Changes to the Martin County Comp Plan

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Letter to the Martin County Commissioners (sent June 9 2013)

I urge the commission to adopt the amendments to the county’s comprehensive growth plan without delay. It is my understanding that there were some technical changes recommended by the reviewing bodies, but nothing that would prevent the county’s staff from incorporating the needed language into the plan in time for July’s vote. At some point continued discussion becomes another tactic for obstruction. I specifically voted for you because of your views regarding the comp plan

For too long, Martin County was subject to the cronyism that has ruined South Florida. A small cabal of large landowners, developers and their minions thought that they controlled the future of our home. While they did succeed for a time under previous commissions, the overwhelming majority of voters decided to end that environmental nightmare and elected the current commission. This plan will enshrine and protect what we all hold dear. It is incumbent on you to act swiftly in its adoption.

There will always be reasons put forth for delay by the opposition when they are not successful. For their only tactic is to offer obstruction and procrastination, in hopes that the plan changes are never enacted. Whether it is our own inert bureaucracy or well paid lawyers and consultants, they should not be the ones determining the future of our county. It should be the residents speaking through their elected officials. The residents spoke through your election to keep Martin County growing in a smart and sustainable way. These plan changes will accomplish those goals.

Smart Growth

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Many residents of Stuart and Martin County use the terms “pro-business” or “anti –growth” or “in favor of creating jobs” as code words that require no further explanations. Those words or phrases in and of themselves offer little meaning or context as to what the speaker or writer really means. Those phrases however do require meaning and context when used. They do not mean the same thing to everyone?

Is it pro-business to offer government incentives to the chosen few? I would argue that not only are such policies not pro-business but they are the antitheses of what that word really means. A society can’t be for pro-business when it unfairly rewards one business over all the others. You cannot be pro-business if your policies will bless only a handful with the cost to be borne by the vast majority. I am confused when our various governmental bodies shout the merits of capitalism when the largest employers in the county are those same governmental authorities, from the county to the school system.

Those governmental jobs do not contribute to increasing county wealth. They as do tax payer subsidies re-distribute wealth. The productive class becomes fewer and fewer of us while the government becomes larger and larger. At the same that very government professes to believe in the virtues of small government and free markets. It is totally hypocritical.

As a society we do need government performing services that the private sector cannot. But when that very government becomes not only the provider of essential services but also chooses the winners in the reduced private sector by bestowing subsidies; we no longer have the market being the determinant.  We have a government akin to Putin’s Russia more than we would like to admit.

Is government anti-growth when it refuses to rubber stamp permits for massive development or even to disapprove the building of another strip center? With all development matters our elected officials need to look to preserving the quality of life for the residents that are here. Martin County and the City of Stuart need to stop thinking that larger is better. I contend that development for the sake of development is a false answer to any number of questions from increased tax revenue to more jobs.

Smart growth requires careful planning. It is not only expansion but preservation. It is not only preservation of the environment but of those individuals and businesses that already exist.  I firmly believe that the right government with the right philosophy can do much good. Unfortunately too often governmental bodies forget that they act for the benefit of all the citizens and not for the sake of governmental bodies, employees or that of their friends and cronies.

And, About Those Traffic Circles

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Do you remember the old kid’s song lyric, “here we go loop di loo, here we go loop di la”. Those silly lyrics always meant to me that the revelers were going around in circles. That is the way I feel about government in Martin County sometimes. Stuart has lately become simply enraptured by the thought of creating traffic roundabouts which is another name for circles. If you have some sort of real or perceived roadway issue, Stuart has only one solution.

Want to slow down traffic; make a circle. Want to spiff up a road; make a circle and add brick pavers. Want to justify a contract to a favorite consultant; ask him to draw a road with circles. And do you want to give out a lucrative road contract; make sure to include circles.

While the rest of the U.S. is abandoning this idiotic traffic approach, the Stuart city fathers are embracing the need to go round in a circle. Perhaps to some of them the circle represents an earlier more quaint time. A bygone era when roads were uncluttered and the alternatives such as a stop light were unappealing. What better way to say “Old Stuart” than by adding a circle at Colorado and Martin Luther King.

Or perhaps Stuart wanted a more cosmopolitan approach mirroring the Piazza della Republica in Rome or the grandeur of the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Maybe Piccadilly Circus which leads to Regent Street, an upscale shopping mecca in London, is the look they were striving for leading to Flagler and Osceola. Isn’t our Arc de Triomphe the Sailfish statue? Two meaningful cultural symbols located in the Place du Carousel and the Sailfish Roundabout respectively.

