Tempers Flare Over Dilley Property Impasse

AVON PARK - Verbal barbs were hurled around the chamber during Monday's council meeting after negotiations stalled on plans to rezone a former nursery located near the Avon Park Executive Airport.
It culminated into Airport Community Development Agency Advisory Board member Jim Renfro leaving the meeting after he was interrupted by attorney Warwick "Bud" Furr, who represents Roland Dilley.

Dilley has been trying unsuccessfully to develop a plot of land that lies inside the airport's runway protection zone.

At the meeting Monday, Renfro quipped sarcastically to the council that Furr "sounds very peaceful" in his "numerous arguments," to which Furr stood up and said he objected.

"That's very inappropriate," Furr said, talking over Renfro as Mayor Sharon Schuler stopped both of them from talking about the airport further. Renfro then walked out.

"I got nothing to say to the newspaper," Renfro said when he was followed outside the chamber.
The sparring began when Highlands County Development Services Director Jim Polatty told the council that they and Dilley had reached a stalemate on Dilley's rezoning plans.

Furr countered that conditions were repeatedly "brought up rather late in the day that we're being asked to evaluate, when this thing has been waiting since November."

Dilley's latest rezoning plans call for a 43-acre, 346-unit working-class housing development, which Furr has presented to the county after telling the city his intentions.

He said the plan left space near the front of the property that would be left open for the runway protection zone, which is the path most incoming and outgoing aircraft from the airport would need to fly over -- and is the bone of contention.

Federal Aviation Administration rules forbid some types of development under such zones, including high and mid-density development.

Airport Manager C.B. Shirey and the Airport CRA Advisory Board have complained that Dilley would not offer an easement and a deed restriction on the part of the property where the runway protection zone is, meaning a future property owner would not be bound against developing there.

Attorney John McClure also took a shot at Dilley's plans.

"The very people we need to run our community... we want to plant them underneath an airport corridor?" McClure said. He also criticized the communication between the city and the county over the airport, pointing out that Shirey wasn't aware of a meeting Furr had with the county until he picked up the newspaper the day the meeting was to take place.

Furr objected to McClure's characterization as well.

"We're not trying to slide anything through. (City Manager) Sarah Adelt knows that," Furr said. "Everything's been laid out there."

Reached Tuesday morning, Furr said he was going to meet with Dilley to discuss what they will do, adding he was "willing to meet with county staff to reach a compromise."