Polk County Rail Hub

As Tribune reporter Billy Townsend reports, CSX has envisioned a 1,250-acre complex in Winter Haven ever since officials began talking about the project 18 months ago. But because the state requires a multi-agency review for any project of 320 acres or more, the railroad decided to submit a "first phase" plan that would only cover 318 acres.

Nice try.

The railroad is not proposing to build a strip shopping center. It's proposing a major industrial complex that will send trains through the heart of Lakeland and Auburndale. It's expected to add 1,150 trucks to roads in Bartow, Lake Wales and Mulberry. Major improvements will be needed to handle the additional traffic on State Road 60, U.S. Highway 27 and U.S. Highway 98.

I've thinking about state planners' reversal of their position about whether CSX's Winter Haven project must go through the DRI process and thought a few of things were worth noting.

Additionally, the claim that DCA's turnaround was political is disingenuous. It's probably more accurate to conclude that politics was at play in the decision to try to evade the DRI process for awhile for short-term economic gain by Winter Haven. In the end, it seems the rule of law, not politics, has triumphed. DCA once again has leadership that seems to be returning the agency to its core function, which is to defend the state growth law rather than to find ways to accommodate special pleadings to ignore it. -- Side Table Spectator

I'm told the next thing to watch for in the CSX saga is an attempt by Winter Haven to accept the land CSX purchased for a road extension as publicly dedicated right of way to attempt to drop below the 320-acre DRI threshold again. -- Side Table Spectator

Now comes last week's meeting of the East Polk Committee of 100, when Ron Morrow, the group's executive director was quoted as saying "From Tampa to Orlando, this will create 7,000 to 8,000 new jobs.'' So instead of all those jobs in Polk County, the jobs--if they materialize--will be spread all over Central Florida. -- Side Table Spectator

This is to confirm that the Department is prepared to work with you on a Preliminary Development Agreement pursuant to Section 380.06 (8), Florida Statutes for the CSX Integrated Logistics Center Terminal Project. -- Winter Haven Chamber

This is to confirm that the Department is prepared to work with you on a Preliminary Development Agreement pursuant to Section 380.06 (8), Florida Statutes for the CSX Integrated Logistics Center Terminal Project. A Preliminary Development Agreement would allow CSX to construct a substantial portion of the overall project prior to the issuance of a Development of Regional Impact Order. If you wish to proceed toward such an agreement we believe it could be completed fairly quickly.”

What this means I do not know. Any DRI experts care to comment? -- Empirical Polk

Here’s a cut and paste copy of the passage in Florida’s DRI laws that deals with Preliminary Development Agreements. Here’s a link to entire DRI chapter.

8. The agreement shall include a disclosure by the developer and all the owners of the land in the total proposed development of all land or development within 5 miles of the total proposed development in which they have an interest and shall describe such interest. -- Polk County News Blog

The following model for preliminary development agreements authorized by Subsection 380.06(8), Florida Statutes , is generally sufficient. The model may be varied to meet the facts of a particular case as long as the variance complies with Subsection 380.06(8), F.S. The Department may require the Developer to justify in writing any proposed variation from this model.

Remember all the commotion last week about how the state determined that the massive CSX hub planned for Winter Haven is probably a development of regional impact and should go through a time-consuming regional review? Remember all the talk about how it would delay the project for two years or more?

Not so much.

The Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce has posted an excerpt from a new DRI status letter from the state Department of Community Affairs. (That makes four such letters in just over a year.) --- Polk County News Blog

State planning officials have told CSX it can begin building a rail transfer center before planning reviews of the massive project are completed.

In a letter sent to CSX this week, the state Department of Community Affairs said it would consider an agreement with the company that would allow CSX to begin construction on the Winter Haven project while a comprehensive planning review known as a development of regional impact is under way. -- The Lakeland Ledger

I find the recent published comments by Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bob Gernert, after learning of the possibility that the planned CSX logistic rail terminal may be required to undergo a development of regional impact review, to be phony and disingenuous. Gernert is quoted as saying that he is optimistic about what the DRI would bring and that the "DRI can't hurt anything. It will review all different components and make it a better project." Where was all of this optimism from the start?