Sometimes roundabouts are the best solution such as with Confusion Corner. For the most part, especially on straight roads or where two streets intersect, roundabouts are planned idiocy. To my knowledge, the only city in America where roundabouts or circles are truly entrenched and embraced is Washington, DC. To say that Washington is a city of circles would be an understatement. I hope Stuart is not trying to emulate that metropolis.

A Truck Stop in Martin County?

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There is nothing glamorous about trucking or truck stops. They are populated by quiet lonely truckers, truck-stop employees in dead end jobs, and some travelers who still believe you should eat where the truck drivers do. Let’s just put aside whether there would be drug dealing and prostitution for the moment. All in all, this is not the type of business you would want in your back yard.

I don’t understand why the owner of the Marathon station didn’t think he would have fierce opposition from the communities surrounding the proposed stop.  When everything is considered, what is the benefit for the hundreds of residents in the immediate area?  If I lived there, I would fight tooth and nail to derail that project.

The County will be getting increased revenue from taxes, although whether it will be as much as stated by the owner is questionable. Ownership also claims that a number of jobs will be created. But who will fill those positions? I would suspect that many of the employees will come from St Lucie County which is right up 95 from the truck stop. I don’t think many people from the Florida Club will be responding to the help wanted signs.

Is this what Martin County wants to be… a stop on the way to somewhere else? There is nothing wrong with Martin celebrating what it is instead of trying to be something it is not. We have a higher per capita income than the rest of the Treasure Coast. Our homes are worth more, our schools are rated better and our quality of life is admired. A truck stop is not going to improve those statistics.

There are two sectors in the county pushing for development for development’s sake. Greedy and uncaring corporate land owners with their lawyers and consultants and the bureaucracy which knows expansion (no matter how idiotic) leads to more municipal and county employees being hired. The tax paying citizens, the very people who live here, are being told by these two groups that density and more bureaucratic services will be good for them.

You need to urge your county commissioners to vote down the proposed truck stop if it were to come before them.

Court Costs for the Martin County Conservation Alliance?

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A letter to the Martin County Commissioners sent July 5, 2013

Some decisions are really, really difficult. Others are much easier to make. Whether you are going to proceed with the collection of court costs against Martin County Conservation Alliance and other named parties or waive those costs could be one of those very difficult decisions. Whatever the commission decides, there will be people that will disagree with that decision.

The U.S. has a remarkably complex and, at times, convoluted legal system. Court costs in most of the world, including the United Kingdom on which so much of our system is the based, are borne by the loser.  In the United States, it is customary for each side to pay its own costs. This has led to many frivolous law suits being filed. As you know, those legal costs can be enormous.

However, was this lawsuit frivolous and without merit? It is true that the appellate courts have said that it was. But we know the facts of the case better than they do. At the time, only Commissioner Heard stood against the other four members of the commission. In each instance, she voted against these proposed amendments and changes which were the basis for the case. Commissioner Heard knew that this was an unbridled attempt to allow uncontrolled western sprawl. If it were not for the court case slowing down implementation, the county would look different now than it does. You ran for the commission in order to stop the undisciplined approach to development that those changes represented.

Now you need to decide if you are going to punish individuals who formed these associations to further the cause of sustainable and sound ecological growth. They had no desire to obtain financial gain associated with their actions. Each not only gave of their time for the cause, they also expended their own money to fight for something that they believed was paramount to the future of Martin County.

These people are not gadflies who sue to be a nuisance to county government. The former commission wanted only to appease the developers. All other reasonable remedies were exhausted. The only course left to them by the former commission was to seek redress in the courts. It is unfortunate that the courts took the highly unusual position of awarding court costs. This could have a chilling effect on other civic groups challenging decisions in courts. Do we, as citizens, want our government to be without the restraint that can be afforded through our judicial system? If something is wrong, then Election Day can be too far in the future to wait.

At the same time, as good custodians of our tax dollars, you don’t want to encourage law suits without merit. This would definitely be a lesson to all that it could be ruinous financially to challenge governmental decisions. You will show that no compromise need be found between elected representatives and their constituents.  It could be almost as if the former commission was correct in its stance.

Actually, there is nothing hard about doing the moral and ethical thing. It is not difficult to forego the retribution of the past for the sake of the present and future. These individuals give unselfishly of their time to make Martin County a better place. They are your friends and followers, your supporters and voters. As they have given you their support, they now deserve yours.

The Folly of Man and Government against God and Nature

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I read two very interesting stories in the local paper. The first story announced that the Army Corp of Engineers was readying new releases of fresh water into the Saint Lucie River from Lake Okeechobee. The second had to do with the annual rebuilding of Bathtub Beach and having the next door tony community of Sailfish Point contribute financially to the effort. These two acts only illustrate how powerless we really are in the face of the natural world and how we refuse to recognize it.

