New road will likely harm 157 year old home. Months of effort to no avail.

[madfloridian]

Our county and our state are letting developers have their way so much that roads can go almost anywhere without the county doing anything. I believe the CSX railroad deal is really hurting the chances this home could be saved.



Longtime Polk family fears highway will create a dead end
for their way of life.

A letter to the editor from the home's owner.

Stop Polk Road Plan That Would Destroy 157-Year Homestead

I am very saddened by the county's plan to destroy our family's homestead that has existed for seven generations, since 1850. A proposed four-lane highway would run thousands of heavy trucks through the property and carry transient traffic from Tampa to Miami.

The roadway is being proposed to meet developers' properties and serve the Eagle Ridge Mall. In addition, it destroys a nature preserve with scrub jays and gopher tortoises.

The current roadway alignments were planned with no public and without regard to preserving Florida's history and environment. Millions of taxpayers' dollars have been spent to restore the County Courthouse, but the county has not been willing to preserve a 157-year-old plantation estate that was the home to C.D. Atkins, the co-inventor of frozen concentrate orange juice.

Developers were met with in advance and plans were changed to match developments, but no meetings were held with the residents. In addition, no thought was put into the future CSX development.

Please help our family because our children are the seventh generation to live on the homestead.

CSX is being given carte blanche by the county to put tracks and terminals anywhere they wish.

CSX told they can start building railroad center before any planning reviews are done.

WINTER HAVEN - 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."

Here's a blog about the home.

Highway would split 7-generation homestead

WINTER HAVEN - The Atkins family is proud of its heritage and deep roots in Polk County.

A visit to the family homestead is a trip back in time.

The oldest home is a beige two-story house built in 1850, and at one time it was the only house between Winter Haven and Bartow. It is filled with beautiful old furniture, and black and white family pictures line the walls.

The Atkins family walking on their land, picture courtesy of The Ledger.

I just read that 40% of the states are now letting private companies, many foreign, build and maintain roads which will of course be private toll roads. Florida is really into this idea bigtime. I fear the control of where they will go will be lost, just as the Atkins family appears to have lost finally with CSX holding the cards.

Toll roads and foreign investors may ease future traffic congestion.

[aquart]

1. Foreign ownership of our roads and ports is obscene.

Only fascists would find this remotely acceptable.

[sandnsea]

2. CSX Carlyle

Secy Snow used to be CEO of CSX.

http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=media.news_detail&i=32902

CSX to Convey CSX Lines for $300 Million to Carlyle Group

[madfloridian]

9. 10 Families Sue CSX, Haven Over Facility.....I doubt it will work.

Their huge project will impact other cities, not just Winter Haven. It will impact rural families and city developments...

http://theledger.com/article/20070609/NEWS/706090425

"WINTER HAVEN - 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."

"Their investments and their homes will be diminished greatly as a result of this," Geohagan said."

Letting CSX build before any planning is done is an outrage.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1377

CSX told they can start building railroad center before any planning reviews are done.

[Lorien]

3. The toll road situation is completely out of control here

as are the developers. There is NO consideration for history or the environment in this state when private profits are at stake. :grr:

[Big Blue Marble]

4. It sounds like this home maybe eligible for a National Register Nomination.

That might protect it from development.

[madfloridian]

5. I am not sure that works anymore that way.

We live in a historic neighborhood, and we thought it would protect us from things it ain't protecting us from. A neighbor did some research because he has access to stuff at his college that I don't have.....and I was stunned. Nearly all the restrictions had been done away with.

It appears that nationally roads get priority...our genealogy group did some research on saving historic homes and cemeteries....not sure it works that way anymore.

The bill had a name like SAFETEA LU....pretty complicated. A search will find a lot.

[Selatius]

6. Sounds like the Florida state government is dominated by corporatist interests.

And it sounds like many county governments have also been bought by the same interests.

[madfloridian]

7. It's been that way for years here.

All the developers have to do is ask...and they get what they want. Any hearings are just pretend.

[madfloridian]

8. More on what's coming...private roads with, I fear, little oversight.

http://theledger.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080399/1134

"Here's a peek at the future:

MILEAGE FEES AND SATELLITE TOLLS

How would you like to pull up to the pump and buy 20 gallons of gas but pay no per-gallon state gas taxes? Instead you would pay a tax based on the number of miles you traveled. You might be charged more for the miles driven during rush hours.

It may sound far-fetched, but Oregon is already running a pilot program where a computerized reader in the pumps records the travel distances for motorists, whose cars have also been equipped with a device that tracks their mileage through a satellite GPS system."

Or how about foreign ownership? So easily accepted now, isn't it.

"PRIVATE COMPANIES AND FOREIGN INVESTORS

How would you like to drive on a new highway even if it's built and operated by a consortium of foreign companies?

It's already happening in other states and is getting under way in Florida. State officials say they are turning to private investors to build and operate roads because the private sector has the money to help relieve some of the state's congestion now."

And the tax cuts are working...people don't seem to see downsides at all in turning things over to private companies...from a AAA poll:

"Bakewell said a recent AAA national survey of drivers in congested cities showed they were more accepting of tolls rather than increasing taxes to pay for new roads. "Give me tolls, not taxes," Bakewell said."

[TheMadMonk]

10. tongue in cheek.

"...co-inventor of frozen concentrate orange juice"

Reason enough to bulldoze it flat and sow the land with salt.