GOVERNOR'S OFFICE RENEGES ON EARLIER OFFER TO MEET WITH PANHANDLE
CITIZENS COALITION (PCC); PCC REPORTS MAJOR PROGRESS ON AIRPORT AND US 98
CLOSURE PETITIONS
Panhandle
Citizens Coalition (PCC) today criticized Governor Bush for his refusal to
meet with the group after having previously agreed to have his office
conduct a session on growth management issues of urgent concern to
residents in the Panhandle region. The group urges the Governor to
reconsider and meet personally soon with PCC in order to dispell his image
as being unconcerned about reckless growth.
"Before the election we asked to meet with Governor Bush to discuss growth
issues, including the US 98 closure in Gulf County and the Department of
Community Affairs approval of the Bay County Sector Plan which includes
the proposed new Airport." said John Hedrick, Chair of PCC.
"On behalf of the Governor, his office issued a letter saying he was too
busy at that time to meet with us and delegated the meeting to a staff
person. Now this person has reneged on that pledge and, of course, the
election has come and gone. These issues have not gone away and the
Governor needs to aggressively address the regional impacts of the massive
development plans of the St. Joe Company and others in the Panhandle. All
across the state, alarms are going off concerning overdevelopment, water
shortages, urban sprawl, and development encroaching on environmentally
sensitive lands but what has the Governor done? So far, not much. We are
left to wonder whether the interagency task force set up by the Governor
before the election, to address development issues throughout the state,
was just window dressing." said Hedrick.
"PCC is in high gear with the petition drive on the new Panama City
airport. We are receiving considerable support from the public and have
passed the halfway point. Currently, we have around 1,400 signatures out
of the 2,250 needed to force the election, which will occur this spring.
This petition would basically require the moving of the airport to be
approved by the voters in Panama City before it could occur."
"PCC has also collected over 800 signatures of voters in Gulf County who
oppose closing coastal US 98 for the benefit of the St. Joe Company;
between all the past public meetings on this issue, the public has been
overwhelmingly against moving US 98. This is not a done deal. " said
Hedrick.
PCC has launched 12 initiatives/petitions in 3 counties (Franklin, Gulf,
Bay) and 5 cities (Sopchoppy, Carrabelle, Port St. Joe, Panama City and
Panama City Beach) aimed at giving citizens the control of growth and
developments at the local level by calling for citizen referenda on issues
such as provision of water and sewer service and location of key
infrastructure, such as airports and highways.
Finally, PCC stated that the St. Joe Company still has not agreed to
debate them on the proposition that all St. Joe Company's current projects
are what the citizens of the Panhandle really want. "The issues we raise
will not go away and St. Joe Company's evading of a debate as the new year
goes on will cast a bad light on their claims of benefits for the
community. What they really are doing is trying to make as much money as
possible while not caring about the impacts on current Panhandle
residents. Impacts of development must be offset by benefits. Local jobs
are not automatically created by development. PCC is not against all
development but rather for a more collaborative approach to development
that takes into consideration the existing character of, and long-term
effects on, a community. We favor the local citizens making the choices
about where, how and if development should occur to preserve the
outstanding quality of life in the Florida Panhandle."
SummerCamp replay? The St. Joe company barrels ahead toward
January 21 adoption hearing
Panhandle Citizens Coalition (PCC) urges denial until Franklin
Comprehensive Plan updated; PCC calls upon the St Joe company to debate whether their proposed projects reflect the vision of
Panhandle citizens, the company dodges
Ignoring calls from citizens, the Panhandle Citizens
Coalition (PCC), and others, to wait until after Franklin County's
Comprehensive Plan is updated, the St. Joe Company has chosen to request
and the Franklin County Commission has scheduled the adoption hearing for
the SummerCamp Comprehensive Plan Amendment for January 21st at 10:30AM.
"There remains many unanswered questions and concerns about this
project, even after the St. Joe Company responded to the Department of
Community Affairs (DCA) Objections, Recommendations and Comments on the
SummerCamp project," said John Hedrick, Chair of PCC.
"The St Joe Company has failed to establish a need for this project
that is consistent with the Franklin County Comprehensive Plan. Nor have
they proven this environmentally sensitive site is suitable for the
proposed development. There is no identification of who is going to build,
operate and maintain the public facilities identified in the plan
amendment (sewer and public safety). This project has been"planned"
(and I use that term loosely) in isolation instead of in relation with
other projects," said Hedrick.
"Why is the County even considering approving this development when
on the other hand they state there is a need to develop a specific area
plan for St. James Island? Even County Planner Alan Pierce noted "We
don’t want to be amending a comp plan when we're in the middle of
updating it." (Apalachicola Times, Nov. 28, 2002) This amendment will
allow at least 11 piers, some of which will intrude into the Alligator
Harbor Aquatic Preserve. According to the County's response to DCA, The
Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) found 10 endangered, threatened or
species of special concern species on or near this project. The Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows 26 listed species in or
near the project. Suddenly, according to the response they have all
disappeared? Who do you believe?"
"The concern for impacts on hurricane evacuation remains unresolved.
Why hasn't DCA conducted an independent hurricane evacuation analysis? The
closure of US 98 has only been temporarily deferred. The commercial
development in this project, which is allowed 80% impervious surface, is
adjacent to the FSU Marine Lab Facility. The Plan amendment will allow
degradation of the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve, a majority of which
is open to shellfish harvesting. This project will destroy wetlands,
natural habitat and sea grass beds."
"Folks, this is still a big development which includes a gated
community of 499 dwelling units, 60 motel rooms, and 35,000 square feet of
commercial structures. The St. Joe Company cares not about the concerns
expressed by the average citizens of Franklin County of the potential
impacts of this project, but prefers to rush ahead without proper planning
and consideration, ignoring what the citizens want for their community.
At past meetings, most folks have said they would prefer no project to
what the St.Joe Company has been proposing."
"At the very least, the project needs to be delayed until Franklin
County has completely updated its Comprehensive Plan, the new plan has
been approved by the voters, and St. Joe Company's project has been found
to be in tune consistent with the new plan. We encourage all Franklin
County citizens who oppose the current SummerCamp project to contact each
of your county commissioners and tell them how you feel about this
project, and turn out for the January 21st meeting to ensure this plan
amendment is not adopted."
