Enjoying the great wide open

Happy Monday! Here’s a name from the wayback machine:

Hal Flowers.

I thought of Hal on Sunday as I snapped my spectacular Three Sisters Springs photo for today’s blog.

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Flowers was a Tampa developer who bought the 57-acre property in 2005 and planned to build houses with individual dock access to King’s Bay.

The community was less than thrilled, but what could anyone say about it? Private property rights, all that stuff.

Then something happened. Either folklore — Flowers helped in the rescue of an injured manatee — or economics, the development never happened. Instead, Flowers sold the property, and today we have the world-renowned Three Sisters Springs.

Crystal River never looked back. Debate whether that’s good or not, but Three Sisters placed the city on a map that continues to pay dividends every year.

I was trying to think of the last time the government bought property in Citrus County for safekeeping and public use. Three Sisters? That was July 2010. If we’ve added land since then, it doesn’t come to mind.

Until now. The county closed on the $1.2 million purchase of Pirates Cove in Ozello and will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Tuesday. I’m stoked, though I know some people are not.

Other than being cynical about the government, I’m not sure who is against this. Buying Pirates Cove removes the potential for development on waterfront property for citizens to enjoy. 

When I posted information about the ribbon-cutting on Saturday, some reactions were along the lines of, “Oh sure, the county bought Pirates Cove. But what about all the other horrible developments taking place? Huh? What about THAT?”

To which I say, let’s get what we can.

Not every piece of government property has to have a building on it. One of the greatest government purchases of private land occurred in 1989, creating the 47-mile Withlacoochee State Trail.

I was around when the trail was dedicated and then lived just off the trail for 20 years. Many fond trail memories, but if some folks had their way back in the late ‘80s, we wouldn’t have a trail.

Traffic through Inverness back in 1989 was, oddly, much like it is today. Slow-moving, bordering on gridlock. With two lanes of roadway, not four.

Many saw that abandoned CSX railroad right of way as an opportunity for a bypass. Wowzer. Glad that didn’t happen. Not only is the Withlacoochee State Trail considered one of the state’s top 10 trails, but it also connects with other trails. Which means more opportunity for folks to spend outdoors, off electronic devices, and away from the TV.

Three Sisters, I was around for that one, too. After Flowers had his manatee encounter, he offered to sell the property to preserve it. Not going to rehash it all, but the combination of city, county, state, and local forces required to pull this off was nothing short of extraordinary. Nothing comes close to it. So many things had to go right, and they all did.

That process started in 2005. The property closed for $10.5 million — Flowers sold it for the exact amount he paid for it — in 2010, and the City had its trolley service running by 2015.

(By the way…$10.5 million for 57 acres of prime waterfront. That was in another lifetime.)

Well, we all see what impact Three Sisters has had on Crystal River and Citrus County. It is our tourism magnet. And, unlike many other tourist draws in Florida, this one isn’t fake.

I’d encourage folks to take a look at Crystal River some weekend, especially this time of year. So much activity. Slow walkers, taking in the sights. 

I realize tourists drive us crazy, but isn’t it nice to live in a place that others want to visit? 

Look. I’m a fairly simple human. I’m happy when visitors have pleasant experiences in our beautiful community. And I’m happy when my neighbors do the same.

The Pirates Cove ribbon-cutting is at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Come out and celebrate a slice of Citrus to call our own.

That’s all for today. Enjoy it, friends.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.
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