It’s hard to imagine a worse place to build houses than smack in the middle of an AQUATIC preserve.
Here’s this breathtakingly beautiful, skinny little spit (only 300 feet wide!) running out into the middle of the Little Manatee River [see aerial image] — full of pines, palms, mangroves and wildlife [see photos] — so naturally a developer wants to bulldoze hundreds of trees, eliminate the wildlife, haul in fill, and stick houses on it.
Despite massive citizen opposition, this developer previously won the county’s permission to build 22 houses on the landward neck of the spit. Now they want to extend the destruction all the way out onto the rest of the spit — the part sticking farther out into the river — just to build 8 more houses.
The Little Manatee River is an undammed, dynamic, tidal river that floods frequently. It would be irresponsibly negligent for the County to allow more houses here, in the middle of this river, in the Coastal High Hazard Area, placing more families in such a dangerous position, risking higher insurance rates for all of us.
The developer is using “Biological Research Associates” — the same firm they used before, which I wrote about here, after the Times exposed them as “biostitutes.” Last time, these paid environmental experts said it was a fine idea to destroy the sand pine scrub housing 20 gopher tortoises. This time, they’re trying to portray the spit as nothing but a wad of Brazilian Pepper. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Little Manatee River is designated by the state as an Outstanding Florida Water, and this part of the river lies within the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve. The little islands and spits in the river are part of the natural furniture of the Little Manatee, and they provide important wildlife habitat and other ecological functions. This pristine river is a regional asset, teeming with life, precisely because it has not yet been totally urbanized.
We shouldn’t trade these mangroves & pines for docks & lawns, nor trade this wildlife habitat for suburban housing. If you agree, join us to oppose this project at the Public Hearing:
Tuesday, April 7, 9:00 a.m., at County Center.
See the Sierra Club website for more details about the hearing and the issues involved.
Our county commissioners will only protect our environment if we show them that it is important to us.
Meredith
11 months ago
1000 FRIENDS OF FLORIDA
Building Better Communities
http://www.1000fof.org
URGENT ACTION ALERT: CALL or EMAIL members of the Community Affairs Committee IMMEDIATELY. Committee will take up SB362 at 9:00am on Monday, April 6.
Already filed OBJECTIONABLE AMENDMENTS:
a.. Allow ANY local government designating an urban service area to have that amendment done under “alternative state review”
b.. Overturn a limitation agreed to in SB360 which limits text amendments to once a year
c.. Allow concurrent plan amendment and zoning applications for the benefit of developers
d.. Eliminate state oversight
e.. Restrict if not practically eliminate DCA’s ability to use a needs analysis when evaluating comprehensive plan amendments.
See additional details and committee contact information below.
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GROWTH MANAGEMENT ALERT
On very short notice, the Senate Community Affairs Committee will take up SB362 at 900am on Monday, April 6. A shell bill until Friday morning, this bill supposedly would serve as an insurance policy to portions of SB360, but several very objectionable amendments have already been filed. One would allow ANY local government designating an urban service area to have that amendment done under “alternative state review” (a quicker process that limits DCA ability to review and comment). Another would overturn a limitation agreed to in SB360 which limits text amendments to once a year. Yet another would allow concurrent plan amendment and zoning applications for the benefit of developers. To eliminate state oversight, it is proposed that counties with 3000 people/square mile with populations, including cities exceeding 100,000, would be “certified”, meaning no state agency or regional review is required for amendments. And finally, the last amendment would restrict if not practically eliminate DCA’s ability to use a needs analysis when evaluating comprehensive plan amendments.
We see no reason to support this bill or the terrible amendments, and recommend you call or email members of the Community Affairs Committee immediately.
Mariella
11 months ago
: YAY!! Victory for the Little Manatee River! Citizens showed up & spoke up, and commissioners heard us. They voted 6-1 against a terrible proposal to build houses in the middle of the Aquatic Preserve. (Jim Norman voted against us, for the developer.)
GKR
11 months ago
“Commission denies development on Little Manatee River”
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/apr/07/commission-denies-development-little-manatee-river/
I’m glad the good guys won this time but this county and state asks WAY too much of it’s citizenry.
It’s become OUR job to protect this state from greed and stupidity.
sabrina
10 months ago
ha verry good info i am a 13 year old trying to do a power point on the little manatee river and your site is helping me so so much thank u
love sabrina