Approximately 300 people attended the first public hearing on the
SummerCamp amendment at the Franklin County Courthouse in Apalachicola out
of a population of around 15,000.
"The difficulties citizens have had with the St. Joe Company do not
stop with Summercamp. The St. Joe Company strongly advocates for their
projects but only under intense public pressure have they been willing to
work with the community and only then minimally." said Hedrick
"Given they feel so strongly about what they have proposed, Panhandle
Citizens Coalition has have called upon the St. Joe Company to engage us
in open debate, before a live audience with live television and radio with
questions from the audience and call-ins, on the proposition that all St.
Joe Company's current projects are what the citizens of the Panhandle
really want. This 'shadow government', puppeteer behind the scenes, power
behind the throne, call them what you want, they have to be held
accountable to the citizenry and forcing them to defend/sell their
position in the face of organized citizens who feel differently is the
right thing to do. Debate is healthy for democracy," said Hedrick.
PCC first called on the St. Joe Company last week to debate when the
company, for the first time known, appeared on public airwaves on the
public radio show program "Rapline" (WKGC-FM, Panama City), but
the Company dodged and evaded.
"The St. Joe Company will say they have had lots of
public meetings and sessions with many members of the public, but all
these sessions have had one goal in mind -- to sell the public on the
validity of their plans and so far, increasingly, the public is saying 'no
sale'. They are not attempting to seriously discuss and earnestly
negotiate the composition of their developments with the public who will
be most affected by them and when given the opportunity to do that by
being first offered a Pause for Planning by PCC, their response was
silence."
"The St. Joe Company would never have come on that show but for the
pressure PCC has put on them over the past 4 months. They need to realize
that building primarily second homes/resorts for the elite with virtually
no local jobs created during construction and only low end service jobs
after completion does not offer much benefit to the area. Neither does
bringing in all the attendant problems with growth including urban sprawl,
traffic congestion, hurricane evacuation, water pollution, higher taxes
and housing costs; this is not what residents in the Panhandle want.
Residents do not want to see Orlando, Miami or Tampa replicated in the
Panhandle, but that seems to be what is on tap if unchallenged, given the
size of all the St. Joe Company's developments and the accompanying public
works, such as the proposed new Panama City airport and many new
roads." said Hedrick.
PCC is a citizens organization comprised currently of 60 members but is
supported in the efforts also by groups like the Florida Consumer Action
Network, who has 40,000 members statewide. PCC's purpose is to provide
citizen oversight of the development process to ensure fiscal, ethical,
and environmental accountability and to safeguard the cultural heritage of
the Florida Panhandle.
December 24, 2002 John Hedrick,
850-421-2483;
Top
A citizens group says it’s not anti-growth or anti-St. Joe, but the company is clearly its concern.
By Joan Hughes
With development in the Panhandle accelerating as St. Joe Co. develops its massive holdings, a group of 40 concerned northwest Florida residents has formed the Panhandle Citizens Coalition with a goal of ensuring “fiscal, ethical and environmental accountability and safeguarding the cultural heritage of the region.”
Chairman John Hedrick, a Tallahassee attorney, says St. Joe’s sheer size — almost 1 million acres in the Panhandle — makes it a focus of concern. The company has started to aggressively market its developments there, including WaterColor in Seagrove Beach, WindMark Beach in Port St. Joe and WaterSound in Camp Creek.
“I grew up in Orlando,” says Hedrick, “and I saw the city before, during and after Disney” — a thinly veiled reference to St. Joe CEO Peter Rummell, who was once chairman of Walt Disney’s development division. Hedrick says he doesn’t want growth to bring the congested highways, overcrowded schools and uncontrolled sprawl that have plagued Orlando.
PCC’s first action was a request that St. Joe, local governments and state agencies take a “pause for planning,” a period in which development and government approval of projects would be suspended.
The idea, says Hedrick, was to allow citizens a comprehensive review of all St. Joe’s Panhandle projects “because no one has bothered to consider the cumulative impact of all these St. Joe projects with each other and with other major developments.” Neither St. Joe nor local governments responded.
The coalition is now calling for initiatives in Port St. Joe, Panama City and Panama City Beach, as well as informal petitions in Franklin, Bay and Gulf counties, seeking voter approval of issues affecting major projects. The group has already gathered enough signatures in Carrabelle to force a referendum on two initiatives that will require voter approval of water and sewer service extension and repeal an ordinance that allows unlimited building heights. Both are intended to slow or prevent development.
St. Joe spokesman Jerry Ray says the company is developing the area responsibly. He points to the 117,000 acres he says St. Joe has set aside in a conservation program, with another 150,000 earmarked. “Compare that to the 6,000 acres we plan to develop as residential,” says Ray. “We’re devoting 25% of our holdings to conservation.”
While the PCC is skeptical, Hedrick insists it is not anti-St. Joe or even anti-growth. Instead, he says, the coalition supports what he calls “enlightened capitalism. We have to fight for responsible planning and responsible growth.”
PRINTED FROM FLORIDA TREND MAGAZINE ONLINE,
Talk of Florida, Around The State
Northwest, December 2002
.... posted Jhedrick, 12/01/02
Top
The following was received
and approved by the McBride campaign FYI.
Growth Management Enforcement will return under McBride
Governor Bush has undermined the very integrity of the
Growth Management Act by decreasing the role of the Department of
Community Affairs.
Local governments and the business community need to
know that there's a consistent and fair standard backing them up-the state
oversight-applied to all local governments to enforce the laws in order to
avoid costly urban sprawl.
In community after community, Jeb Bush's understaffed
agency has been told to look the other way, while local governments are
being forced to violate their own growth management laws, by aggressive
urban sprawl projects that are potential disasters for local taxpayers.
(McBride/Rossin) will restore that fair and predictable
statewide enforcement to protect our communities and back up those
embattled planning professionals employed in public service of their local
governments.