Hutchinson Island, like every barrier island, was naturally formed to protect the actual shoreline from the impact of the ocean. These islands are of huge importance for the creation of wetlands by controlling the impact of waves on the mainland side of the islands. Coastal ecosystem could not exist without them.  While man may covet the view, nature never meant for these protective barriers to be sites for expensive homes or any permanent structures.

If we did not permit building on these islands then man could enjoy these wonders in their intended state. There would be no roads to protect. We could stop the subsidization of insurance on homes and condos that weren’t meant to be built. We, in our mistaken belief that man knows best, disregard common sense to think we can hold back the forces of the sea.  When King Canute couldn’t hold back the waves crashing on shore by his command, he stated, “let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings.”  Our government is not as smart. We continue to believe that these homes will be spared from the next hurricane or just natural erosion. Instead of seeing that the beach is the entire island, we focus on rebuilding a narrow strip extending into the water. There is no ebb and flow. No matter who contributes funds to this insanity, eventually the ocean will win.

Lake Okeechobee, while one of the largest lakes in the United States, is also one of the shallowest.  Nature meant the lake to overflow its banks periodically sending fresh water to replenish the ecosystem to the south. Again man through the Army Corp of Engineers, wanted to protect those who had foolishly settled by the Lake’s edge. Their mandate was and is to dredge the swamps and allow agriculture and home builders to tame the frontier. By seeking to change the natural environment we have only succeeded in the decimation of the Saint Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon while providing for subsidized sugar and unneeded subdivisions.

 

 

 

From the smallest atom to the most complex eco system there is sanctity and holiness of purpose in the natural world. There is no denying that everything on the earth is interconnected. When man alone (or collectively through government) changes anything, then there are consequences.  One cannot truly believe in a Deity and then treat His creation with such arrogance. Even if one does not believe in a supreme being, does not the divinity of the natural world speak for itself?  The continued disregard for natural law will only prove how idiotic man really is. To quote Mark Twain, “Every civilization carries the seeds of its own destruction”.

Follow up to Jensen Beach Mooring Field

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Glenda Burgess spoke during public comments at the July 16th County Commission meeting. She thanked the commission for voting against the mooring field. When she was at the proposed site with her grandchildren she was surprised by the number of people fishing, relaxing and just enjoying the area. She stated that for all the reasons the supporters of the proposed project believed an expensive government sponsored project would solve they were being addressed through existing government mechanism.

When Sheriff Snyder was made aware of the vagrancy and crime problem he sent law enforcement to handle those concerns. Glenda also stated that there was only one derelict boat remaining. The manatees and the sea grasses that call this place home were not destroyed nor displaced so that a few people could make money off the taxpayer.

One small victory for the majority that want government to be for all of us not just the few in the know.

 

JENSEN BEACH AND THE MOORING FIELD

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A letter to Editor in Stuart News

For over ten years the Martin County Commission has been struggling with whether to build a mooring field in Jensen Beach. As was evident in a recent commission meeting each commissioner had a different reason for either voting for or against the field. This illustrates a fundamental problem. Which is defining the role of government in Martin County?

Government should not do what the private sector is capable of doing. If there is a need for more marinas then the private sector will build them. In fact by building and maintaining a mooring field it results in unfair competition with the private sector. Why should our tax dollars go to provide a place for boaters who refuse to pay a private marina?

Martin County and government at every level has a legitimate duty to protect our environment. Building a mooring field on top of sea grass to protect that sea grass seems to be an oxymoron.  You can’t protect something by destroying it. Live aboard boaters have a right to anchor anywhere with some exceptions. If they are breaking the law by not complying with waste removal or other laws no mooring field is going to solve that problem. Nor will it stop the abandonment problem. If an unsavory element has frightened and intimidated law abiding residents in that area why is a county mooring field the answer instead of criminal enforcement.

If laws must be changed or enacted to achieve environmental protection and public enjoyment by law abiding citizens then let’s do that. The role of government is to ensure that all citizens can enjoy our waterways and that the environment is protected. It is simply not true that a mooring field will accomplish those goals.

Business Development Board

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Like all insular institutions, Martin County’s Business Development Board is not connected with the rest of the county. It appears that the staff and executive board have no outside contact with the people who live here and who pay for their very existence. I envision them sitting around the office running one more bad idea “up the flag pole” and everyone in the room applauding. Then they announce it to the rest of us and when it is met with derision, they can’t understand why.

