Bad proposal

As a citizen of Highlands County and a property owner in Venus, I am writing this letter to express my concern about the proposed Eagle National Security Training Center on the vast piece of property that Mr. Ron Grigsby, Southern Farms, owns.

This center is being proposed on a very rural area of land.

South Florida Water Management District papers indicate that of the 7,696 acres, approximately 50 percent of the proposed project is located within the Fisheating Creek sub-watershed, and includes portions of Gannet Slough on the south and John Henry Slough on the east, both major drainage basins providing inflow to Fisheating Creek, which is identified as one of the watersheds that contributes to Lake Okeechobee.

I do not believe this to be the cornucopia that the Highlands County Board of Commissioners wants it to be.

The highly trained professionals who are going to be hired will not be local people; the people coming in to be trained are not going to stay here; and the center is providing housing for those who are training.

The infrastructure costs will not be there as the special agricultural exemption allows very little tax to be paid on this very commercial enterprise.

The impact fees are currently being waived, so there again is no gain for Highlands County.

The adjoining properties will drop in value as there will not be an interest in purchasing with the dangers on nearby properties and the obvious noise that will be generated. Again, Highlands County loses as the tax drops.

What will happen when the military contracts that the out-of-the-area developer says he has, either do not materialize or do not get extended?

At that time, could it be sold to a foreign interest? Most assuredly yes, as it has been stated in a recent article that many foreign nationals are buying properties so that they may then become American citizens.

Please, Board of Highlands County Commissioners, do not let this pass.

It is vital that we keep this dangerous center from being developed in Venus, and possibly ruining what many of us have worked hard to have and hold onto in the southern end of beautiful Highlands County.

Carrie Sullivan
Lake Placid