More later. John Hedrick, Chair, Panhandle Citizens
Coalition; 10/28/02
Top
Friday
October 18, 2002
John Hedrick (850) 421-2483
PANHANDLE CITIZENS COALITION ANNOUNCES
LAUNCH OF PETITION DRIVE FOR SOPCHOPPY IN WAKULLA COUNTY TO HEAD OFF
POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
Panhandle Citizens Coalition announced
today that they are immediately beginning an initiative petition drive to
amend the City of Sopchoppy's charter to prevent additional sewer and
water service being provided outside of the city limits without the
approval of the City's voters.
John Hedrick, Chair of Panhandle Citizens
Coalition, made the announcement that was prompted by a published report
in a Wakulla newspaper yesterday that the St. Joe Company is attempting to
negotiate a deal with Sopchoppy for sewer and water service regarding
their Summercamp development in Franklin County.
"Providing sewer and water service to
the St. Joe Company will have a tremendous impact on Sopchoppy and Wakulla
County. The St. Joe Company says they would pay for an expansion of the
city's system but looking at their record of paying for impacts elsewhere
leaves one to seriously question that commitment. Couple this with
short-sighted politicians who cannot foresee the negative effects of
unbridled growth and you have a prescription for disaster." said
Hedrick
PCC began their petition drives when it
became apparent that neither the St. Joe Company nor the affected local or
state governments were going to enact a pause for planning on their own,
which would have allowed time for adequate development and land use
planning across the entire region. Without action by the citizens, their
communities will be adversely impacted and their quality of life
diminished.
"Now the city says it doesn't have the
capacity to provide water to the St. Joe Company but could within a year.
Does this mean Sopchoppy is overextending its water supply? Once you
provide service to the St. Joe Company, they will always be competing for
water and sewer resources with the citizens of Sopchoppy and Wakulla
County. Will the Panhandle become like the rest of the state, where water
is a limited resource. Are we going to start having water wars like the
rest of the state?" said Hedrick.
The announcement of the potential charter
change in Sopchoppy coupled with the retroactive provision that has been
in other PCC petitions will send up a 'Red Flag" for developers that
the outcome of a referendum could prevent the city from providing
additional water and sewer outside the city without voter approval.
" We are not going to let the St. Joe
Company do an end run and have the citizens subsidize their development.
Where is this going to stop? Could Tallahassee be called upon again in
this saga - after all, St. Joe Company's Southwood and Summercamp projects
have been tied together on various issues already, notably the provision
of a marina in the Summercamp area that would benefit Southwood owners. We
can't let the St. Joe Company be the one doing the regional
planning." said Hedrick.
According to the report, St. Joe Company
has spent more than $2 million on wells, but came up with only one
producing well and the water was bad.
"The move on Sopchoppy is a very
significant development because it shows we are having an effect on the
St. Joe Company since they are apparently no longer trying to negotiate
with Lanark Village or Carrabelle for sewer and water service in the wake
of our obtaining the necessary signatures on our petitions there."
said Hedrick, who also stated that petitions for the 2 Carrabelle
initiatives have now been verified by the Franklin County Supervisor of
Elections.
"The citizens of our area are making
progress in holding St. Joe Company accountable. We intend to be out in
full force on election day gathering petition signatures as well as at a
special election being held in Panama City Beach on November 12th.
Trustfully, we will have in hand in the near future the necessary
signatures to qualify all of our petitions for the various city
ballots." said Hedrick
PCC has initiative petitions in the
following cities Carrabelle, to repeal a Planned Unit Development
ordinance which allows for unrestricted height and to prevent extending
additional sewer and water service outside the city limits unless both the
voters aprove and those same services are first offered to city residents;
Port St. Joe, to prevent annexation into the city without approval of the
voters and to prevent extending additional sewer and water service outside
the city limits unless the voters approve; Panama City, to prevent moving
the airport without the approval of the citizens and; Panama City Beach,
to prevent annexation without approval of the voters and to prevent
extending additional sewer and water service outside the city limits or to
major development projects without voter approval.
PCC also has citizen petitions in Franklin,
Gulf and Bay counties for the following purposes in Franklin, to have a
pubPCC vote to stop amending the current comprehensive plan until the
voters adopt a new plan; in Gulf, to have a public vote on whether to move
US 98 and; in Bay, to have a public vote on moving the airport.
-30-
Top
Hello Fellow Activist,
Your website is fantastic and the Panhandle Citizens Coalition would be
honored if you would post our information. ...
Keep up the great work!!
Panhandle Citizens Coalition
September 27, 2002
ST. JOE COMPANY TO FACE THE VOTERS IN CARRABELLE-THEIR
RESPONSE: FASTER AND MORE DEVELOPMENT; GOVERNOR BUSH BROADLY RESPONDS
TO PANHANDLE CITIZENS COALITION; PCC CALLS ON BUSH AND McBRIDE TO MEET
WITH THEM CONCERNING GROWTH AND OVERDEVELOPMENT WHILE SNARING MAJOR
ENDORSEMENT AND POTENTIAL FOUNDATION SUPPORT; GOVERNOR BUSH PRESSED
TO MEET CONCERNING PROPOSED CLOSING OF US 98 AND ILLEGAL ACTIONS
REGARDING ST. JOE DEVELOPMENTS IN BAY COUNTY
In a stunning series of developments, the Panhandle
Citizens Coalition announced today they had made their signature goals in
Carrabelle for their citizen initiative referendums and are in a position
to have their first elections on their initiative petitions held as early
as this fall. In their response, according to PCC, St. Joe Company is
accelerating their various development activities with announcements of
more projects and speeding up of what has been already announced.
PCC also disclosed that they have made progress
when Governor Bush just revealed a broad response to their recent Pause
for Planning. The two major gubernatorial candidates will be invited to
meet with PCC as soon as possible before the election to better flesh out
their views on Growth and Overdevelopment.
The Florida Consumers Action Network (FCAN) has
voted to support PCC's efforts to hold the St. Joe Company accountable,
making it the first major statewide organizational endorsement.
Additionally, PCC's innovative style and actions have attracted the
attention of several foundations who could offer significant support as
well. Governor Bush was likewise pressed to meet with PCC right
away on the proposed US 98 closure issue in Gulf County and the
illegal actions which have just occurred regarding St. Joe Company
developments in Bay County.
