a typical land-use battle in Gainesville, complete with concerns about
noise, aesthetics and compatibility. But
instead of the neighborhood groups and residents that typically make up
opposition at these meetings, Wal-Mart, the owner of Sam's, has found itself
pitted mainly against another corporations in a struggle that some city
officials argue has more to do with gasoline than zoning. A
handful of residents and neighbors voiced concerns about the proposal before
commissioners approved it Monday. But they were accompanied by an equal number
of lawyers, experts and professors - including a consultant who sits as a
member of the City Plan Board - brought into the issue by businesses,
including The Pantry, a gas company that runs gas stations under Kangaroo and
other brands. The company has 28 gas stations in Gainesville, more than any
other company in the city. On
Tuesday, Commissioner Rick Bryant described the effort as a contest primarily
driven by Wal-Mart's desire to build a gas station at the Sam's Club that
would be open only to members but which is expected to charge lower prices
than most stand-alone gas stations. "This
was big money fighting big money," said Bryant, who has been critical of
The Pantry and supportive of Wal-Mart in the past. But
while gas may be a flashpoint in the Sam's Club debate, many experts say even
with a new station, consumers are unlikely to see much of a change in their
fuel costs. The
Commission gave unanimous - but preliminary - approval to the expansion late
Monday night, moving Wal-Mart one step closer to adding 25,000 square feet and
a 12-pump gas station to the 116,000 square foot Sam's Club. Commissioners,
who debated the issue until almost midnight Monday after hours of discussion
last week did not result in a decision, must vote in favor of the project
twice more before it is allowed to move forward. As
they allowed the project to move forward, however, commissioners also drew up
conditions designed to allay concerns about noise problems in nearby
residential areas and shield visitors at the adjacent Mount Pleasant Cemetery
from the gas station. Under these conditions, Wal-Mart would have to move the
gas station from its place next to the cemetery and provide 14-foot walls and
other features designed to dampen noise. If
noise continues to be a problem at the site, city officials could ask for more
buffers or restrict the hours the store could load merchandise. Given
these conditions, it is unclear whether Wal-Mart will be able to continue with
the planned expansion, said Quenta Vettel, Wal-Mart's senior public affairs
manager for Central Florida. "Obviously,
the Commission supported the expansion and renovation of the Sam's Club but we
need to make sure the conditions are feasible," Vettel said.
"Clearly, there were conditions put on last night that we did not expect
and we did not support." Monday
night, commissioners regularly veered off discussion of noise levels and
buffers to toss barbs back and forth about the two companies. Bryant and
Commissioner Ed Braddy criticized attorneys and experts who had been brought
into the issue by The Pantry - though some said they now were representing
other clients pro bono - for not fully revealing their motivations in the
matter. But others, including Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan, said a battle between two
businesses, each able to afford consultants and lawyers, was perhaps better
than one in which neighborhoods could not afford this kind of representation. "I'm
personally not annoyed to have two big businesses arguing in public over
things," Hanrahan said Monday. "Frankly, I think its refreshing when
you have a fair fight." Bob
Cohen, a consultant for The Pantry and a City Plan Board member, said the gas
company was motivated both by the competition provided by Wal-Mart and by
other considerations. "Our
principle is that we will only fight them on projects that are in bad
location," Cohen said. While The Pantry has also fought proposals to
build Wal-Mart Supercenters in northwest Gainesville, Cohen said it has stayed
out of discussions over an east-side store. But,
Cohen acknowledged that competition plays a role and said the company saw
Wal-Mart as a threat because it sold gas for less than cost, a practice that
is illegal and which Vettel denied. Vettel
said The Pantry's involvement clouded the issue and could make it more
difficult for Wal-Mart to work with residents on issues. "When
there are outside groups, be it a petroleum organization or union groups that
are trying to create a wedge and make the issue something it's not, it doesn't
help," Vettel said, arguing that The Pantry would be hurt by competition
with another low-cost gas company. Despite
discussion of the gas station, many experts say there is little impact when
Wal-Mart brings a gas station to town, even if it is priced lower than
existing stations. In
Starke, a smaller market than Gainesville, the arrival of a Wal-Mart
Supercenter with a gas station did little to push down the price of gas in the
city, said Ron Lilly, president and CEO of the North Central Florida Regional
Chamber of Commerce. In
part, this is because transportation, taxes and other hard costs make up most
of the price of a gallon, said Jim Smith, president and CEO of the Florida
Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, an industry group. And
in Gainesville, some gas station owners said they didn't worry about the
competition. Jim
Hill, who owns the BP and Dairy Queen at NW 39th Avenue and I-75 said he
doubted Sam's Club would have an effect on the market as a whole since most
customers would be either shoppers at the store or "value-oriented"
customers who don't typically drive out to his station. Competing
with corporately owned gas station chains, like Kangaroo, has more of an
impact on the market, Hill said. Jeff
Adelson can be reached at 352-374-5095 or adelsoj@gvillesun.com
State
concerns keep St. Johns River development bid in limbo By
BOB KOSLOW DEBARY
-- A controversial residential development along the St. Johns River remains
in limbo after the state rejected the developer's offer to eliminate a marina
if he can keep a commercial complex and private boat docks for homeowners. The
continuing impasse increases the likelihood the issue will be argued in a
formal hearing on Tuesday by attorneys for DeBary, Naples-based developer
Joseph Kryzs and the state Department of Community Affairs. At
stake is Kryzs' proposed 250-unit Country Estate at River Bend subdivision on
the city's southwest border. Kryzs
last week agreed to withdraw a controversial marina and dry boat storage
facility in exchange for a private boat ramp and up to 60 two-slip individual
docks along a mile of the river. But
in a letter to the city on Tuesday, state planner Mike McDaniel wrote that the
state could not agree to both a ramp and individual docks. "We believe it
paramount to limit boating impacts on this portion of the river," he
wrote. The
department opposes a land-use change on about 35 percent of a 330-acre tract
between Fort Florida Road and the river to make way for the subdivision
project. The plan initially had a marina and a 10-acre commercial site that
included a restaurant, clubhouse and stores. The
state says the project violates the Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve management
plan, Volusia County Manatee Protection Plan and city land-use policies. The
commercial area's close proximity to Blue Spring State Park threatens manatees
traveling through the proposed marina and boat ramp locations, said state
planners who have final authority to approve the new land uses. The
city, which in April approved land-use changes for the project, plans to
challenge the state's latest rejection on the grounds it raises issues not
raised in its initial rejection letter in June. Then,
there was no objection to homeowners' rights to apply for individual docks,
City Manager Maryann Courson said on Wednesday. She pointed out the state only
asked that the commercial site be moved to a more appropriate site and away
from environmentally sensitive lands. "I
have been told by our attorneys that that first letter is legally binding on
the state and they can't come back later and keep adding other demands and
restrictions," Courson said. Negotiations
are continuing. If no settlement is reached, the administrative hearing on the
land-use dispute will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Florence K. Little Town
Hall, 12 Colomba Road. Major
retail development approved for Summerfield Project
sites could become home to a big-box tenant
OCALA
- The Marion County Commission has given the go ahead to major retail
development plans at the intersection of U.S. 301 and County Road 42 in
Summerfield. Landfill
expansion moves ahead Baseline
still needs approval to expand to a maximum height of 212 feet
OCALA
- Two expansion plans for the Baseline Landfill, including one that would
raise it to a height of more than 200 feet, are moving ahead, but neither is
expected to come back for a more critical County Commission vote until October
or November. Tuesday,
commissioners approved amendments with two consulting firms already under
contract to add permitting and design work for the expansions. The county
added up to $190,958 to the contract with Jones, Edmunds & Associates to
handle design and permitting on the proposed vertical and eastward expansion
of the existing landfill. Developers
urge Fla. voters to renege on petitions A
former state House speaker is urging voters to use a law that allows people
who sign petitions on constitutional amendments to change their minds. Posted
on Thu, Sep. 20, 2007 BY
MARC CAPUTO TALLAHASSEE
-- Warning! ''Slick lawyers'' and ''special interests'' are tricking citizens
into signing petitions for a development-limiting amendment that actually
helps ``big developers.'' The
message comes courtesy of John Thrasher, a lawyer and lobbyist for one of the
state's biggest developers, St. Joe Co. and Associated Industries of Florida,
among others. He's urging people in a letter sent throughout the state to take
advantage of a new business-backed law allowing voters to revoke their
signature on a petition to get a constitutional amendment before voters. In
this case, the proposed ''Florida Hometown Democracy'' amendment would give
voters the right to veto or approve any growth-plan change made in their area.
