Polk County Rail Hub

This will probably spark some discussion.

CSX expects its new “integrated logistics center” in Winter Haven to add 7 or 8 freight trains per day to the 8-12 that currently pass through downtown Lakeland. That’s according to CSX spokesman Gary Sease.

It’s also twice as many as the 3-4 trains per day talked about recently during a meeting of the East Polk Committee of 100. -- Polk County News Blog

In late 2002 and 2003, CSX approached Lakeland about building rail a hub that sounds similar to, but smaller than, the one proposed for Winter Haven, according to city records.

The hub would have served as a distribution point for an estimated 220,000 vehicles per year. The cars would have been shipped in by train and then trucked out.

CSX wanted to build the hub on a large piece of property it owns along Kathleen Road, just northwest of the former Florida Tile site. That’s near the spot where CSX’s two main peninsular Florida lines merge. -- Polk County News Blog

If you haven't been following the CSX Rail Hub story, you're missing out on some interesting investigative reporting by Billy Townsend. Since I don't see tags on TBO, here's all the stories so far in reverse chronological order: -- Lakeland Local

Lake Wales officials lost a round Thursday in their attempt to prevent Winter Haven from annexing property that is inside the water and sewer service area for Lake Wales. Circuit Judge Roger Alcott on Monday had issued a temporary injunction stopping the annexation of 293 acres by Winter Haven. He dissolved the injunction after a hearing Thursday morning. -- The Lakeland Ledger

Here’s Townsend’s email:

“According to information we continue to get from CSX, there will only be 3-4 additional trains per day as a result of the ILC. I’m not sure if you’re misinterpreting what [CSX spokesman] Gary Sease has said. Or, I’ve also heard there may be additional trains coming through Polk County, as a result of transferring most freight traffic from the A-line to the S-line, but those trains are not associated with the ILC.

I’m sure you want this information to be accurate, just as Winter Haven officials do. Thanks for checking this out. – joy “ -- Polk County News Blog

The state has called it the "mother of all rail yards," the vital cog in a plan for Orlando commuter rail.

CSX Transportation calls it an "integrated logistics center," a statewide rail-to-truck distribution center unlike anything in the Southeast. Winter Haven calls it the city's economic future. -- Tampa Tribune

We’ve spent a lot of time in the last two weeks looking at the CSX intermodal center planned for Winter Haven. The culmination of that process can be seen in this Tribune story, which ran on Saturday. Whether or not you’ve been following the CSX plan, I encourage you to check out the story. -- Polk County News Blog

CSX: It's one of the biggest economic development stories to hit Winter Haven in years. The project has significant long-term effects on the economy, growth, image and environment of Winter Haven. It's a big local story, so where is... -- Empirical Polk

What is good for a business is not always what is best for citizens. Especially a business that doesn't exist solely in our community. This is why a free press is important to the fabric of our society. We trust reporters to ask the questions that businesses and governments don't want asked. Josh Hallett (Empirical Polk) mentioned that the Winter Haven News Chief is MIA on this story. I fear so is The Ledger. -- Lakeland Local

Will members of the media be there? Not a single elected official? Not open to the public? Who are these "representatives from Lakeland?" The LDDA, LACC, LEDC are all concerned with business. This is big business talking to little business. Nothing wrong with that, but why doesn't big business want to talk to the regular people? The ones that have to live and drive in Lakeland.

Seriously, what does CSX have to hide? -- Lakeland Local

In 2002, CSX Transportation approached the city of Lakeland about putting a rail center off Kathleen Road. The city rejected the idea the following year, concerned that truck, trains, noise, vibration and physical appearance could negatively impact surrounding areas. - The Lakeland Ledger

Ocala can also expect significant train traffic increases because of the new Winter Haven CSX center and the rail realignment it is causing. Officials there are looking into a plan to reroute the increased CSX train traffic out of the city’s core -- Polk County News Blog

Update: This morning's paper has an expanded version of the story. Billy has been blogging/reporting about it for a while, but the Lakeland Ledger (and the rest of the city of Lakeland) have finally noticed the CSX deal. From the... -- Empirical Polk

In 2002, CSX Transportation approached the city of Lakeland about putting a rail center off Kathleen Road. The city rejected the idea the following year, concerned that trucks, trains, noise, vibration and its physical appearance could harm surrounding areas. - The Lakeland Ledger

"Sease said one possibility is a "quiet zone" that can be applied for through the Federal Railroad Administration. At these rail crossings, train operators don't need to blow their horns, but this requires costly warning devices and barriers that effectively seal off crossings to cars and trucks as trains approach. He did not know the total costs." -- The Ledger

That's an option. But, it's a long process. Another option is are wayside rail crossing horns. But, neither help with traffic, especially on Florida Ave.

This story is just starting. -- Lakeland Local

The Lakeland Police Department is not taking a stand on this issue, but we thought we might share with everyone what the City Ordinance says about trains and how long they can delay traffic at a crossing. -- INSIDE

Asst. Chief LePere realized he had experience and information about the CSX story that he could share with the public....so he posted it. No need to send out a press release, or wait for a reporter's call. He just added helpful information to the discourse.

The gist of the post was pertinent Lakeland code regarding train delays. I'll quote a bit here: -- Lakeland Local

I spoke today with Fred Wise, manager of the Florida Department of Transportation’s rail office.

He is one of the point men in the ongoing negotiations with CSX over the proposed $491 million deal that would reorganize freight rail traffic in the state, create an Orlando commuter rail corridor and bring the giant CSX integrated logistics hub to Winter Haven.