"We are pleased to announce that our members in
Carrabelle and Franklin County have achieved the signature goals to put
our twin initiatives on the ballot in the city of Carrabelle. We will now
press to have this election held as soon as possible, either on the
November general election or a special election, as well as push the
Franklin County petition which bars amending their Comprehensive Plan
until a new Comprehensive Plan is approved by the voters." said John
Hedrick, Chair of Panhandle Citizens Coalition.
"In Carrabelle, a striking cross section of
people signed the petition" said Pat Maier of PCC from Carrabelle.
"Old-timers and newcomers, senior citizens and younger people-all are
very concerned about the effects of overdevelopment on our community. The
people of Carrabelle had requested a referendum back in June on the
Planned Unit Development ordinance and was told by the mayor there will be
no referendum. When your elected officials do not respond to the the
citizens' requests, they have no choice but to take matters in their own
hands, The citizens of Carrabelle did that with these ballot initiatives
and we are hoping that other cities will do the same."
The initiatives, when approved by the electorate,
will (1) bar the extension of water and sewer service outside the city
limits unless both approved by the electorate and not until those same
services are offered to all city residents and (2) repeal a Planned Unit
Development ordinance which would have allowed unlimited heights in favor
of restoring the building codes from Franklin County in effect on January
1, 2002.
"Both initiatives affect the St. Joe Company. One
would limit their access to water and sewer services in Carrabelle, and
the other would prevent them from annexation aimed at getting around
height restrictions in Franklin County." said Maier.
"I am grateful to the PCC for helping to empower
the citizenry of Carrabelle to have a chance to determine their own
future. I hope this will translate into a model for other communities who
may feel that the battle against overdevelopment that changes the fabric
and character of their neighborhoods is a hopeless one." stated Jim
Lycett, PCC member from Carrabelle.
Hedrick also said all the other petition drives
are well underway with people petitioning in Port St. Joe, Panama City and
Panama City Beach.
"So what has St. Joe Company's response been
to all our activity? Though there has never been an official response
and of course they have published their propaganda in newspaper columns
and advertising, the most tangible sign has been in their
acceleration of their projects and their pushing for approval of new
projects." said PCC.
She continued, "For examples, in Bay County just
Tuesday the County Commission, in a patently illegal move, adopted
the Sector Plan which paves the way for the proposed new
airport. What makes it illegal is that the Comprehensive Plan was rewritten
at the last minute with no opportunity for meaningful public review and
without approval by the local planning agency, as required by Florida
Statutes. Because the Department of Community Affairs appears to have
abdicated their responsibilities in relation to Bay County, we call upon
Governor Bush to intervene immediately in these matters and meet with us
on them right away."
"In Panama City Beach just yesterday, their City
Commission approved the annexation of over 2,000 acres of St. Joe Company
property into their city, doubling the size of the city, while knowing
we have our initiatives under way with that city and with the knowledge
that this annexation is illegal because these lands are not urban in
character, are not substantially contiguous to the municipal
boundaries, and the area is not reasonably compact. This same type of
annexation occurred with Port St. Joe and Windmark in Gulf County."
"We have also discovered new developments which the
St. Joe Company is pushing: a major new housing development in Bay County;
a major expansion of the port facility in Port St. Joe which could dredge a
14 mile, 700 foot wide channel to a depth of 40 feet, and
enlarge the port's size costing close to half a billion dollars;
and a potential industrial park in Gadsden County. All these taken
together indicate to us that St. Joe Company has put down the hammer and
is going full speed ahead on development. The revelation of the port
expansion gives further credence to our previous assertion that St. Joe
Company has big plans they have not shared with the public."
"Most significantly, Governor Bush has now finally
reacted broadly to our request for the pause for planning."
said Hedrick. "Quoting from the letter, 'While we believe that no
legal authority is available to us, the Governor has asked the Department
of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection and the
Department of Transportation to institute an informal, inter-agency effort
to develop and maintain a comprehensive and cohesive process to address
the issues related to development in Florida. These three agencies have
already begun the informal process to coordinate their actions, not
only in northwest Florida, but statewide.'"
"Translation- Governor Bush created his
position in response to our activities. And while his response is still
inadequate--for example, they are not even using the authority available
to them, and if they truly believe they don't have authority, why aren't
they requesting they be given additional authority--this shows
the interrelated issues of growth and overdevelopment have grown in
importance enough so Governor Bush had to react and the issues now have
become statewide campaign issues in all races in 2002. After all,
most of the rest of the state has already experienced what the Panhandle
now is just beginning to experience-growth and overdevelopment. It is
in that light that we now are calling on both Jeb Bush and
Bill McBride to meet with us as soon as possible so we can state our views
on these matters and ascertain their positions on these important
decisions." said Hedrick.
"PCC's clout has also been enhanced by our
unsolicited but welcome endorsement from the Florida Consumer Action
Network, a statewide consumer organization which has approximately 40,000
members, and supports our efforts to hold the St. Joe Company accountable.
Foundation interest has also materialized and could also offer significant
support."
"Finally, we have learned that the proposed US 98 closure
in Gulf County has not been finally approved by the state Department of
Transportation. To PCC's knowledge, there has been no other instance where
the state has moved a public roadway to assist a specific developer to
increase its profits. We are requesting an immediate meeting with Governor
Bush to brief him on the outstanding environmental and other issues
regarding this project, that local opposition is strong, and that moving
this road would not be in the public interest and should be
disapproved." said Hedrick.
"The Panhandle Citizens Coalition moves forward
with renewed commitment to preserve fiscal, ethical, and environmental
accountability and to safeguard the cultural heritage of the region."
said Hedrick.
John Hedrick, 850-421-2483
Pat Maier, 850-697-8732
Top
You people are absolutely crazy.
As a person who has been here all of my life and grown up in Panama City Beach.
I am appalled at the likes of Ms. Brown.
Her disdain for progress and growth
of the community is sick.
