Telling the parkway to pound sand

Happy Tuesday! Miss me? We all rested up?

Good! Let’s jump into it.

Three topics, all related:
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• Suncoast Parkway.
• Pine Ridge.
• Dirt.

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This path is a little curvy, so follow me here.

Someone has an application for a sand mine in Pine Ridge. The landowner, George Southworth, wishes to change 366 acres of agricultural land for extractive use, and Pine Ridgers are not happy.

They’ve been organizing opposition as the application meanders through the public hearing process. (Here's a good website from the opponent's standpoint.) The first hearing, which I’ll get to in a minute, is June 27.

Now. Everything up to this point is perfectly normal. Residents aren’t going bonkers — yet — because there’s a public process. When it’s all said and done, county commissioners, in a very public way, will vote up or down on this extractive use. They’ll weigh the applicant’s case vs. Pine Ridge residents.

That’s how this works.

Or, at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Now comes the Florida Department of Transportation with a self-imposed crisis: Not enough dirt.

I kid you not. FDOT says it needs millions of cubic yards of fill to continue the parkway to U.S. 19. It has no place to get that fill, so it’s asking the county to drop its local regulations to allow sand pits that will serve only the Suncoast Parkway project.

Several Pine Ridge residents contacted me in the last few days, frantic that this is coming to the County Commission at its meeting today with little notice. They’re getting the word out to neighbors to attend the meeting, which will feature FDOT District 7 Secretary Justin Hall explaining the state’s woes.

Oh my. So much to unpack.

First off…not enough fill dirt for a $300 million expressway that’s been in the planning for 30 years. Seriously? Was the dirt guy on vacation the week his report was due?

I’m not downplaying the state’s dilemma. Hall outlined the issue in an email to Commissioner Jeff Kinnard:

“Based on the current project requirements FDOT and its contractors would need to source approximately 4.5 million cubic yards of fill material within 5 miles of the project limits. Currently the land development code and zoning requirements (including 500’ setback and Public  hearing/Meeting requirements) make this task unattainable within the project schedule and would lead to further project delays.”

Stop right there for a minute. You see what he’s saying, right? The state has a need. The county can fill that need if it AVOIDS THE PUBLIC PROCESS.

You can see why our Pine Ridge friends are suddenly out of their minds. With no public hearing, no public involvement other than it occurs in a public meeting, the FDOT is asking the county to bypass citizens and approve sand mines so the Suncoast Parkway can continue its uninterrupted march to U.S. 19.

The rest of Hall's email:

“DOT is seeking Citrus County’s assistance in creating an environment that allows our contractors to source mines/borrow pits within our project area. Suggested parameters:

• Within 5 miles of project limits
• No local permit required
• Duration: During the Suncoast Parkway Extension project
• Material only to be used for Suncoast Parkway Extension project.”

That’s as plain as day. Forgetting for a minute that the state really needs to explain how it short-changed its fill estimates by millions of cubic yards, commissioners have the choice of following the public process vs. helping friends.

Of all the state agencies, FDOT is one of our closest partners. Just look at the road projects taking place in Citrus County. The state is investing millions of dollars, with the Suncoast Parkway being the shining jewel.

So, yeah, county commissioners historically fall over themselves helping FDOT when it asks.

This is different. Much, much different.

FDOT isn’t seeking regulatory leniency for its own needs. No, it is acting on behalf of private landowners who will turn a profit providing fill for the road project. Everyone wins — state, landowner, county. The only losers are pesky citizens who don’t see the Big Picture.

FDOT’s request defies logic. The county itself recognizes that extractive land uses are so delicate that the first public hearing goes before a special master, someone skilled in the specific issues related to mining.

Having the county pull the rug out from that process to appease FDOT seems shortsighted at best.

As for the parkway, I’d be glad to help organize a canned dirt drive. It’s the least we can do.

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