From hiring a public relations firm (do they really need more publicity?) to substituting the faces at the negotiating table, is this going to fundamentally change the dynamic? There was a problem from the very beginning with the concept of the BDB. It was one of those ideas that sound fantastic in the abstract, but when it comes down to the implementation of the idea, it just does not work.  Like so many government or quasi-governmental bodies, their nebulous mission becomes easily subservient to the actors involved. The board, politicians and especially the employees continue to lobby and expand the organization not for any discernible benefit to the community but for the survival of those receiving the financial benefit.

So often when it comes to government action, I feel I am watching an old Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland movie where the kids put on a show and they end up on Broadway.  Reality and common sense take a back seat to poor ideas run amuck. I believe it stems from a lack of thoughtful and serious beliefs in the role of government by us as a community and a nation.

How can one formulate good policies if one has no philosophy of governance? If you are a proponent of truly free markets of capital and labor, then the very idea of a Business Development Board is ludicrous. A free market approach rules out the choosing of winners and losers by government. By definition, if government is going to give an advantage to “A” of any kinds, then “B” through “Z ”are at a disadvantage.

Not only philosophically is it a bad idea for government or government-financed entities to dispense favors to chosen businesses and individuals, it is also a corrupting influence on our body politic. When tax dollars are being dispensed in this way, there is actual or perceived corruption in the awarding of those dollars. Did the winner contribute to the commissioner’s campaign? Was the looser someone the director of the BDB disliked?

By using tax dollars for the benefit of the chosen, the remaining citizenry receive no benefit. It is not anti-business or growth to end funding with tax dollars of the BDB. Our county should use a portion of those funds saved to have a person to expedite the governmental bureaucracy for new and existing businesses who want to open or expand in the county.  Excellent quality schools, low taxes and transparent government would do more to bring jobs to Martin than the crony capitalism expressed in the very idea of a Business Development Board. It smacks of favoritism and more reminiscent of the planned economies of the defunct Soviet Union than the principles of Adam Smith. No one should feel you need to know someone in order to be successful. It should be a level playing field for everyone regardless of whether your friend is on the County Commission or cousin employed at the Business Development Board.

July 18 LPA Meeting

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The City of Stuart had a meeting of the LPA/PAB on July 18th.  At that meeting two ordinances were voted on pertaining to the voluntary annexation and the assignment of Commercial Plan Unit Development Zoning to a piece of property north of the Roosevelt Bridge on Federal Highway.  As a member of the LPA, I was present. The reason that the owner wanted the property to be annexed by the city was because of the difference in density allowed. Under the county regulations, he could only build a 60-room hotel. Stuart would allow an 80-room hotel plus 10,000 square feet of commercial and office space. Without this greater density, the owner stated the project would not be feasible.

While a member of the public did bring up whether Stuart had the right to annex the property, we, as members, thought the city did have the right to do so. As an aside, I do believe that Stuart and the county should have a more coordinated understanding as to annexation. Ultimately, the ordinances did pass by a 3-2 vote with one abstention. I was one of the no votes.

I had several reasons for my no vote. On a technical note, I don’t believe that the traffic flow issues were addressed adequately. Nor do I believe that the community of over 200 residents was adequately consulted by the developer and their views taken into account. I would have liked to have seen more community residents at the two meetings expressing their points of view. Those few who did come seemed reasonable in their objections. There was nothing that the developer could not have addressed.

I asked the owner’s representatives to tell me the type of hotel property and to explain the economic rationale for building the property.  They did not provide the information. Remember they will be adding 29,200 occupancy nights to Martin County. Where is the demand for the increased number of room nights going to come from? Jacqueline Lewis, the president of the Martin County Hotel Association, gave us facts and figures on past, current and future occupancies. The data was not encouraging. It was her belief that another property would hurt a future hotel anticipated in the downtown area. She also went on to express that the three older hotels on Federal Highway would suffer declining occupancy maybe even resulting in one closing.

This is the main reason I voted against the annexation. I don’t see the point of adding a new business to the City if one or more similar businesses close such as the Clarion Inn.  There will be no net increase in employment. While we would have impact fees and increased tax revenue, at least theoretically, if another hotel closes and others pay less tax because of less occupancy, where has the city gained?

While I am a complete believer in the capitalistic system of free enterprise, I don’t think we, as a community, should abandon those residents and businesses that exist. If that vacant land was already in the City of Stuart and was zoned for an intended use, I would feel differently. In this instance, government under the guise of annexation, is actually conferring an advantage of a larger hotel to the developer than otherwise would be allowed by Martin County standards. Stuart has essentially allowed the new guy to cannibalize our existing hotels.  I believe this is a detriment to the long term welfare of our City.