If you don’t like the way things
are going in
Panama City
….LEAVE
--- WES G,9/26/02
-
Dear WES G:
If you believe in democracy you'd have to support the
idea that if we do not like the way things are, we have the right
and duty as citizens to try to help change them instead of leaving,
as you are suggesting. It is very disturbing to me to hear your
suggestion as stated.
..regards, DK, 9/26/02
Question is not whether state
officials have the authority to slow down St Joe's development, but
whether they have the courage...
Dear Editor (Editorial in Tallahassee
Democrat );
Your August 29, 2002, editorial, "Opponents
of St. Joe use poor approach," reflects misunderstanding of the
documented potential impacts of proposed major developments in the region
as well as Panhandle Citizens Coalition's approach to persuading
developers and government officials to take adequate time for the complex
development planning process.
It is important to note at the outset that
you agree with us the St Joe Company's projects will bring sweeping
changes to the Panhandle and would obviously have a major impact on this
region (paraphrasing your own words). Our difference then appears to
be over what approach should be taken to properly plan for the St Joe
developments.
While PCC's concerns may be "too
generic" for the Democrat's editorial board to judge, local and state
government officials are quite familiar with the impact these large
developments will have on water quality and quantity, sewage capacity,
stormwater runoff, traffic, roads, hurricane evacuation routes and
shelters (largely nonexistent in the most adversely impacted areas),
schools, fire and police services, medical facilities, quality of life for
current residents, low income families, and on and on.
When these concerns have previously been
raised with both the St Joe Company and various local governments, neither
have significantly altered St Joe Company's plans, despite hearing from
numerous citizens wanting changes, thus, the reason for a different
approach that is still working within the system.
These local governments also understand
they do not have the funding to pay for improving infrastructure to
support the proposed massive developments. What's more, PCC does not
think taxpayers should have to foot the bill to leverage profits for
developers.
The editorial assertion that state
officials do not have the authority to stop private development is
inaccurate. The courts have many times upheld the right of
government entities to impose moratoria on development when warranted.
Extensive comments by state agencies on St Joe Company's various
developments in the region, including the Department of Community Affairs
report on SummerCamp in Franklin County, would more than justify a pause
for adequate planning and development.
The question is whether our officials have
the courage to do it. Whose interests do top officials want to
protect -- the general population or powerful corporations? The
electorate, or high-dollar campaign contributors?
Your assertion that the SummerCamp project
is on hold until the Franklin comprehensive plan is overhauled is
premature. This status is subject to change at any time by the
county commissioners, some of whom were quite willing to approve the
development in the absence of an updated comprehensive plan. DCA has not
asserted its authority regarding the expired plan.
Other projects, including the Bay County
sector plan that encompasses 75,000 acres, are on fast-track for approval
without necessary infrastructure and environmental provisions, including
water quality protections. Millions of dollars in public funds have
already been spent on the proposed Panama City-Bay Airport relocation,
while questions on whether this relocation is even necessary remain
unanswered.
The editorial suggests we sit passively by
and depend on officials who, at the local level have allowed special
interests control planning, and at the state level, have weakened planning
statutes and DCA oversight. Countless other Floridians, especially
in South Florida, are standing up to local governments and fighting bad
development decisions. The recent court decision that requires
demolition of a $3.3 million apartment complex in Martin County because it
was incompatible with nearby single-family homes was the result of
ordinary citizens taking the initiative to stop bad development from
destroying their community.
Panhandle Citizens Coalition does not
accept business as usual. We are working within the system in a
different way, one that produces favorable results for the people, not
those who have benefited from the way the system has previously worked.
We will not be intimidated by big corporations, developers, ill-informed
media, or government officials in this battle to save the very life of the
Panhandle.
Sincerely,
JOHN HEDRICK, Chair Panhandle
Citizens Coalition, johnhedrick13@yahoo.com
See: In
Panhandle growth, coalition promotes interests of citizens
9/19/02
Top
"A representative from the Panhandle Citizens
Coalition came forward to challenge the annexation, threatening to fight
it if the city did not address the group's demands.
"A few other citizen voiced opposition to the council's action,
citing everything from legal ads in The News Herald that they said
were illegal, to land-use designations of the parcels if they were
annexed.
"Most of the parcels are adjacent to residential neighborhoods and
would be zoned PB ---for professional/business. Residents of those
neighborhoods were concerned that such zoning would lead to tall apartment
buildings, condominiums, and commerce not right for a residential area.
"The issue will come up for another public hearing on Sept. 26.
Windy Booher, Article from 9/13/02 News Herald
Just how long a pause in
development does the PCC seek?
Dear Sir:
One has to wonder how long a pause in planning the Panhandle Citizens Coalition seeks? As it is many of the members of this Coalition are the same ones that have stymied passage of a meaningful land use code for Bay County for nearly three years. Please understand that the same people who allege they "just want planned growth" have publicly voiced opposition to any growth. They have spoken out against every project that has been publicly considered in Bay County and Panama City Beach for the past two or three years and during this entire time they have yet to offer one constructive, positive suggestion.
Bay County needs the tax dollars that development of St. Joe's land will&! gt; bring. Without increases in tax revenue we can not extend sewer service to neighborhoods with leaking, aging septic tanks. We need to pave roads and treat storm water now before the damage to our Bay is irreversible. Pauses in planning and more hearings will eventually cause The St. Joe Company to shift their resources to other communities. We need to remember that they have vast holdings throughout Northwest Florida. If we allow this small band of professional opponents to continue to place stumbling blocks in front of St. Joe's efforts, we may, as a community, miss an opportunity to preserve large tracts of truly sensitive land and to make meaningful progress towards increasing our tax base.
This same group has adamantly opposed the redevelopment on Panama City Beac! h,! too. They have opposed replacing, aging, run down properties with safer, code complaint structures in the interest of "preserving the family image of our beaches." What they fail to tell you is that there is an underbelly to the status quo. Seedy, run down properties, attract seedy run down people. In one study we conducted, we found a direct correlation between the age of a motel and the number of police calls to the property. The older the motel the more police calls. In most cases the older motels cost the taxpayers more money in police and emergency calls than they generated in ad valorem or sales taxes combined. The deterioration in our quality of life, however, can never be measured when these criminals spill over into our nearby neighborhoods. A beautiful youn! g ! woman was murdered last year by a transient staying in an older motel on Panama City Beach. No one will ever be able to calculate the cost of that life to her family.
