March 3, 2010

Highlands Today

Letter to Editor: Big changes

If the Highlands County commissioners approve the proposed update to the comprehensive plan the costs to local taxpayers will be high. The loss of commerce to the existing businesses along U.S. 27 will be enormous. The damage to the rural nature and natural resources of the county will be catastrophic.

Some of the changes to the compressive plan that will cause this to occur are as follows:

A four-lane highway (the western connection,) from S.R. 64 to S.R. 70, is planned to be built in the western county. In addition, Highlands County, in coordination with adjoining counties, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise and the Florida Department of Transportation, will locate limited access facilities connecting Highlands County with the interstate highway system (the Heartland Parkway) from Polk County to Lee County. Combined, this will cause the traffic from U.S. 27 to move west to the planned development of the new Blue Head Ranch Sustainable Community with a population of 56,700 new residents

The existing water use of 12.3 MGD (million gallons per day) will be increased by 27.5 MGD for approved existing platted lots totaling approximately 40 MGD. Additional new water use (estimated at 6.8 MGD) for the Blue Head Ranch development if approved, will draw down the water table even more, causing the fall of the lakes water levels, according to South Florida Water Management. It could also cause the need for new deeper wells. This is only residential water use and does not include the Lake Placid North and South developments or associated industrial, commercial and retail water needs. This water cannot be offset simply by the reduction of agricultural water use.

These are just some of the big changes coming our way with little public input. All of this is being jammed together to try and give development rights to a privileged few at the expense of the average citizen prior to the possible voter approval of Hometown Democracy (Amendment 4), that would require citizen review of such massive changes. Everyone should demand public input at meetings held at times when average citizens can attend before these changes are approved.

Albert Ewing, Venus