And that has developers, the business lobby and local governments worried. For
starters, the amendment could delay some developments by months, and subject
even minor projects, such as the siting of a gas station, to a citizen vote.
And that could tie the fate of the smallest, least controversial projects to
larger developments. GROUPS
MOBILIZE The
Florida Chamber of Commerce is hitting back with its own group, Floridians for
Smarter Growth, and an amendment that seeks to all but cancel the Hometown
plan. The
rival petitions, Thrasher's letter, a debate Wednesday in Tallahassee and a
Tampa Bay debate last week show that this will be one of the more spirited
campaigns. Thrasher
said in a Wednesday debate at Tallahassee's Tiger Bay Club that the
ramifications of the Sierra Club-backed amendment are ''very terrifying'':
higher taxes, more politics in planning and less accountability from local
government commissioners abrogating their duties via plebiscite. His
rival, Ross Burnaman with Florida Hometown Democracy, said Thrasher is
misleading people. Burnaman said the amendment would give citizens a final say
over how their community grows, and he pointed out that big developers oppose
this plan. Burnaman
said his group is only 100,000 signatures shy of the 611,000 needed by Feb. 1
to get the measure before voters in November 2008. THRASHER'S
MESSAGE Thrasher,
a former Florida House speaker, hopes to cancel some of those petitions
through his letter, which says people have been ''tricked'' into signing by
''mercenary'' signature gatherers. Thrasher
said he's not affiliated with the chamber's group, which is using paid
signature-gatherers. If
the Hometown amendment makes the ballot and passes, citizens could vote on
growth changes once a year, twice yearly or more often. Said
Thrasher: ``Democracy's not cheap.'' Land-use
amendment debated The
co-founder of the Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment campaign
said Wednesday letting citizens vote on land-use changes is not a ''radical,
wild-eyed idea'' to stifle growth. But
an influential lobbyist working with a drive to let voters revoke their
petition signatures on the proposal said it will backfire - raising property
taxes for homeowners and small-business operators, while letting ''deep
pockets'' developers finance slick campaigns to get whatever they want from
voters. ''The
amendment is real, real simple,'' Tallahassee attorney Ross Burnaman said
during a debate at a Capital Tiger Bay Club luncheon. ''It just involves
giving yourself a vote on growth.'' But
former House Speaker John Thrasher, representing the anti-amendment ''Save Our
Constitution'' campaign, claimed that the pending proposal would put almost
every land-use or growth-policy change to a public referendum. He said that
would choke development of badly needed hospitals, power plants or other big
projects and rob local governments of revenues at a time when many are already
having to cut back. ''It's
about stopping growth in the state of Florida. That's what it's about, that's
what they want,'' said Thrasher. ''This amendment is being proposed by some
radical environmental groups.'' Thrasher
said the business-backed Save Our Constitution campaign is gaining a lot of
signature revocations, under a new law passed this year that lets voters
rescind petitions on constitutional referendums. Burnaman said Florida
Hometown Democracy has gathered about 500,000 signatures - about 100,000 fewer
than needed by Feb. 1 to get on the ballot - but that he doesn't know how many
have been cancelled by voters. The
amendment would require that before adopting any new comprehensive land-use
plan or amending an existing plan, local governments would have to hold a
public referendum on the proposed changes. Burnaman, who drafted the
amendment, said he was speaking for himself in the debate and not the Hometown
Democracy organization or any of his law clients. He
noted that local planning agencies and governing bodies would still have to
approve a change before it goes on the ballot. ''The
bottom line is that the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment is not this
radical, wild-eyed idea that some would have you believe, but rather it's
merely an incremental change to existing state law and policy,'' said Burnaman.
''It merely would place a citizens' veto at the tail end of this legislative
process of changing our comprehensive land-use plans.'' But
Thrasher countered that if city and county governments don't have normal
growth in property tax revenues from normally controlled development, and if
costs of government services continue to rise, they will have to raise taxes
on existing homes and businesses. Tallahassee
Mayor John Marks, who listened to the debate, said ''it's a terrible
amendment.'' Marks said it sounds tempting but would hurt local governments. ''They
talk about hometown democracy, but it's really anti-democratic,'' said Marks.
''One size does not fit all. Here, we've been doing a fairly good job in terms
of comprehensive planning amendments.'' Allison
DeFoor of Wakulla County, state coordinator of EarthBalance and a lobbyist,
said the amendment is well-intended but unsuitable. ''It's
the wrong solution to what is a real problem,'' he said. State-approved
killing of oak trees causes controversy HIGH
SPRINGS – For 14 years, Martha Inks has lived adjacent to O’Leno State
Park. Her property backs up to one of the park’s entrances, so for Inks and
her Paso fino horse Rumba, it’s a short trip to the park’s shady trails.
The
plan mandates the state to restore O’Leno to the way it looked before World
War II, when the park was defined by longleaf pine trees, weeds and
wildflowers. A similar plan has already been enacted at other state parks.
A
Government on a Mission Now,
less than three million acres have significant longleaf pine populations. Sugarloaf
wins deal for credits A
fire station will join Minneola's water plant. The city will forgive fees. Robert
Sargent | Sentinel Staff Writer September
20, 2007 MINNEOLA
- Sugarloaf Mountain could provide a new fire station for the city to help
resolve a dispute over millions of dollars worth of impact fees. A
majority of the council agreed to amend the contract to clarify providing
Sugarloaf with the impact-fee credits. But the development also must annex
into Minneola and provide a fire station, among other things. Bronson
land purchase is boon for horse lovers Kumari
Kelly Sentinel
Staff Writer September
20, 2007 If
you're a horse lover, the Lonesome Camp Ranch is the kind of place that feels
like home. Water
plan draws scrutiny A
regional water supply authority director is questioning a proposal by the St.