St. Joe has been gracious in its willingness to publicly air its plans and to attend endless public meetings. We need to set them free.
Sincerely,
MKS, letter to The Editor Panama City News Herald Panama City, FL; 9/12/02
-
The August 30 letter blasting the
Panhandle Citizens Coalition presents a crude grab bag of propaganda,
including half-truths, falsehoods and fear mongering. To suggest that
good growth management leads to crime is ludicrous and irresponsible.
It's enough to make one wonder whether certain developers are afraid
of what will happen if more time and thought were put into planning
development in Bay County.
First, a half-truth: The Coalition has
been in existence less than two months and thus had no involvement in
the Bay County code rewrite. The only truth here is that a Bay County
member of PCC has actively followed the zoning issue, calling special
attention to such deficiencies as high-rise commercial encroaching
into neighborhoods -- coincidentally, a type of development in
which the writer has a financial interest. Ironically, hurricane
evacuation -- a critical human safety issue exacerbated by
high-density projects -- is one concern that this citizen activist has
consistently raised.
On to the fear-mongering: The letter
suggests that daring to ask for a "pause for planning,"
which is proposed for a year or less and will affect only large-scale
development, will upset the county's biggest landowner and cost Bay
County tax revenues and opportunity. Such a viewpoint assumes that
increased tax revenues will cover costs of development, an assumption
that has yet to be shown on a county or regional cost-to-benefit
analysis. Also, the Panhandle Citizens Coalition is calling for a
region-wide pause for better planning and visioning, so the fear of
losing business to a nearby county is unfounded.
As for constructive suggestions, the
Panhandle Citizens Coalition does have a positive vision for a
high-quality of life in which growth occurs in an orderly fashion and
without putting undue strain on our natural resources, highways, and
local budgets.
So often maligned as "special
interests," environmentalists experience no personal gain from
their efforts to preserve vestiges of wetlands, trees, and native
landscapes. They sit through hours boring meetings, doggedly dig up
facts, and follow legal notices that most people have no time to think
about -- unless they have a financial interest in the matter at hand.
Often, environmentalists are the only
ones who show up at meetings where momentous decisions are made, to
voice concerns about neighborhood as well as environmental
preservation. The real special interests are those who pay
professionals to fight codes and reasonable watchdogging of growth.
The Panhandle Citizens Coalition works to
protect our communities as a whole, including our small businesses
that will suffer if poor development decisions drive away the tourist
trade. Through adequate community planning, we seek to encourage
development that will attract larger employers with high-paying jobs,
but that will also preserve our environment and quality of life.
John Hedrick, Chair, Panhandle
Citizens Coalition, Tallahassee
Top
Letter to protest moving Highway
98 in Franklin County
This is a letter sent to Department of Transportation's
Secretary Barry on Monday September 9th: (no response as of 9/12/02
)
Thomas Barry, Secretary
Florida Department of Transportation
605 Suwannee St
Tallahassee FL 32399-0050
Dear Secretary Barry/Tom;
We understand the pending approval for realignment of US Highway 98 in
Gulf County, at the proposed St Joe Company Windmark development, is
imminent. We believe approval of this project at this time is very
premature and ultimately not warranted. This position is based on
several factors.
The public has been precluded from the opportunity to make meaningful
input into this project because we have been unable to obtain copies of St
Joe Company's consultant's responses to all agency questions. There
are outstanding environmental issues related to this project, including
severe impacts on Federal protected species and habitat and field survey
techniques.
It is our understanding the field survey's were conducted by PBS&J, a
regular consultant for the St Joe Company. We find this very
disturbing in that a continuing relationship of this sort creates an
obvious conflict of interest.
I am sure that you are aware of the high number of Port St Joe Citizens
who expressed public opposition to closing this public road, and
especially for the purpose of increasing the profits of one particular
private entity -- the St Joe Company. We are unaware of any
precedence where a public roadway has been moved for the express purpose
of allowing a specific development; and in this case, a development that
will severely impact public health and safety during hurricane evacuation.
We request at the very least that you delay approval of this project until
such time as all the various agency questions are answered to your
satisfaction by an independent consultant and that an opportunity for
meaningful public input is afforded by the DOT on this matter; we believe
ultimately that you will find moving this road will not be in the public's
interest and you should disapprove the move.
If there is any information we can provide you that
would assist you, we would be happy to do it. Please do not hesitate to
contact us and thanks very much in advance for your anticipated
cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
Top
St. Joe company and governments ignore citizens: Panhandle citizens coalition opposes all st. Joe company projects, advances citizen initiatives in 4 cities and calls for referendum in
Franklin county
Having received no response from the St. Joe Company and the affected local and state governments to its 'pause for planning', the Panhandle Citizens Coalition (PCC) today outlined their initial campaign against St. Joe Company and various local governments.
PCC announced its opposition to St. Joe Company's development projects and launched citizen initiative campaigns in Carrabelle, Port St. Joe, Panama City and Panama City Beach. For Franklin County, PCC called for a countywide referendum to stop all amendments to its comprehensive plan until a new comprehensive plan is developed with citizen involvement and ultimately approved by the citizens of Franklin County at a future referendum.
PCC Chair John Hedrick stated "St. Joe Company, Governor Jeb Bush and the local and state governments have been ignoring the public's views and are continuing to do so. We as citizens must use our resources and available processes to exert our voices in what happens with us and the best way to show that citizens care to be involved is to demonstrate our resolve to protect our communities and our way of life. St. Joe Company and the local governments otherwise will continue ignoring the public."
PCC had called on St. Joe Company and the local and state governments to have a pause for planning regarding all St. Joe Company properties in the Panhandle as well as other major developments for at least one year to allow time for adequate development and land use planning across the entire region. All St. Joe Company development projects would have been placed on hold during this period. The St. Joe Company and the affected governments ignored the voice of citizens, thus causing the response from PCC.
"Remember who stand to either benefit from or utilize these corporate tourist and corporate development projects." said Hedrick, "For example, St. Joe Company's Watercolor development in Walton County has hotel rooms going for $335 a night and vacation/second homes with $200,000-$1,000,000 price tags. This is far outside the price range of average citizens and their families."