Wise, like CSX, emphasizes that the deal isn’t done yet. It’s a highly complicated agreement, running to hundreds and hundreds of pages. There’s no formal timetable for cementing it.

But what I found particularly interesting about the conversation was the difference in how the state and CSX have treated Ocala and how they’ve treated Lakeland. Both cities can expect extensive and comparable increases in train traffic. -- Polk County News Blog

The other day I wrote about a meeting between CSX and local business leaders, along with the Lakeland City Manager. The Ledger reported the meeting was not open to the public or the press.

Aghast, I asked, "What does CSX have to hide?"

Guess what? It isn't CSX that wants to close the meeting to you. It's your very own Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce.

CSX has said it has no problem with an open meeting. But City Manager Doug Thomas, LDDA's Anne Furr and LEDC's Steve Scruggs have deferred to the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce in a sort of Emily Post like politeness that has left Chamber president Kathleen Munson as the self-proclaimed "bad guy.''

Munson says the idea is to get candid dialogue. But the public, which is also not invited, will not get its chance to see who says what. And, perhaps most importantly, why. - Swanshots

I'll restate the question, "What is Kathleen Munson afraid of?"

County officials plans to hire a consultant to look at the impacts of the development of the planned 1,250-acre CSX transportation depot in a now-rural area of Winter Haven. - The Lakeland Ledger

The planned 1,250-acre CSX transportation depot promises to bring dramatic changes to a now-rural area south of Winter Haven and east of Bartow, and county officials are scrambling to learn just how big that impact will be. -- The Lakeland Ledger

There is going to be a meeting of CSX officials, Lakeland business leaders, and the Lakeland City Manager. The public is not invited. As a matter of fact, the public is more than not invited. They're forbidden to attend. Now who would do such a thing? The host of the meeting, the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. Who is going to be there? -- Lakeland Local

Chuck asks why the meeting between CSX and a group of Lakeland business leaders is being held behind closed doors. Good question. Chuck quotes Kathleen Munson from the Lakeland Area Chamber Commerce. "Initially, we need to learn as much... -- Empirical Polk

Takeway line from Tom Palmer’s story: “We want to evaluate the impacts along State Road 60 and beyond State Road 60 as well,” County Manager Mike Herr said. “We don’t know what it will do to the transportation network.”

That’s quite an admission. But the truly important aspect of the story came right at the end. An official with the Central Florida Regional Planning Council said it is still possible for local officials to trigger what’s called the “development of regional impact” process, which is used to help plan large, intense projects. CSX and the city of Winter Haven have avoided that process, which often takes years, by splitting the project in two, so that the key first phase falls below the DRI threshold for acreage. The state signed off on that decision. -- Polk County News Blog

There’s not too much to report from the big, closed CSX-Lakeland business community/city management meeting. Rick Hood, the CSX official in charge of the Winter Haven rail hub site, was at the meeting, which was held at the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. -- Polk County News Blog

This is the day of the now famously private meeting between CSX and staffers from Lakeland government and business groups set for this afternoon at the Chamber of Commerce, I’m told.

With that in mind, I thought I’d write a little about a conversation I had last week with state Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, for a story I was writing about the new USF-Lakeland campus. The discussion eventually drifted into the general future of Polk County and some of the vital transportation and growth questions facing the county today. -- Polk County News Blog

Federal railroad officials said Wednesday they found 79 problems with CSX Corp. tracks across New York during an investigation prompted by a recent series of derailments involving the company's freight trains. -- Associated Press

Gary Sease, spokesman for CSX, and Richard Hood, a CSX assistant vice president, met with a group of about 14 people that included representatives from the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, city of Lakeland, Lakeland Downtown Development Authority and the Lakeland Economic Development Council -- The Lakeland Ledger

We blogged about this yesterday, but The Ledger has a fuller account today of Thursday’s meeting between CSX and city government and business group officials. It seems that CSX has scaled back somewhat its projected increase in daily trains. - Polk County News Blog

When CSX representatives rolled into Lakeland, they also didn't get an opportunity to speak openly to the public, or the media. Calm, concerned citizens of our fair community didn't get a chance to hear what CSX plans. Respectful media members didn't get the chance to hear who said what, and why questions were asked or held. -- Lakeland Local

C.C. “Doc” Dockery, the Lakeland business man who convinced Florida voters to enshrine high speed rail into the Florida constitution in 2000 and then watched as Jeb Bush convinced them to de-shrine it in 2004, has weighed in strongly on the CSX rail hub project.

Dockery, who is married to state Sen. Paula Dockery, has sent a letter to Polk County Manager Mike Herr asking that the county direct a consultant it is hiring to broadly review the project’s proposed impacts.

Here are the key elements of the letter: -- Polk County News Blog

Posts I make here contain an easy method for readers to comment. Sometimes I respond or add to those comments. That give-and-take is part of the nature of hyperlocal blogs.

I received a comment this morning I think needs better exposure. Kevin Cook is Lakeland's Director of Communications: -- Lakeland Local

The CSX freight depot may be still only a gleam in the Winter Haven City Commission's eyes, but the development community appears poised to convert rural land along the State Road 60 corridor from agriculture to something a lot denser. County planners are reviewing a proposal to change 331 acres west of the intersection of Rifle Range Road and State Road 60 to allow residential and commercial development. This is probably only the beginning, folks. Side Table Spectator