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News-Sun photo by ED BALDRIDGE Co-council for Southern Farms, LLC Ron Weaver made a presentation on tuesday asking Highlands County Commissioners to consider approving and agreement with the Florida Department of Community affairs that would allow the Eagle Training Center to go forward.

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published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

County takes another look at training center

By ED BALDRIDGE

ed.baldridge@newssun.com

SEBRING -- After restructuring the agenda, the Highlands County Commission decided to hear some of the citizens who were present to speak out for and against the Stipulated Settlement Agreement concerning the proposed Eagle Security Training Center just west of Venus.

The agreement in question was what the Department of Community Affairs stated would be needed before they would give the development the green light to proceed.

Choosing to deal with other county business first, the commission skipped the public hearing and went directly to the action agenda, forcing those who came to give their opinions about the Eagle Center to wait over an hour before the public hearing began.

The commissions were told by Mark Hill, Highlands County Development Services Director, that due to the rejection of the proposed re-zoning request from property owners Southern Farms, LLC on Oct. 6, the staff suggested that Stipulated Settlement Agreement be turned down as well.

Hill informed the commission that voting to comply with the Stipulated Settlement Agreement at this point would "create an inconsistency with county comprehensive plan," which would "be in violation of state statutes."

Chairperson Barbara Stewart allowed each side to give a presentation and Bert J. Harris III, the attorney for Southern Farms, took advantage of the time to interview County Planner Don Hannah before introducing Ron Weaver, co-council from Tampa.

Harris introduced several of the county's own maps into evidence while asking Hannah specific questions relating to the environmental and traffic impacts to the county.

Harris seemed to be building a future case by placing specific questions and documents "into the record."

When Weaver got up to make his presentation, he encouraged the commissioners to approve the stipulated agreement, even though Hill informed the county earlier it would violate Florida statutes.

Weaver also discussed the failure of the commission to "deal with the community's development realities" concerning job creation, and mitigation of the project when it came to environmental issues.

Weaver informed the county that his client was willing to seek relief in district court if needed.

"We are gonna train the good guys with this," Weaver said to raised signs from the audience, "and I am thankful for that."

Stewart asked the crowd to take down their signs, and show some courtesy.

During his part of the presentation, Weaver assured the crowd and commissioners that his client was willing to move the air strip traffic to the west, and that the center would provide a "job bus" to help the traffic from Sebring to the southern part of the county.

"We are fighting for jobs. In order to ensure those jobs, we are going to require incoming runway activity from the west and exit to the west. We measured decibels and mitigated 100 percent of environmental impacts and met all requirements under your agreement," Weaver said.

Weaver ended his part of the presentation by pointing out his philosophy about the crowd at the meeting.

Addressing the commissioners, he asked them to remember that the government is controlled by laws.

"So that the good citizens of Venus will know there are rules on your books, please show them that ours is to be a government of laws not a government of men, however great those neighbors or men are," Weaver concluded.

Ron Grigsby from Lakeland, a managing partner and part owner of Southern Farms, took his turn at the podium to explain some of the land's history and to make a case for why the training center development was begin sought.

Grigsby ran out of time during the regular meeting, and the commission had to adjourn into a pre-determined executive session to discuss the lawsuit with Sun 'N Lake.

The commission meeting had not resumed at press time.

For further information and the final vote, check out the News-Sun Web site at www.newssun.com