Johns River Water Management District to divert water in the future from the
Withlacoochee River to serve cities within its boundaries. By
Christine
Stapleton how
a man who who wants to be president ... -
went on to say the energy independence is a national security issue. While
drilling in the Fred,
what makes sense is to STOP GUZZLING SO MUCH OIL! But Fred doesn’t see it
that way. What makes sense, Thompson said, is “do better in terms of
nuclear. We have to do better in terms of finding environmentally sensitive
ways to use coal, which we have plenty of and there’s new technology
allowing us to begin to do that. Alternative fuels, renewables,
all of those things have to be on the table.” Fred,
those things already are on the table. They have been on the table for quite
awhile. What we really need NOW is a politician with the guts to say the
“C” word - CONSUMPTION. To
say we need to find alternatives (which have already been found, Fred) is like
saying we need to find a new drug to feed our addiction. What we need is to
STOP consuming so much oil, then fill our needs
with alternatives. We need a 12-step program for our oil addiction. Fred,
the next time you come to Pollution
still a problem in the Wednesday,
September 19, 2007 The
The
EPA report found that mercury concentrations in a key species of prey fish
dropped "markedly" but remained too high for consumption by birds
and mammals. Areas with the highest levels of fish contamination included Scientists
also found only a small decrease in levels of the deadliest form of mercury in
the On
the other hand, water is generally clean in the refuge's interior, which is
far from the pollution being carried by drainage canals. Meanwhile,
the agency found that: Z More than half the Z
Phosphorus pollution in the Z
The Everglades shows no signs of reversing the
massive loss of peat soil that it experienced because of drainage during the
20th century. The
EPA issued the report as part of its Everglades Ecosystem Assessment Program,
which has sampled pollution at more than 1,000 locations since 1993. Many
trees are now fair game for felling Only
larger oaks and pines will be regulated. By
CRISTINA SILVA, Times Staff Writer Attention,
A
"They
are the most native species and they are the main trees that you have in The
parks department will now oversee tree removal permits for residential
properties. Before,
residential property owners had to have the city's development services staff
inspect their trees before they could have them chopped down. In what boils
down to the latest perk of the property tax reform mandate, city officials
recently decided to scale back the process. Environmentalists
need not be alarmed. The change will not affect commercial property owners,
who must continue to run all tree dilemmas by the city's development services
department. Homeowners
interested in obtaining a tree removal permit can call the mayor's action line
at 727 893-7171. Cristina
Silva can be reached at csilva@sptimes.com
or (727) 893-8846. Housing
Nightmare Haunting By
Shannon Behnken
of The Published:
September 18, 2007 What
should be done about the foreclosure rate? "This
gets back to issues that have been brewing for quite some time," said
Daren Blomquist, communications manager for
Irving, Calif.-based RealtyTrac, which tracks
foreclosures. "The large inventory of homes, home prices dipping and the
generous lending practices in recent years all combine to create this
problem." Across
the state, foreclosures show no sign of slowing down: •In
• •In
Hillsborough, The
mortgage industry has been rocked by a surge in defaults, particularly among
borrowers with subprime loans and adjustable rate
mortgages that initially had attractive "teaser" interest rates but
can adjust upward, resulting in payment shock. Many loans, some of which
adjust in as little as two years, were issued in 2005 and 2006 during the
height of the housing boom. Most
homeowners who enter the foreclosure process don't end up turning their keys
over to the lender, experts say. Other outcomes can range from selling the
property to reaching an agreement with the lender, avoiding foreclosure as a
final solution. Big
Jump In Those Losing Homes Still,
there's been a large jump in the number of people losing their homes. In the
Bay area in August, 770 properties were taken over by lenders. That compared
with 266 in July and just 38 during August 2006, according to RealtyTrac.
Statewide, 2,364 properties were repossessed by lenders. "It's
alarming that number of properties are making it
that far in the process," Blomquist said.
"I think this shows that some people in danger of foreclosure now have
fewer options to get rid of their homes." Nationwide,
there were more foreclosure filings in August than any other month since the
company began tracking monthly filings two years ago. The total, 243,947
filings, is up 36 percent from July and 115 percent from August 2006. Next
Foreclosure Wave Looms "The
jump in foreclosure filings this month might be the beginning of the next wave
of increased foreclosure activity, as a large number of subprime
adjustable rate loans are beginning to reset now," said RealtyTrac
Chief Executive James J. Saccacio. RealtyTrac's
monthly data includes default notices, auction sale notices and bank
repossessions. The company counts the raw number of foreclosure filings and
does not single-out individual properties. As a property works through the
foreclosure process, it can receive multiple filings. Because of this and the
fact that some properties with multiple mortgages receive several filings, RealtyTrac
could count some properties more than once. Blomquist
said this is unlikely to affect monthly data because properties typically
don't have more than one foreclosure filing in a month. Information
from The Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter Shannon Behnken
can be reached at (813) 259-7804 or sbehnken@tampatrib.com. Jerry
W. Jackson Sentinel
Staff Writer September
19, 2007 With
growth shifting from South Florida to Central and North Florida, a prominent
multifamily-housing investment-advisory brokerage from Bay
Area Traffic In Top 20 For Traffic Congestion By
Rich Shopes
of The Published:
September 18, 2007 Blog:
Behind The Wheel | More
Traffic News The
Tampa-St. Petersburg area ranked 20th among 85 large The
ranking is based on the most recent information available, from 2005, and
represents an improvement over 2004 and 2003, when the area ranked 14th and
11th, respectively. One
of the study's authors cautioned against reading too much into the numbers. "Drivers
there still spend a lot of time in traffic," said David Schrank,
an associate research scientist with the Texas Transportation Institute at Drivers
in the Bay area spent 46 hours on average sitting in traffic in 2004, the same
amount as in 2003. The picture improved to 45 hours in 2005. Traffic
delays are costly, too: $809 on average for 2005 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg
area, $20 more than 2004 and $60 more that 2003. Rising
gas prices, especially after the 2005 hurricane season, were to blame. On
average, it increased here from $1.53 per gallon in 2003 to $2.34 per gallon
in 2005. The
The
least congested metro areas were Nationwide,
drivers waste about 38 hours per year in traffic, the new study says. The
study summed it up this way: "Too many people, too many trips over too
short of a time period on a system that is too small." The
study estimates that drivers wasted 2.9 billion gallons of fuel while sitting
in traffic. Together with the lost time, traffic delays cost the nation $78.2
billion, the study estimates. High
gasoline prices appear to have cut into optional driving but not commuting to
work, Schrank said. "We're
really not seeing drops in the peak travel times," he said. About
three-quarters of all commuters drive alone to work, according to census data. The
study offers a menu of options for addressing congestion, including adding
roads or lanes where needed, improving public transportation and changing
driving patterns through flexible work schedules, telecommuting and car
pooling. To
learn more, go to The Texas Transportation
Institute. Information
from The Associated Press was used in this report. Aaronson
defends Wednesday,
September 19, 2007 Palm
Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson told an influential homeowners group
Wednesday that his effort to fast-track an extension of "Yes,
I have taken contributions from developers. I will continue to take
contributions from developers. I have given them nothing in return,"
Aaronson said before about 500 members of the Coalition of West Boynton
Residents Association. "I
worked on After
he spoke, Coalition President Barbara Katz reminded COWBRA members that they
did seek the road and supported the commercial marketplace that GL Homes was
building on it. The group represents 87 communities with over 100,000
residents. The
5-mile link between But
after Aaronson offered $2 million from his district's discretionary account to
fast-track the project, the county's engineer put it into his 2008 road plan.
It will carve a 300-foot-wide path through farmland that had been bought by
taxpayers to preserve the agricultural character of the region. Aaronson
noted the road will make it easier for COWBRA members to go to the movies.
Ascot Development plans a 12-screen multiplex for "Everyone
knows the shortest distance between two points is a straight line,"
Aaronson said. "I do not apologize for being a person who is in favor of
smart growth." He
said it was unfair to connect his push for the road to the contributions that
developers have made to two groups he founded: Floridians for Stem Cell
Research and Cures and the Palm Beach International Film Festival. The
road will serve more than 5,000 recently approved homes planned by The
film festival has received donations of at least $60,000 from GL Homes,
according to program guides. In 2006 Kenco gave at least $50,000 and Ansca
$20,000. The
stem cell group, meanwhile, took in $150,000 from GL HomesÇ
president, a Kenco-related company an Ansca-related
company. "I
give no favors to those who contribute to charities," Aaronson assured
the COWBRA members. He
made no mention of the developers' support of his extended family. AaronsonÇs
daughter-in-law, Wendy, has been on GL HomesÇ
payroll since 1997. Another
daughter-in-law, Rebecca Aaronson of Manalapan, reaped checks from South
Florida developers including Kenco and Ascot executives in 2005 when she ran
for Rebecca
Aaronson, like her father-in-law, said she maintains a strict rule, that when
someone gives to her, nothing should be expected in return. Also
in his defense, Aaronson read aloud a memo penned by County Engineer George
Webb on Tuesday. "Having
the road in place will give more options for drivers in the area and certainly
will also move some traffic off of ( Katz
said the road would improve driving times in the area. "We
did, as COWBRA, ask for that link to be completed," Katz said. One
vote stops Martin mobile-home owners By
TERESA LANE Wednesday,
September 19, 2007 PORT
ST. LUCIE — Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard is usually on the losing
end of a 4-1 vote against proposed developments. But
on Tuesday her one voice of opposition was enough to stop the other four
commissioners from passing a change to the county's rules governing mobile
home parks. A
proposed emergency amendment to the county's comprehensive plan would have
allowed the owners of mobile home lots to replace their mobile homes with
permanent homes if they are destroyed by hurricanes. Dozens
of mobile home owners have been asking the commission for the change for
months, saying they cannot get insurance for their mobile homes anymore. State
laws require emergency amendments to be unanimously approved by the
commission. Heard
refused to vote for the proposal Tuesday postponing its approval until at
least later this year.