CSX, the chamber and city officials had hoped the project would not be a DRI from the very beginning by trying to purposely plann that it would be under the 320-acre requirement, thereby negating any local review from other agencies when it submitted its application to the Department of Community Affairs.

In the first place, city did a poor job of informing the Winter Haven residents of the project, voting on it without open community input (except from the so-called city big shots). Secondly, they tried to railroad it through the county without all the proper reviews.

This may be a great project for Polk County but it will only be great if the people of Polk County, and not just a few money grabbers who are being enriched by it, support it. The city spent $2,000 on a special-edition newsletter, and the chamber's monthly newsletter and Web site is full of CSX propaganda, so it's obvious that it is getting some money now, before the sale of the property.

"We're here, we value our partnership with the city of Winter Haven, we are committed to being a good neighbor and we're spending money. And anytime we're spending money ... you know we are truly committed." With those words, Cameron Wilson, director of acquisitions and development for CSX summed up his remarks to the business trustees of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce at its Feb. 21 luncheon.

Thank you, CSX, for spending money on those 20 additional acres.

MACY V. BUTLER

Winter Haven

A group of homeowners in Sundance, the small rural subdivision adjacent to the massive proposed CSX rail hub and distribution center in Winter Haven are seeking an injunction to keep the company from moving forward with its plans.

The 26-page injunction request, filed on behalf of about 20 area residents, says the CSX plan is incompatible with the character and zoning of their area and should be halted.

The group is represented by Lakeland-based lawyer A. Brent Geohagan. CSX and the city of Winter Haven, which owns the land where the hub would be located, have 20 days to respond to the suit under Florida law. -- Polk County News Blog

Ten families in Sundance Ranch Estates next to the proposed CSX rail transfer facility are suing the railroad and the city of Winter Haven to keep CSX from developing the site.

The lawsuit filed in Circuit Court on Friday by Lakeland lawyer Brent Geohagan contends the construction of the facility would cause residents "irreparable injury." -- The Lakeland Ledger

CSX Railroad may get what it wants from Fairburn, but only if it makes good on issues that have plagued the city, and municipal neighbor Palmetto, for many years. Fairburn planning commissioners Tuesday tied their recommendation on the railroad’s expansion plans to a dozen conditions, including repairing and maintaining the three degraded and dangerous overpasses and consideration of establishing a “quiet zone” for the customary train whistles that blow throughout the downtown area in the dead of night. -- TheCitizen.com

The ad hoc Lakeland government and business group focusing on the Lakeland impacts of the proposed CSX hub in Winter Haven will hold its first open forum Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Lakeland City Commission chambers.

CSX officials are expected to attend. The meeting is open to the public. -- Polk County News Blog

As the rest of us puzzle through what the state Department of Community Affairs’ willingness to enter a “preliminary development agreement” with the state would mean for construction of the new CSX hub in Winter Haven, City Manager David Greene seems to have a pretty clear idea.

In an email sent to his city commission on June 6, Greene wrote: “DCA is apparently willing to “Fast Track” a Preliminary Development Agreement with CSX. This will allow the Project to move forward on Phase 1 without a [development of regional impact review].”

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I recently requested about a month’s worth of CSX emails from Greene’s office. They provide a look inside a city government that isn’t very communicative, at least not to me. I’ll be posting more about them. -- Polk County News Blog

Lakeland business and city officials who are dealing with the likelihood of increased train traffic in downtown held a public workshop Tuesday and left with one nagging question:

Who, if anyone, will pay for improvements needed to cut the noise from increased train traffic and make sure traffic flow isn't stalled? -- The Lakeland Ledger

1) CSX officials met with Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp on June 5, the same day that the state Department of Community Affairs offered to allow CSX to enter an agreement allowing the company to start building its massive Winter Haven rail hub before a regional review of impacts is completed. That decision was reached just a few days after DCA ruled that CSX would have to go through such a review. Many critics have seen the June 5 decision as a way to get around the purpose of the review. -- Polk County News Blog

Letter to the Lakeland Ledger Editor

While officials of Winter Haven and Polk County tout the benefits of CSX, they ask residents of Sundance Ranch Estates in Winter Haven, to pile the unpleasant consequences of living beside this rail yard on their backs and to be happy about it.

