published: Friday, June 05, 2009

Commissioners direct staff to work out training center plan

By ED BALDRIDGE

ed.baldridge@newssun.com

SEBRING -- County Commissioners redirected staff Tuesday to continue to hammer out the details of the Eagle National Security training Center, despite objections to the comprehensive plan changes from the Department of Community Affairs.

Currently, the county and the DCA are in a period of "Stipulated Settlement Agreement" to resolve the objections raised.

Seth Ellis, who is spearheading the project along with Gator Mezzanine Funds, a venture company, wants to build a 7,700-acre live-fire training facility for the military, Homeland Security and local police near Venus.

Mark Hill, the county's Development Services Director, told commissioners that 208 acres of the compound would be dedicated to conservation management in order to help clear up the DCA issues.

DCA notified the county that it was not in compliance with its agreement with DCA and their own comprehensive plan on Dec. 23.

According to the DCA letter, the plan for the war gaming facility does not "demonstrate the availability of water supplies" nor does it "provide an assessment of the environmental resources on and adjacent to the site."

That means the Eagle plan does not discuss how it will protect the water quality of Fisheating Creek, which is a watershed into Lake Okeechobee.

Finally, DCA asserted that the plan is not consistent with the State Comprehensive Plan.

Solutions for the inconsistencies presented by Hill included limiting the amount of development that could occur on the proposed site.

Answering a question form Commissioner Barbara Stewart concerning the merit of DCA's objections, Hill recommended that the county negotiate an agreement with DCA which does not include Objective 12, an ordinance the county has to protect the water that flows into Lake Okeechobee.

"I'm saying we need to determine if they (the DCA objections) have merit and whether they apply to this county," Hill answered.

"Mr. Hill, you do realize Objective 12 is not negotiable?" Stewart asked.

Despite Stewart's assertions, the commission voted 5-0 to direct staff to continue to negotiate with DCA on behalf of the facility.