After Heard voted against the final approval of the emergency amendment,
commissioners voted 4-1 to send the proposal back to the state and then vote
on it again in December. The December vote will not require unanimous
approval. Heard
said the language of the proposal was too vague and could be exploited by
developers to build condominiums. "I'm
not going to support this. It needs to be rewritten," Heard said. "It's
way too broad." She
said the proposal could remove buffering requirements from mobile home parks. "This
is in no way a plan to open up mobile home parks to be bought by land
speculators to be converted into PUDs (planned
unit developments)," Van Vonno said. People
Will Finally Be Heard On Plan For The
Published:
September 19, 2007 Thanks
to Tom Pelham, secretary of the state Department of Community Affairs,
citizens will finally be heard on the plan by CSX railroad to move its hub
from Pelham,
the state's top growth-management official, has agreed to meet with critics
who fear the hub will overrun their communities with new trains and truck
traffic. The
decision to hold the meeting carries some risk, since Pelham's department must
ultimately decide whether the proposal is consistent with the state's growth
plans. But since everything about this project has been decided behind closed
doors, it is the right thing to do. If
only Stephanie Kopelousos, the Department of
Transportation secretary who is overseeing the state's rail-realignment
project, would show the same spine. Pelham
may not have the final word on the rail hub, which proponents say will enhance
the state's freight distribution system and bring jobs to This
project not only promises to affect the entire region, it would affect the
entire state. It deserves the added scrutiny of the DRI-review process. Pelham's
planned appearance also sends a signal that someone in the executive branch is
paying attention to citizens who feel they've been excluded from the process. CSX's
proposed hub has never been discussed or debated in the Legislature. With the
exception of Since
the announcement was made last August, CSX has remained mum on the project,
showing no capacity for good public relations. The
secrecy leaves the impression that Bush and the railroad failed to consider
the negative effects on communities beyond Their
questions deserve answers. Among
them: Why When
Pelham comes to The
state needs a strong rail strategy for moving goods and people, but deals that
significantly alter the landscape should not be made in the shadows. Thanks,
Secretary Pelham, for having the courage to shine the light on this enormously
important project of regional impact. Sinkholes
ruining homes in region Florida's
soil allows water to reach the limestone layer, and
land fails. Katie
Fretland Sentinel
Staff Writer September
19, 2007 Houses
with cracking walls and snapping trusses.
A bank with a sinking drive-through lane. County
To Begin Asphalt Production By
Jim Konkoly
of Published:
September 19, 2007
Commissioners
Guy Maxcy, Edgar Stokes and Andy Jackson voted to
borrow $3.3 million to build the plant at the county landfill. All three cited
the need to maintain roads better, and the estimate of $700,000 savings per
year on current road resurfacing costs made by county Solid Waste Director Ken
Wheeler. Opposition
to the county plant came from the asphalt industry, both local and statewide,
in claims that Wheeler's cost estimate is way off base and questions about a
local government's proper role. Commissioners
Barbara Stewart and Don Bates voted against the asphalt plant, citing doubts
about the projected cost savings and opposition to the county taking over a
traditional role of private enterprise. Taking
business away from the private sector doesn't make sense, Stewart argued, when
"we spend a lot of money trying to get companies (to locate) here." Maxcy
and Stokes said the county can't keep up with road maintenance now and must
cut costs to do more. Failure to do so, they said, will eventually lead to
horrible road conditions. "There's
a cliff coming, folks, and I'm not sure when it will be," Maxcy
said about the county now resurfacing half as many miles of roads as it
should. If road resurfacing can't be increased, he said, "we're
going to be faced with major problems in this county." Stokes
noted the county has about 1,200 miles of paved roads to maintain. "We're
in a 40-year cycle now," Stokes said about the county's road resurfacing
schedule. "We should be in a 20- or 25-year cycle." Asphalt
industry spokesmen disputed Wheeler's cost-saving calculations. "We
maintain to this day that Mr. Wheeler's cost figures are flawed, they are too
low," said John Skidmore, president of the Central Florida division of
APAC Southeast, an asphalt paver with a plant in Jim
Warren, executive director of the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida,
traveled here from Wheeler
said his study, backed up by the consulting firm of PBS&J, shows the
county can produce and lay asphalt down on roads for $67.35 per ton – a
savings of $22.65 per ton over the county's current contract price. "We
believe we can do better," he said. "The numbers we are showing you
are very conservative," he told commissioners. Skidmore
said his company's costs to produce and install asphalt, at no profit at all,
come out to $86 per ton, which was the company's bid price on a new one-year
paving contract with the county. APAC
bid a no-profit price, he said, "because we
knew we had to be as low as possible to make our case" against the county
building its own plant. He said the county's price advantages, mainly from not
paying certain taxes, amount to about $7 per ton. Based on his analysis, the
county couldn't produce asphalt and pave for less than $79 per ton. Sebring
attorney Jim Lobozzo, representing the state
asphalt contractors association, said the main question is government's proper
role. "Is
it the business of government to be in the asphalt business?" he asked
rhetorically, adding that a county plant would take away jobs "directly
and indirectly." Skidmore
raised the same argument, saying that local governments are offering
businesses "all kinds of incentives" to come here and provide jobs. "And
this county," he added, "is talking about spending tax dollars to
run private enterprise out of town." Commissioner
Jackson said he saw merit in arguments against the county plant, but was
swayed by two factors: the need to better maintain roads and the lack of
top-notch competition between paving companies for the county's business. "I'm
pretty much a free enterprise guy and not much for expanding government,"
Commissioners
expect the asphalt plant to be up and running in about a year. In the
meantime, the county paving contract for fiscal 1007-08 was awarded Tuesday to
Better Roads, at a price of $91 per ton for the "virgin asphalt"
mix. APAC's bid, at $5 less per ton, was rejected
because it was good for only six months. Crist,
Cabinet OK purchase of property for recreation trails MIMS
— Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet approved
the purchase of nearly 51 miles of old Florida East Coast Railway today for
$16 million to convert into recreational trails that could become part of a
larger greenway project linking Maine to Key West. Kelly proposes local water boards to protect water supply, environment Published 9-18-2007 Water has been a pivotal issue in Volusia County politics for years. How to supply — and share — drinking water for a growing population has long been a question. Also, the hurricanes of 2004 dramatically illustrated the need for stormwater controls, as neighborhoods across West Volusia flooded. The public agrees there is a need to regulate and protect the water supply, but the question of exactly how to do that remains. The ill-fated Water Authority of Volusia (WAV) was one such attempt to provide countywide regulation, and to prepare for a future that is almost certain to include finding and funding ways to get drinking water from the St. Johns River or the Atlantic Ocean. Designed to unify county water-providers while protecting the environment, the WAV bogged down over costs and control and is now virtually defunct, just XX years after its creation. Volusia County Council Member Andy Kelly has been looking for ways to protect resources and the environment while providing water. His research led him to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, where he thinks he may have found an answer: basin boards. Thinking watersheds and water basins. A watershed is the specific land area that drains into a river system or other body of water, such as the St. J ohns River in West Volusia, and the Halifax River in East Volusia. "When water hits a watershed, it has to go somewhere," Kelly said. It naturally flows into basins: lower-lying collection points for water. If enough water collects, you have a river or a lake. Construction of roads, housing and other types of development can divert the flow of water from its natural path, causing flooding in areas that didn't flood before, and preventing water from collecting as nature intended. Also, pollution from fertilizers, automobiles and other human activity is carried into water basins. Protecting the quality of water in these basins, such as that at Blue Spring, in the St. Johns River, is paramount. Volusia County is in the St. Johns River Water Management District. While none of the communities within the St. Johns River Water Management District have basin boards, the Southwest Florida Water Management District — which stretches from Polk County down through Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties — has eight such boards. Created by Legislature Basin boards must be created by the Florida Legislature, and the specific legislation spells out the boards' power and authority. Generally, basin boards bring local oversight to water-management projects. They administer programs and budgets to address local concerns. Basin boards' budgets are supplied by ad valorem (property) taxes, and the money stays local, where it is often used to match other government funds to pay for improvements that protect the water supply. For example, the Manasota Basin Board is providing funds to widen the channel and stabilize the banks of the Wares Creek watershed in Manatee County, where homes have been flooded. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing $55.2 million and the basin board is matching the county's contribution of $14.3 million to complete the project. Kelly briefly mentioned basin boards at a County Council meeting a few months ago. He incorporated the subject into his talk at a goal-setting presentation Sept. 11. Kelly sees a Volusia County basin board as a local focus group. "Sort of a mini-water-district board," he said. "Now, the St. Johns River Water Management District tells us what's important for us. It tells us what our water issues are, but if we had a local basin board, we could make our own decisions," he said. The local board's four key areas of concern would be water quality, supply, flood and stormwater issues, and preserving and protecting springs and other bodies of water. The board would oversee the plants proposed to draw drinking water from the St. Johns River. Education — teaching residents how to conserve and protect water resources — would be another key duty of the basin board. Who would serve on the board? In Southwest Florida, basin board members are unpaid citizen volunteers appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. They serve three-year terms. Each of the basin boards includes one person from each county within the basin, if more than one county is involved, and there must be at least three members on each board. Each basin board has at least one member from the local Water Management District, who serves as the board's ex-officio chair. How much would it cost? The millage rate for the Manasota Water Management District in fiscal year 2008 is 0.1484 mill. For the owner of a $200,000 home with a standard homestead exemption, this works out to $25.97 a year added to the property-tax bill. What does the Water Management District think of basin boards? Robyn Hanke, spokesperson for the the Southwest Florida Water Management District at its Brooksville headquarters, said basin boards are an asset. "The most important thing about the basin boards is they offer a local perspective. They're a local arm of the Water Management District," she said. "They look at the specific watershed they are protecting, and come up with priorities and projects." The member of the Water Management District governing board who sits on the basin board makes sure the two groups communicate. Basin boards aren't new. Hanke said the Southwest Florida Water Management District was set up in 1961, mostly as a flood-control agency, and most of its basin boards were set up in 1962. Ed Garland, spokesman for the St. Johns River Water Management District, said the district is neutral on the topic of basin boards. Potential obstacles DeLand Director of Community Development Dale Arrington said she would need to learn much more about basin boards before she could considering supporting an effort to establish one. She pointed out the Water Management District already sets limits on water pulled out of the aquifer by cities and other big users through consumptive-use permitting, and the county itself regulates stormwater management and works with other jurisdictions toward meeting potable-water needs. "You would want to make sure it serves a true function," Arrington said. She's one who is haunted by the specter of WAV. "We participated heavily in that. Our city manger and engineer worked diligently on this issue," Arrington said. Arrington said Keith Riger, chief engineer for the City of DeLand, would be more knowledgeable about basin boards. The engineer said the St. Johns River Water Management District has not been favorably disposed to basin boards in the past, but Riger thinks a board focused on the needs of Volusia County may be a good thing. "It's a more progressive thing than putting it all on the backs of the municipalities," he said. Riger sees advantages in that "everyone pays within the basin," for big-ticket items such as a surface-water plant, which could reduce the demand for water pumped from the aquifer. That could improve the flow of Blue Spring, for example. Riger sees treatment plants for use of river water as a positive thing, "as long as we don't pump too much out of the river." "Everyone wants to do the right things for the environment, but on the other hand, keep the rates low enough not to burden our users," he said. Where do we go from here? Council Member Kelly is enthused his basin-board proposal made it through goal-setting steps at the workshop, and county staff was directed to explore the subject. Abercrombies'
Development Fight Back in Court By
Tom Palmer Environment
Reporter Bottom
of Form 1 BARTOW
| James and Erin Abercrombie's fight against development next door to
their suburban Lakeland home is back in court. Agency
votes to cut toll road A
regional transportation agency voted Monday to kill a proposed toll-road
through eastern Leon and Wakulla counties. The
Red Hills-Coastal Parkway faced opposition from state and federal
environmental agencies that said the project wasn't needed and would
harm wildlife habitat and waterways in the region. The
Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency, which proposed the
project in 2005 as part of a 25-year projects list, unanimously voted to
remove it from the plan Monday. "To
invest in a project that would encourage more sprawl and increase energy
use seems to fly in the face of the reality that we have in this
country," Commissioner Bob Rackleff said. The
agency, which includes elected officials from Gadsden, Leon and Wakulla
counties, voted in June to kill the toll-road project, but a public
hearing was required first, said Harry Reed, the agency's executive
director. No
one spoke at the hearing when it was held in August. The project was
placed on the list with little public discussion in 2005. The road would
have extended from Thomasville Road near Bradfordville around the east
of Tallahassee to U.S. Highway 98 near Newport. Agency
officials said in a memo that killing the project would increase traffic
congestion on surrounding roads including Capital Circle, Woodville
Highway and Thomasville Road. Also
Monday, the agency agreed to move a portion of Woodville Highway down on
a priority list of road-widening projects in the area and move up a
portion of Pensacola Street. The proposal was approved 41-40 in a
weighted vote that favored Tallahassee city commissioners who opposed
the Woodville Highway widening. City
Commissioner Mark Mustian said the highway widening would encourage
urban sprawl in Woodville and Wakulla County. But Wakulla County
Commissioner Ed Brimner said it would reduce congestion and improve the
quality of life for residents in Leon and Wakulla counties. Sep
18, 2007 Rivers
to quench a thirsty south? By
NATHAN CRABBE Florida
water managers are considering tapping rivers and lakes to quench the
thirst of a growing populace. A
plan to pipe water from the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers and other
water bodies to Central Florida communities is moving forward. The
project could cost as much as $1.2 billion and pipe up to 262 million
gallons a day to three dozen utilities including those serving Leesburg,
Orlando and The Villages. Most
U.S. communities divert water bodies to provide water for drinking,
irrigating crops and supplying businesses. But the plan represents a
significant shift for Florida, which has until now relied mainly on
groundwater to supply the public. Conservation
advocates say the plan defies the spirit of a state law requiring
communities to use local water sources before turning elsewhere. They
fear the plan is a prelude to water being pumped from the Santa Fe and
Suwannee rivers to satisfy the explosive growth of southern Florida
cities. "Thanks
to the unsustainable growth down there, they're looking to the north to
solve their problems," said Annette Long, president of Save Our
Suwannee. St.
Johns River Water Management District officials say growth is projected
to outpace available groundwater as soon as 2013 in some communities.
They say the "local sources first" law doesn't prevent ground
or surface water from being pumped across political boundaries. "It
means you use the local source first and that's exactly what's
happened," said Jim Gross, a senior project manager for St. Johns.
"It's essentially gone." For
years, Central and South Florida have proposed turning to the less
populated north to meet their water needs. Former state Sen. Nancy
Argenziano, R-Crystal River, successfully pushed for the local-sources
law to prevent water transfers. Argenziano,
now a member of the state's Public Service Commission, said the water
district is failing to follow the law if it proceeds with the pipeline
before pursuing alternatives. She
said desalination plants and aggressive conservation measures must first
be considered. Those alternatives could cost less and create less
environmental damage than the pipeline plan, she said. "It
might shoot their whole plan to kingdom come," she said. "It's
not a done deal by any means." Barbara
Vergara, St. Johns' director of water supply management, said
desalination is a risky option and the district has employed
conservation measures such as restricting lawn watering. She said said
nothing in Florida law limits communities to using only resources within
their political boundaries. "That's
probably never happened - not in many, many years in Florida," she
said. St.
