The 800 Acre Investment Group
8/7/2010
I am in favor of Amendment 4, to give the registered voters a say in development that requires a change to our land use plans. I am not confident that it will reach its goals even if passed, as developers have a long history of finding ways around regulations. One experience I can recall personally is the Sanchez Grant in Palm Valley. Crisp-Lingerfelt requested that 484 acres be rezoned from Open Rural (1 home per acre) to Residential (4 homes per acre) in 1992. They were initially turned down by the St. Johns County Zoning Board because it was not consistent with development in that area and poor drainage. They revised their application and went back to the full County Commission and were granted approval. Crisp-Lingerfelt proceeded to develop this property with the 800 Acre Investment Group, consisting of Officers: Charles Towers, Leland Burpee, Buddy James; members: Nicole Beaurang, H. Dudley Wright, The Florida Title Group (C.D. Towers Jr., Gene B. Lyerly, William M. Brannen, A.L. Burpee Jr.), C.D. Towers Jr., A.L. Burpee Jr. H.R. James Sr., McGehee Family Investment Partnership (members not known), Cecil Altman, and Jacqueline V.G. Schnabel. These people originally agreed to build according to a Development of Regional Impact for the County, but then changed the name of their company and reneged. The Sanchez Grant was split into three developments, Odom's Mill, Plantation Oaks, and Sawmill Lakes, to avoid the stricter requirements of a DRI. These developers sought to optimize their profit as much as possible without regard for the existing community, the environment, or the governmental rules and regulations in place. Sawmill Lakes is built so close to County Road 210, that there is no room to expand the road for the increased traffic. The fault for that lies equally with the County and the developers.
Our area governments, like in many other parts of Florida, are controlled by development interests. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to make a connection between campaign contributions and voting records. The only people who are against Amendment 4 are the developers and their entourage, which includes realtors, lenders, and construction interests. Amendment 4 is a step in the right direction, but nothing will change until we have principled leaders in office who care more about the common good, than in having power and lining their pockets.
This is a letter to the editor that I wrote in 2010 concerning Amendment 4 to the Florida constitution, which would require a vote by the registered voters to approve changes in the comprehensive growth plans in the different areas of Florida.
