Letter To The Marion County Commission
From Dr. Burt Eno, President, Rainbow River Conservation, Inc.
Burton E. Eno, PhD, PE
Dunnellon, FL
February 19, 2008
Marion County Commissioners
601 S.E. 25th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34471
Re: Large Scale Amendment 08L-05
Blue Run Ranches
Honorable Commissioners:
The referenced amendment, which will be heard by you March 5th, pertains to 987 acres owned by Sandy McBride, who is represented by Jimmy Gooding. This parcel of land is presently zoned agricultural and is platted into 32 thirty acre lots. It lies east of the City of Dunnellon and west of the Dunnellon Airport on the north side of SR 484. McBride’s proposal was to convert this parcel into medium density with a maximum of 1970 units. The County planners thoroughly reviewed this proposal and recommended denial, citing nine inconsistencies with the County comprehensive plan and five inconsistencies with FS, Chapter 163 and FAC, 9J-5. Among those inconsistencies were incompatibility with surroundings, not preserving open space and rural activity, creating scattered development and sprawl, lack of available infrastructure and public services, discouraging infill in urban areas, inconsistency with the US 41 Corridor Study, and not demonstrating the need for the land use change.
I would like to point out that, consistent with the staff objections, this development would place a great deal of unnecessary and unwarranted burden on schools, traffic, services, infrastructure, and the environment. The Dunnellon Elementary School would go from 138% to 251% capacity, the Dunnellon Middle School would go from 128% to 159% capacity, and the Dunnellon High School would go from 135% to 167% capacity. Traffic on SR 484, for which there are no planned DOT improvements, would increase by 50% due to this development. Fire and police first responders would have to be from Dunnellon, with the closest stations four miles away.
At present there are no central water and sewer facilities available to the proposed development. As originally proposed the development would require 1.37 mgd of potable water and expel 1.0 mgd of waste water. Dunnellon’s sewer plant is approximately three miles away and has no excess capacity. An unsigned developer’s agreement accompanying the land use change request promises to use county water and sewer facilities, but the nearest such facilities are at Oak Run, over eight miles to the east
across SR 200. No evidence has been provided that excess capacity exists there.
Should the developer wish to construct on-site facilities I would be concerned for the fact that this would be a large draw on the aquifer and would have the potential for substantial pollution of the aquifer in an area of high recharge within the primary springs protection zone. Storm water discharges would likewise compromise the aquifer.
The proposed development is located in the country surrounded by agricultural land. Other than Dunnellon Oaks, a 30 year old subdivision of 100 residential lots (70 of which are vacant) located ½ mile from the entrance to Blue Run Ranches, the nearest suburban residential area is Dunnellon Heights, over two miles to the west of Blue Run Ranches. It should be noted that the entrance to Blue Run Ranches is 2-1/4 miles west of the road leading to the Dunnellon Airport. Therefore, a medium density development as proposed would clearly be a classic case of urban sprawl.
I attended the County Planning hearing January 30th on the Blue Run Ranches proposed amendment and, apparently, the applicant had informed the County planners only a few hours earlier that he intended to reduce his request for medium density to 299 acres with a limit of 600 units. The staff had little time to react to this late change but still recommended denial. The Planning Commission was apparently taken in by the ploy of a last minute reduction, the promise of county water and sewer, and the supposed proximity to the airport because they voted four to three to recommend approval. Even though a 299 acre development would reduce the impacts I outlined above, there is no guarantee that the applicant won’t return for an amendment on his remaining 688 acres. The conclusion must be the same; there is no proven need (considering 10,000 platted vacant lots within six miles) for a medium density development out in the country. It is still unnecessary and undesirable sprawl.
What I find really disturbing is the Planning Commission hearing process. Ten minutes (or more) is allotted to the developer to present his case. Members of the public are allowed only two minutes each to state their case. The developer is then allowed additional time to rebut anything that is said. It seems to me that at no time should a last minute application change be allowed, not permitting ample time for the planning staff to re-evaluate the proposal and the public to provide input.
In summary, I encourage you to turn the Blue Run Ranches land use amendment down.
It is unnecessary, ill-advised and inconsistent with your comprehensive plans.
Yours sincerely,
Burton E. Eno, PhD, PE