Johns has joined with the South and Southwest Florida water management
districts to create the Central Florida Coordination Area. The area
allows utilities in southern Lake County and all of Orange, Osceola,
Polk and Seminole counties to seek water outside their districts. Three
dozen utilities are being invited to submit plans on how much water they
want, when they want it and how they want it delivered. On Oct. 15, the
district will present those utilities with possible plans for pipelines
and facilities. By
next year, planning could begin with an eye toward having facilities
built by 2013. The
time line has created a sense of urgency from environmental advocates.
Karen Ahlers, president of the Putnam County Environmental Council, said
the project threatens efforts to restore the Ocklawaha River. "If
this alternative supply thing goes through, we've lost the Ocklawaha
River," she said. The
river was the focus of one of the state's premier environmental battles,
the fight to stop construction of a barge canal across the state. Rodman
Dam was built on the Ocklawaha before the project was killed and the
structure remains a thorn in the side of environmental advocates. Ahlers'
group has pushed for the dam's removal and Ocklawaha's restoration. She
questions how the district could tap the river before establishing
minimum levels designed to prevent water withdrawals from causing
significant environmental harm. "I
just don't trust science that's dictated by demand," she said. St.
Johns water managers say they already have a good idea about available
water in the river before harm would occur. They say minimum flows will
be set before water is withdrawn and will eventually mean other sources
must be considered. They
say desalination will be needed after 2030 to meet the region's water
needs. But they say the technology is too risky and expensive to pursue
now on a wider scale. Argenziano
rejects the argument. She said the city of Dunedin, which has a reverse
osmosis plant that uses brackish water from deep below the surface,
shows that even a small community has the means to employ new
technology. She
questioned the wisdom of piping water outside watersheds. Doing so means
losing the benefits on recharging the aquifer, she said, draining the
future water supply in those communities. Gross
said the St. Johns district could eventually get water sent back from
other districts. The plan helps communities that are in many cases just
across district borders, he said. "Our
mission under Florida law is not to vigorously defend our boundaries as
if they were little kingdoms or fiefdoms," he said. Nathan
Crabbe can be reached at 352-338-3176 or crabben@gville sun.com. Orange,
I-Drive developer call truce Universal
City Property Management will pay back taxes but keep a lucrative break. Jason
Garcia Sentinel
Staff Writer September
18, 2007 A
controversial International Drive-area developer and the Orange County
Property Appraiser's Office said Monday they have settled a long-running
legal fight with a deal that will force the builder to pay more than $2
million in back taxes but also allow it to maintain a lucrative tax
break on its land. Changes
in Florida Keys coral reefs studied in undersea lab By
ADRIAN SAINZ KEY
LARGO, Fla. (AP) -- A nine-day mission that began Monday in the world's
only permanent working undersea laboratory is like living in a fishbowl
in more ways than one: Anyone with an Internet connection can watch the
researchers work and hang out 60 feet below the surface. Six
"aquanauts" studying changes along a coral reef will work,
sleep and eat at Aquarius Reef Base, on the Atlantic Ocean floor about
nine miles southeast of Key Largo in Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary. It's the first time students and others will get such an
extensive real-time view of the underwater life surrounding the
21-year-old lab. The
team, hoping to raise interest in science and the oceans, is bringing
its research to students with undersea classroom sessions and to the
public through live Internet video. Feeds are coming from inside and
outside Aquarius, and from divers wearing helmets mounted with cameras
and audio equipment. "It
would be ideal if all the students we are going to reach on this mission
could actually be here, but the truth is most of them will never get
that opportunity," said Ellen Prager, chief scientist for Aquarius.
"So the best we can do is have them connect and be virtually
there." Researchers
will study sponge biology and coral reefs - fertile marine habitats that
are threatened around the world by disease, rising ocean temperatures
and human factors such as pollution and overfishing. Aquarius
is a yellow, 43-foot-long, 9-foot-diameter tube, roughly the size of a
school bus. It lets researchers dive for nine hours a day and return to
the habitat without standard scuba diving requirements of surfacing and
decompressing. This
is the first time that live classes will be conducted from Aquarius Reef
Base. A school in Florida and another in Michigan are getting direct
interactive feeds, as are the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
and UNC's Institute of Marine Science in Morehead City. Other
classes can follow the team online at Oceanslive.org, which has
round-the-clock live video of the mission. Using
a system of cables that stretch out from Aquarius, divers will visit
sites they have studied in the past to determine if any long-term change
has taken place. On
most reefs around the world, the abundance of hard coral has declined,
and the cover of soft algae has increased, said Steve Gittings, science
coordinator with NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program. Algae is a
natural part of the ocean ecosystem, but it can respond to human
influences such as pollution to create large or unnatural concentrations
that can displace corals. Researchers
also want to learn more about two other reef dwellers, sponges and soft
corals, because it's not clear whether their abundance has significantly
changed, Gittings said. Also of interest are the suspected causes of
change in reef ecosystems, which may include a mass die-off of a long-spined
sea urchin that ate algae, Gittings said. "We're
seeing dramatic changes literally on reefs around the world with regard
to the relationship between all those different components that live on
the bottom," Gittings said. One
of those components is sponges, which pump water through their bodies to
filter food particles and produce dissolved nitrogen, a fertilizer. The
Aquarius team will investigate any links between changes of reef
compositions and organic matter processed by sponges, seeking to
discover whether sponges are fertilizing grasses that compete with
corals, said researcher Chris Martens of UNC-Chapel Hill. "Corals
have gone through huge changes in terms of being totally dominant in
oceans to being lesser," said Martens. "We're asking the
question, `Do sponges help or hurt in that process?'" Aquarius,
owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, operated
by the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and used by the Navy and
NASA, was built in 1986. It began operating in the U.S. Virgin Islands
before being redeployed off Key Largo in 1993. The
facility has bunk beds and showers; a microwave, refrigerator and sink;
and the computer and diving equipment needed to research reefs and
collect, assemble and relay data. "It's
not claustrophobic, really," said Prager, the chief scientist. Food,
computers and other equipment are sent down using pots that can handle 2
1/2 times normal atmospheric pressure below the ocean's surface. After
the expedition, the aquanauts must decompress for 17 hours or they will
get the crippling "bends." "We
don't want to fizz," Martens said. A
surface buoy provides air, power and communications to Aquarius through
hoses, cords and cables. On land, a crew monitors the living conditions
in the facility. The
aquanauts eat microwaved or reconstituted meals. Food must be sent down
via the special pots or it will not stand the pressure. "A
Pringles can can turn into a pretzel," Martens said. Eating
is one of the things about living underwater that takes some adjustment,
Prager said. "Things
tend to taste very bland," she said. "There's a lot of hot
sauces down there." --- On
the Net: OceansLive:
http://www.oceanslive.org Aquarius:
http://www.uncw.edu/nurc/aquarius Virtual
Dive to Aquarius: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/diving/aquarius/aquarius.html
NOAA's
National Marine Sanctuary Program: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov Docks
tie up development on St. Johns River By
BOB KOSLOW DEBARY
-- Up to 60 proposed docks along the St. Johns River separate the state
and city from settling a land use dispute and avoiding a hearing next
week. Developer
Joe Krzys, in a settlement letter to the state last week, withdrew a
controversial 50-slip wet marina and 200-boat dry-storage facility from
the plans for the 250-home Country Estates at River Bend project. The
state's counteroffer called for Krzys to also give up a proposed 6-acre
commercial site and the right of future homeowners along the river to
build individual docks along a mile stretch of water. However, a boat
ramp with two boat launch/recovery docks might be allowed for
subdivision homeowners. "That
really created some heartburn during a late Friday conference call among
the parties," City Manager Maryann Courson said Monday. The
city in April changed the land use on about 35 percent of a 330-acre
tract to allow a subdivision/marina project between the river and Fort
Florida Road. State planners at the Department of Community Affairs,
which have the final authority over large land use changes, contend the
change fails to adequately protect the waterway and wildlife. An
administrative hearing to resolve the dispute is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 25 in DeBary. A
city counteroffer, blessed by Kryzs and filed with the state on Monday,
agrees to the state demands, but not the surrender of riverside, or
riparian, rights. Instead, the city and developer would limit the number
of individual docks to 60 for guarantees the boat ramp would be
permitted. The
state's request is "extremely troubling given the state of
Florida's policies of encouraging recreational access to Florida
navigable waters and Florida's strong protection of riparian rights even
in the Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve," Courson wrote in her
proposal. The
state offer minimizes the adverse impact to the waterway and wildlife
over previous plans, said Mike McDaniel, chief of the office of
comprehensive planning at the Department of Community Affairs. "The
addition of a boat ramp will allow access to the river for all residents
of the proposed development," McDaniel wrote. "Therefore,
direct access by individual property owners along the river would be
unnecessary." Plan
to Dredge Lake Hancock Is Moving Forward By
Tom Palmer Bottom
of Form 1 LAKELAND
| A plan to improve water quality in Lake Hancock by removing the dark,
organic muck that lies on the lake's bottom and turning it into lawn
fertilizer is moving forward, Lakeland engineer Bob Hayes said Monday. Hope
floats on Shingle Creek Purchases
of 4 parcels renew ecotourism dreams. Kumari
Kelly Sentinel
Staff Writer September
18, 2007 KISSIMMEE
-Osceola County teacher Karen Brown pushed her yellow kayak through a
thicket in the middle of Shingle Creek, less than a mile from busy U.S.