"For the pleasure of having an oceanfront development that would take the average person in Franklin County several life times to pay for, St. Joe Company will directly affect their heritage and their livelihood in the area where they were born and raised." said Victor Lambou of PCC from Wakulla County. "There will be many unemployed and displaced fishermen and women and others who will be hurt by the ecologic damage created by St. Joe Company. They have been made aware of the human impact, the possible destruction of an industry and the livelihood of a community."
"As a native Floridian growing up in Orlando, I have seen first hand what has occurred to Central Florida in the wake of Disney World and all the urban sprawl with its attendant traffic congestion, air pollution, loss of green space, creation of low income jobs, higher taxes and housing priced out of people's reach, among other factors. Now the same things threaten the Panhandle from Jefferson through Walton Counties courtesy of the St. Joe Company's radical decision to simultaneously put large tracts of their property up for potential development. It would be irresponsible and even immoral for someone like me, who has personally seen the disastrious after effects,to stand silent and watch this happen again without energetically trying to stop it." said Hedrick, who more recently has lived in both Tallahassee/Leon County and Jefferson County and works as an attorney in Tallahassee.
"We know this won't be easy." said PCC from Bay County. "We know St. Joe Company, like other developers, exerts a great deal of political influence through, for example, their corporate and their company representatives' campaign contributions to the Bush Brothers (Jeb and George W.) and a host of other politicians on the federal, state and local levels as well as other corporate largesse. And in return for these contributions and largesse, they expect us, the taxpayers, to pay for an unneeded $200 million airport in Bay county, countless other millions for roads in Bay, Washington, Gulf, Calhoun, Jackson and Franklin counties.They also expect us to foot another bill for expanded services which otherwise would not need to be created. This corporate welfare must cease and when it does, we strongly suspect the St. Joe Company projects will suddenly no longer be financially viable."
"The ballot initiative in Panama City would require the City of Panama City to instruct their Airport Authority to get voter's approval to build or move an airport; otherwise authority members from Panama City and elsewhere may have to be replaced until they seek approval of the voters." said Hedrick. "Likewise, in Carrabelle, Port St. Joe and Panama City Beach, those cities would be prohibited from extending water and sewer service outside the city limits to developments without the express approval of city voters. Additionally, in Port St. Joe, the city would be prohibited from voluntarily annexing property into the City without a vote of their electorate. Our goal is for all of these initiatives to be on the ballot no later than the spring 2003. Finally, in Franklin County we will work to get a countywide referendum which will stop amendments to their comprehensive plan until a new comprehensive plan is developed and adopted with broad citizen input.
These measures will serve as an object lesson for other developers to avoid. St. Joe Company will learn that failure to really involve the local citizens in your plans in meaningful ways will be costly to them." said Hedrick.
Hedrick added that the first wave of these initiative and referendum campaigns will be in full swing before the week is out.
9/3/02
Top
August 27, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION:
DRAFT
August 27, 2002 John Hedrick, 850-421-2483
(other contact people)
TOE TO TOE WITH THE ST. JOE COMPANY: PANHANDLE CITIZENS COALITION CALLS
FOR PAUSE FOR PLANNING FOR ALL ST. JOE COMPANY PROPERTIES WITH AFFECTED
LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS
The Panhandle Citizens Coalition (PCC) called today for a pause for
planning by local and state governments and the St. Joe Company regarding
all St. Joe Company properties in the Panhandle for at least one year to
allow time for adequate development and land use planning across the
entire region. All St. Joe Company development projects and connected road
and airport plans and construction would be placed on hold during this
period.
"The Panhandle Citizens Coalition was formed due to serious concerns
of regional citizens regarding either individual projects of the St. Joe
Company or their overall development plans in the Panhandle.
St. Joe Company is the largest developer in Florida and the Panhandle;
they have 850-900,000 acres of land available for development. This is an
area 30 times larger than Disney and is the largest development activity
in Florida since Disney. The known projects already in the works will
bring tens of thousands of people to the Panhandle and appear to be on
track to create the equivalent of at least an Orlando in the
Panhandle." said John Hedrick, Chair of PCC who has lived in both
Tallahassee/Leon County and Jefferson County for many years.
"For example, the projected airport near Panama City will be large
enough to accommodate a metropolitan area of 4-5 million people, but it is
larger than Tampa International. There has been widespread speculation
that the St. Joe Company plans to build at least one major tourist
attraction in the region--a theme park or a casino--but the company denies
that it has such plans. A pattern of projects materializing after the
developer had previously denied they existed is reminiscent of how Disney
World took hold of the Orlando area. And remember, Disney is the former
corporate home of St. Joe Company CEO Peter Rummel. It would seem, with
the expansive airport and roadways proposed by St. Joe Company or its
proxies, that the St. Joe company must have as yet undisclosed grandiose
plans, in addition to its residential and commercial development. We say
to the St. Joe Company, let's get it all on the table NOW so adequate
planning can be done." Hedrick continued.
"There has been no comprehensive review of all of St. Joe Company's
activity by any government body. The only reviews have been on one project
at a time by individual local governments. No responsible agency has
considered the overall regional impact of all St. Joe Company proposed
developments combined. We've been informed that St. Joe Company plans
ahead at least 2-3 decades due to their previous involvement with timber
and they have had their plans for a long time. " said Sandra Allen of
PCC from Eastpoint in Franklin County.
" Is there a new, improved St. Joe Company? St. Joe Company doesn't
believe its plans need any fundamental revision whereas we feel exactly
the opposite. The citizens of the Panhandle most adversely impacted by
these developments did not bargain for this to happen to them. In St. Joe
Company's own words, their plans fundamentally change the character of all
the existing communities and the Panhandle as a whole. We know many of
these changes will have negative impacts on our communities, governments
and our quality of life. " stated PCC from Bay County.
