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W <br />ERC E_ .- F .. .. _ . <br />1216. 27ST ST REF• F. <br />C:c <br />13.'x° .i 7_zi4n: <br />TO: Members of the Florida Cabinet <br />Members of Indian River County State Legislative Delegation <br />Members of Indian River County Commission <br />SUBJECT: Youthful First Offender Prison_ <br />The Vero Beach -Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, at a regular <br />Board of Directors meeting November 13, 1973, adopted a resolution in <br />opposition to the construction of a 150 bed youthful first offender prison <br />in Indian River County. The Board took such action based on information <br />it obtained from a meeting of the Indian River County Commission at which <br />Vern Thornton of the office of Health and Rehabilitation, Division of Cor- <br />rections, made a proposal regarding such a facility. In its resolution, <br />the Chamber stated the following three reasons for the opposition: <br />1- Indian River County is not an urban County and the Florida <br />Legislature mandated that this prison be constructed in an <br />urban area; <br />2- The prison would have a negative impact on the economy, <br />population, and the tourist business in Indian River County; <br />3- It would require the expenditure of tax dollars for road con- <br />sttuction as the proposed site is not on or near a paved road. <br />On January 8, 1974, the Executive Committee of the Vero Beach -Indian <br />River County Chamber of Commerce met with representatives of the office <br />of Health and Rehabilitation, Division of Corrections, and discussed the <br />proposed facility with them. As a result of that meeting, the Chamber of <br />Commerce reaffirmed its resolution in opposition to the prison facility. <br />At the January meeting, two other areas of opposition were stressed by <br />the Chamber: <br />1- The price of the land is too high, especially when there is <br />land owned by the State of Florida within the tri -county area <br />of Martin -St. Lucie -Indian River Counties (the area in which <br />the State agency desires to locate the prison) which would <br />be suitable for the facility; <br />2- The Indian River County Planning Board will have to revise its <br />land use plans for the county and will lose valuable time and <br />considerable finances by so doing. The Chamber feels that the <br />State should have consulted with the county planner and learned <br />of the overall county proposed master land.use plan before taking <br />any action for a facility in the area. <br />f g f: <br />Respectfully submitted, <br />VERO BEACH -INDIAN RIVER COUNTY <br />CHAMBER OF COMMERCE <br />W'an, III <br />President <br />- 9 - <br />EOOK 19 PAGE 09 <br />