Highway 192. Barrels
conserve water and money By
PATRINA A. BOSTIC patrina.bostic@heraldtribune.com EAST
MANATEE -- It is the oldest water collection system ever devised by
mankind. Scholarships
for agriculture students will be even meatier Scholarships
will cover tuition, books
OCALA
- When the Marion County Farm Bureau convenes tonight for the group's
annual dinner, a highlight will be the presentation of $130,000 to
support endowed scholarships for area students. Area
farmers try new crop - goats By
DEIRDRE CONNER, Northeast
Florida farmers are tapping into a new cash crop: goats. Call
it the other red meat, because there's a growing demand for goats raised
for slaughter, attributed to growing ethnic populations in the U.S. and
the potential for goat to go gourmet. The
state launched itself into the top 10 meat goat producers in the nation
in 2006, with its stock growing 80 percent in four years, according to
an analysis by Tuskegee University in Alabama of USDA figures published
last month. Despite a nationwide 24 percent increase in production,
though, the vast majority of goat meat consumed in the United States is
imported, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. Frank
Thompson, a longtime meat goat raiser in Clay County, got the idea while
working for the World Bank in the Caribbean. Just last week, he sold off
his herd, the physical demands of the work growing too strenuous. But he
wished he didn't have to, because so many people are looking to get into
goat. "I
wish I was 50 again," Thompson said. Steve
Gaul, Nassau County's extension agent with the University of Florida,
said he recently offered a workshop to respond to increasing inquiries
from residents interested in raising goats. Still,
making a sole living by raising meat goats is rare in the state, said
Helen Hill, president of the Florida Meat Goat Association and an
Alachua County resident. "I
think there's a real potential for making an extra income," she
said. For
most, it's a backyard enterprise, appealing to those who don't have the
time or acreage to devote to larger livestock. Randolph
Padgett, a Clay County man who keeps goats, is one of them. "It's
more of a hobby than a business," he said. This
is what most say. Then,
they'll ruefully explain that it all started with just a few goats,
strictly for landscaping purposes, you understand. When the grass got
too high, neighbors told them, get a couple of goats and then you won't
have to mow. Mostly,
though, they aren't pets, and certainly not the tiny household cuddlers
known as pygmy or dwarf goats. They
don't taste like chicken. And
they aren't as easy to care for as they look. Florida's humid climate
means regular monitoring for parasites and heatstroke. Goat
meat has the consistency of beef and a flavor few are able to describe. Although
it's not widely consumed in the United States, goats are often the meat
of choice globally. Nicki
Moore gets customers who hail from Africa, Latin America, the Middle
East and the Caribbean, each seeking a different type of goat (age,
size, sex) for occasions that range from birthday parties to sacred
religious holidays. It's a cultural education, Moore said. "We
have met some of our best friends outside of church [doing this],"
she said. Most
of the half-dozen or so customers a week drive all the way from
Jacksonville to her family's 10-acre Bostwick farm to pick out a goat,
finding it only through word of mouth or the Moore's only advertising, a
simple hand-painted sign out front. For
$75, they leave with a goat of their choosing - as long as it's old
enough and doesn't have a name. Moore
sends them to a custom slaughter shop nearby. That's because the
infrastructure for goat processing is still weak - and because most who
buy her goats want to do the slaughter themselves. The
Moores sell rabbits, quail, chickens and guinea fowl, too. But mostly,
the half-dozen customers who stop by every week are in search of cabro,
chevon, capretto - or another of the varied names under consideration by
those who think Americans of European descent would try goat under
another name. Goat
meat is lower in calories and fat than chicken or beef, according to
nutritional information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's
because the fat doesn't marble within the meat the way it does with
cattle. Moore,
who admits she eats rabbit and bee pollen, hasn't yet been able to taste
goat. "A
lot of people find they can raise them for meat but just can't eat their
own," Hill said. She's
not one of them. "I
like it," she said. "I have some in my freezer right
now." deirdre.conner@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4504 Nationally,
more farmers are raising goats for meat. --
There was a 24 percent increase in the number of meat goats in the --
--
Source:
USDA and Developers' lies taint battle over petitionBy A TIMES EDITORIAL If lawmakers think they can combat misleading petition gatherers by letting people revoke their signatures, they ought to read the first counterassault in the war against Hometown Democracy. This letter is intended to scare recipients with its lies and distortions, and the lobbyist and former legislator who signed it should be ashamed of himself. "The special interests are hoping they can sneak their constitutional amendment past Florida's voters and into Florida's Constitution before you fully understand what's in it," writes John Thrasher, who no less than three times identifies himself as a former House speaker. "Unless you want higher property taxes, higher utility bills and Florida's scenic beauty destroyed by Big Developers, you will certainly want to revoke your signature from their petition." The Hometown Democracy petition initiative, which would require voters to approve new revisions to local growth plans, may or may not be a good idea. But it is most certainly not a tool of "Big Developers." Just the opposite. It is intended to slow down and even stop development growth, not enable more of it. And the notion that it could spur higher property taxes and soaring utility bills and destroy "scenic beauty" is pure distortion. Thrasher might as well claim the amendment will also produce deadlier hurricanes. Thrasher is a former speaker who left his most relevant credential off this letter. He is now a well-paid lobbyist who represents some of the biggest development companies in Florida, and they want to stamp out Hometown Democracy. Thrasher offers no apologies, saying he is fighting against "mercenaries" who are being paid to gather petitions. Records do indicate that more and more of the Hometown Democracy petitions, now numbering roughly 330,000, are being gathered by companies paid per signature. But that is not an uncommon practice, and the mailing of these "Petition Revocation Forms" is hardly free. These mailings aren't offering clarity; they are confusing and scaring voters. The Thrasher letter goes on to warn recipients that the Hometown amendment "turns all power over use of Florida's lands to certain 'electors.' Guess who the 'electors' will be. The 'special interests' and their slick lawyers will rig the system to put our future in the hands of their cronies." Those "certain electors," as Thrasher puts it, are actually Florida voters. This battle over development promises to be an epic one, with some consultants predicting that development interests could spend as much as $65-million if Hometown Democracy reaches the ballot. By comparison, asking voters to revoke their signatures on petitions must seem like a bargain. For all the problems inherent in Florida's sordid petition industry, the Legislature appears only to have created a business counterpart. This one meets up with voters not at the local mall but in their mailbox. If Thrasher's letter is any guide, voters should keep the trash can handy.