"For example, in Franklin County this could extend to wiping out an
entire way of life. Any large scale development on or near the water could
signal death for the commercial and recreational fishermen and women of
all of Northwest Florida. This is not inconsequential, as according to the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in 2000, saltwater and
freshwater fishing along with hunting and wildlife viewing generated $53
million in total expenditures annually in Franklin County alone, which
resulted in a total economic impact on the County of almost $95 million,
and created 1,268 full time jobs. As we should remember, Tampa Bay and
Chesapeake Bay were also once fishing communities. " said Allen.
"St. Joe Company stands to make billions off their development
projects- an
estimated 100 million on the Franklin project and $500 million on the Gulf
project alone- yet is offering very little to the affected communities to
defray development impacts, expecting the local, state and federal
taxpayers to pick up the tabs. St. Joe Company, just like many other
developers, is only doing what is in their best interests (making money
for themselves and their stockholders) and not taking into account the
citizenry as a whole. In fact, by the design of their upscale, high-end
projects, St. Joe Company seems to pit the rich and powerful against the
rest of the citizens." said Hedrick.
"A pause for planning is essential to digest the breath and scope of
all St, Joe Company's plans. A pause for planning will allow time for
better public participation and will put the decision-making into the
hands of the citizens, not one major developer." said Tim Turner with
PCC from Apalachicola in Franklin County.
" Letters to affected local governments, the Governor and St. Joe
Company have been sent outlining the pause for planning and if they either
do not respond quickly or reject the call for the pause, then you will see
us again shortly outlining what will happen next. Stay tuned and in the
meantime, we would urge all citizens to contact their local and state
officials to put pressure on them to adopt the pause." said Hedrick
in conclusion.
Top
| SAMPLE
ORDINANCE RESOLUTION FROM PANHANDLE CITIZENS COALITION
An Ordinance Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of
Bay County Florida adopting a Pause for Planning
WHEREAS, the proposed developments by the St. Joe Company, in
conjunction with other developers, will overwhelm the ability of
Bay County to keep up with growth due to the developments' sheer
volume, accelerating growth way beyond normal rates, creating a
physical emergency for the county; and
WHEREAS the aforementioned developments, if not properly planned
and constructed, will cause major environmental problems with area
water bodies, the fish within them, coastal corridors and wildlife
habitat; and
WHEREAS the aforementioned developments, if not properly planned
and constructed, will cause severe economic dislocations within
our community in the form of lost jobs and potential destruction
of industries, forcing an exodus of indigenous people and thus
threatening the general welfare and quality of life of our
community; and
WHEREAS certain proposed developments in coastal flooding areas
pose significant threats to the public's safety and health; and
WHEREAS the substantial increases in permanent and seasonal
populations resulting from the proposed developments will
significantly impact already inadequate hurricane shelters and
evacuation routes across the region; and
WHEREAS, all the aforementioned developments have not been
reviewed as an entire package by the Board of County Commissioners
or staff or any one government for that matter; and
WHEREAS, the county has not reviewed impact fees or fee rate
changes that will be necessary to handle the aforementioned
developments, creating a fiscal emergency for the county; and
WHEREAS the existing impact fees and fee rates will be inadequate
to handle the permitted and proposed projects under consideration
by the Bay County Commission; and
WHEREAS, this process of analyzing the problems, creating the
infrastructure capacity and developing appropriate impact fees and
fee structures is expected to take at least a year and perhaps a
lengthier period of time; and
WHEREAS the state and federal governments will spend tens of
millions of dollars on new roadways through grants to Opportunity
Florida, Florida's Great Northwest and possibly other
organizations that in large part represent the interests of large
developers and thus will further accelerate inadequately planned
developments; and
WHEREAS the feasibility and environmental studies of these new
roads are being conducted by a company that is both a contractor
to the state as well as St. Joe Company and Opportunity Florida
(Post, Buckley, Schuh and Jernigan), thus compromising their
ability to render unbiased analyzes of the necessity and design of
these new roads; and
WHEREAS the federal and state government plan to subsidize
construction of a new airport in a hitherto undeveloped region of
Bay County that will require yet further massive infrastructure;
and
WHEREAS allocation for all these resources already has stretched
to the breaking point the coffers and technical review
capabilities of local governments.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of County
Commissioners of Bay County, Florida hereby adopts a countywide
pause for planning and development on all development projects not
currently permitted by a development order with the exception of
those permits that have minimal or no effect on the conditions
giving rise to the pause, those conditions being, for example,
building in coastal high hazard areas, densities greater than
permitted under the comprehensive plan, and building in
environmentally sensitive areas. The new and relocated roads and
airport which large developers desire the state and federal
governments to fund specifically fall within this pause ordinance.
This pause for planning shall last for at least a year and/or
until such time as the County Commission thoroughly analyzes all
potential impacts, develops and adopts appropriate remedies,
including density/intensity standards, impact fees and fee
structures and assesses the infrastructure capacity which would
bring the services' capacities into concurrence. This pause for
planning is specifically ordered to be in effect in all
municipalities in this county unless and until a municipality
decides to opt out of this ordinance by passage of their own pause
for planning ordinance based on this resolution.
DONE AND ORDERED THIS _______ DAY OF ________, 2002.
Top |
Tallahassee Democrat: Opponents
of St. Joe use poor approach
It's hardly surprising that The St. Joe Co.'s "Great Northwest"
has incited opposition and even outrage from some Floridians. The
developer's vision for thousands of homes, a new airport and the
re-routing of a major Panhandle highway is sweeping. It would obviously
have a major impact on this region.... 8/29/02
Slow
growth group calls on St. Joe to halt developments
TALLAHASSEE — A group of Panhandle slow-growth activists on Tuesday
asked the St. Joe Company to halt its developments in the Panhandle for a
year to better determine how the area will be changed by the company's
plans. St. Joe, the largest landholder in the state, has several
development proposals from Tallahassee to Destin.... 8/28/02
Group
seeks slow Panhandle growth
Activists want a one-year delay on work by the St. Joe Co., the state's
largest landowner.... 8/28/02
State
asked to stop St. Joe Co.'s development
Outraged by The St. Joe Co.'s proposed developments across the Florida
Panhandle, a new group is calling on the state to halt development
projects across the region for at least a year.... 8/28/02
(Top)
info: email info@whoseflorida.com
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