Commissioners and others visited the CSX rail yard in Fairburn, Ga. In the words of Michael Herr, Polk County manager, "to study the impact a CSX center has on the rural community of Fairburn."

That study was the proverbial apples-and-oranges comparison. Sundance Ranch Estates, which shares a property line with the new CSX rail yard, and Fairburn are totally, completely and wholly different in the makeup of the communities, topography and lifestyle of the residents.

Before CSX, the proposed site was studied by Winter Haven and found that it should be low-density residential or a business park. Winter Haven's planning policy was that Heavy Industrial II is not compatible with residential.

The Fairburn area was already industrial, few homes, an existing auto junkyard and expansive, dense Georgia forests full of heavy undergrowth and towering trees.

Sundance Ranch Estates is all-residential. To shield us from this enormous, 24-hour operational rail yard, CSX and Winter Haven propose a ridiculously inadequate 15-foot berm.

With straight faces, CSX, city and county officials tell residents of Sundance Ranch Estates there will be little effect on our lifestyle and property value. As they speak, they extend to us a cup of Kool-Aid.

I say: "No thank you. I won't swallow your poison."

SHARON KISER

Winter Haven

The state's plan to establish a commuter rail line from downtown Orlando to Poinciana is expected to be embraced by local residents who welcome the option of taking a train to a job outside of this sprawling community.

What may not be so popular, it seems, is the location of the train stop.

"Our last stop will actually be at the Poinciana Industrial Park," said Sandra M. Gutierrez, rail transportation project manager for the Florida Department of Transportation's Orlando Urban office. -- The Lakeland Ledger

The CSX/Blogging article ran in today's Ledger. I think John Chambliss did a good job with the write-up. The article looked more at the overall issue of hyperlocal blogging rather than the specific development of the CSX story itself. Here are a few random thoughts:

- Susan McManus from USF states that blogs are a form of activism. That's not always the case and it's not always good to make broad generalizations about what a blog is or isn't. A large number of people who blog aren't interested in activism. -- Empirical Polk

More details on what it would take to establish a "quiet zone" in downtown Lakeland so urban pioneers won't have to put up with a lot of train whistle noise will be on the agenda at Thursday's Transportation Planning Organization meeting. The group will hear from Tom Drake of the Federal Railroad Administration -- Side Table Spectator

County Commissioner Jean Reed raised an interesting question today about the interest in upgrading CSX rail crossings to accommodate the new freight terminal. She pointed out that some of the existing crossings don't function very well. Crossing arms go down seemingly at random, blocking traffic. Impatient drivers eventually get tired of waiting and go around the arms, which railroad safety folks will tell you is pretty risky. -- Side Table Spectator

I think it's safe to assume that CSX's public relations firm is Fleishman Hillard. On Monday, the day the CSX/Blogging article ran, EP had quite a few visitors from Fleishman's offices. -- Empirical Polk

Quieting the train traffic passing through the heart of downtown Lakeland could cost the city as much as $2.4 million, a federal railroad official said Thursday to a gathering of civic and business leaders at The Lakeland Center.

Or it could cost the city considerably less, but that may require closing one or more streets with existing railroad crossings, said Tom Drake, grade crossing manager for District 3 of the Federal Railroad Administration, which includes Florida.

"If I can save you some money I will," he said. "I want you to spend (only) what you have to." -- The Lakeland Ledger

Click on Map Points to see photos of the crossings

CommunityWalk Map - Downtown Rail Crossings