Martin
Monday,
September 17, 2007 STUART
— The point may be moot, but that won't stop slow-growth advocates who
plan to turn out in large numbers Tuesday to oppose a hotly contested change
in The
subject of debate is so contentious that it has two names, depending on
which side is describing it. For
opponents, it's called the Valliere amendment, named for County Commissioner
Susan Valliere, who proposed the idea of allowing clustered development in
rural areas where it is not allowed now. Supporters
call it the Land Protection Incentives Amendment, which is its official
name, and they emphasize the part of the plan intended to preserve land in
exchange for permitting greater density in a portion of the proposed
development. The
commission vote Tuesday is merely a formality after commissioners voted 3-2
Aug. 21 to approve the amendment to the county's blueprint for growth. But
opponents want one more chance to weigh in, one way or the other. "We're
hoping they don't just rubber-stamp it," said Donna Melzer, chairwoman
of the Martin County Conservation Alliance. "We'll have lots of people
there." Slow-growth
groups are circulating mail and e-mails urging residents to show up and
speak against the amendment, but they may find it a short fight. When
commissioners tentatively approved it three weeks ago, commissioners
postponed the "official" vote until Tuesday because of state rules
stating that all comprehensive plan amendments must be adopted
officially on the same day. Tuesday is that day. Because
commissioners have voted, they can choose not to have a public hearing or
they can debate it again before making the earlier vote official, said
County Planner Clyde Dulin. Thursday
night, commissioners decided not to have another public hearing. "This
is getting ridiculous," Commission Chairman Michael DiTerlizzi said
that night. "I am not opening a public hearing." DiTerlizzi
said the public would be allowed to speak on any topic during general public
comment sessions at 9 a.m. and 5:05 p.m. County
rules limit development in rural lands to one unit per 20 acres. The
amendment would allow developers to build denser clusters of homes on 2-acre
lots in exchange for donating at least half their land to a government
agency or land trust as open space for conservation. DiTerlizzi,
who voted for the proposal in August, said there was no precedent for having
a second hearing. "We've
never reopened one after we've voted on it before, so I don't know why we
need to start now," he said. "I don't know why we would reopen it
to let some 60-70 people say the same thing they've already said." Valliere
agreed with DiTerlizzi that the public has had a chance to comment on her
proposal and the commission has made its decision. "It
was my understanding that, when we heard this on the 21st (of August), that
was when we heard it. Otherwise, we should have just heard it on the
18th" of September, Valliere said. "At some point, you have to
make a decision and move on." Commissioner
Sarah Heard, who voted against the proposal, said changes have been made to
the amendment since the Aug. 21 vote and the county has been flooded with
public comments, so a new hearing is needed. She accused DiTerlizzi of
trying to "sweep it under the rug." "If
we don't hold a public hearing again, it will be a travesty," Heard
said. "This is cutting out the residents." All
public comments the county has received will be included when the amendment
is sent to the state Department of Community Affairs, where it also needs
approval. Melzer
and other opponents say the wording of Valliere's amendment is vague and has
been changed so many times that it deserves a new hearing. The amendment
would allow developers to cover the county in urban sprawl, she said. While
half the land could have a clustered pocket of homes, the other half that
supposedly would be "preserved" could still have one home per
every 20 acres, Melzer argued. Dulin
disputes that. He said developments using the new rule would not be allowed
to build more homes in the clusters than are allowed over the entire
property. If a developer built a cluster with the maximum number of homes
allowed, Dulin said, they would not be allowed to build one per 20 acres on
the rest of the land. Supporters
have said that the change is needed because government agencies cannot
afford to buy all the environmentally sensitive land needed for water
quality restoration. Stronger,
faster hurricanes -- an ominous sign Mike
Thomas COMMENTARY September
16, 2007 We're
halfway through hurricane season with nary a puff of wind here. County
considers being water savvy Commissioners
look at rules to conserve resource
By
KATE SPINNER kate.spinner@heraldtribune.com Follow
the paper trail as Monday,
September 17, 2007 Slow-growth
measure sparks fight over signatures Have
you signed a petition supporting the proposed "Florida Hometown
Democracy" ballot initiative? If you have, keep an eye on your mailbox
for a politically charged -- and, some would say, deceptive -- mass mailing
asking you to officially revoke your signature. posted
by Brevard Watchdog at 9:50
AM
3
comments By
Christine
Stapleton - how
building a shopping center and over 4,000 homes adjacent to an agricultural
perserve (which we overwhelmingly voted for in 1999) is good for the
environment? I
just finished reading reporter Stacey Singer’s disturbing story
on today’s front page about County Commissioner Burt Aaronson’s
apparent quid-pro-quo ties to homebuilder GL Homes. The story is chock full
of Holy-Cow! revelations, including this quote by Aaronson: “It
helps the environment,” Aaronson said cheerfully of the marketplace.
“Because people won’t have to get in their car and drive.” I
read it again. And again. And again. Doesn’t that sound like something a
Carl Hiaasen character would say? But why am I surprised? Why am I sitting
in my kitchen on a gorgeous Sunday morning - fuming - when my dog is begging
me to go to the park? I
mean, come on. We should expect this kind of slash-and-burn rhetoric from
Aaronson. Remember, Aaronson is the commissioner behind that water-guzzling
golf course that the county nearly finished building RIGHT NEXT TO THE
EVERGLADES! If
you are going to do any praying on this Sunday morning, make sure you
include a little blessing for 1000 Friends of Florida and others who fight
this kind of nonsense. I
gotta go. My dog says we need to get outside and enjoy what remains of the
greenspace in this county before some politician turns it into a golf course
or shopping center Major
LP Growth Predicted By Planner By
Bill Rettew Jr. of Published:
September 15, 2007 LAKE
PLACID — Land Planner Rhon Ernest-Jones of The
civil engineer plans to construct a two-story 10,000-square-foot office
building, just north of the town line on For
the past two years, the land planning traffic engineer and land planner has
worked a couple days per week – sometimes with other employees – at a
converted home. The current building is still partially a residential
property on The
Ernest-Jones
said, after addressing the town council at Monday night's meeting, that many
orange growers are "looking to the future" to protect their large
land holdings for potential development. Ernest-Jones
said residential development will likely spearhead more growth, with added
commercial and then possibly, "bit by bit," some industrial
expansion. "You
have to plan for growth," said Ernest-Jones. "It's going to happen
whether you like it or not ... I've seen it happen in The
consulting engineering firm employees 50 workers, with offices in Coral
Springs, Jupiter, Naples The
land planner said the area holds great appeal for new residential home
owners. It's
natural beauty, hilly topography, significantly less expensive cost for land
and cheaper hurricane insurance coverage costs because of its central
location are all magnets for growth. The
former "They're
real quality people," said Ernest-Jones. "Considering its a
relatively small town, More
jobs should also become available in the medical, hospitality and tourism
fields, said Ernest-Jones. Although
his property is on the north side of the town line, the engineer was seeking
the council's blessing to expand commercially at the Council
voted to offer neither a favorable nor unfavorable comment concerning the
planner's plans prior to his bid for expansion through the county. Untamed
island is source of legends BY
BAIRD HELGESON THE
Florida's
birds try to wing it As
habitats shrink, some species learn to survive. Others can't, counts find. Linda
Florea Sentinel
Staff Writer September
17, 2007 Florida's
roaring development has taken a toll on some of the state's emblematic
birds, reducing their populations during the past decade, according to the
latest bird-count statistics. |