5/21/1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MAT 21 46 PA IJF 563 . COMMISSIONER SCURLOCK INQUIRED ABOUT THE -AMOUNT OF THE ACREAGE THAT -IS -EAST OF STATE ROAD AlA; AND IT WAS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE TOTAL OR 63.2 ACRES. -- CHAIRMAN LYONS ASKED IF ANYONE PRESENT WISHED TO BE HEARD-. ATTORNEY MICHAEL O'HAIRE CAME FORWARD -ON BEHALF OF THE VERO BEACH CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE AREA. HE SUPPLIED THE COMMISSION -WITH A -TRANSCRIPT -OF THE ACTION TAKEN AT -THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION -MEETING. MR. O'HAIRE NOTED THAT THE PLANNING & ZONING_- COMMISSION--WAS-PRESENTED WITH -A PROPOSAL TO REDUCE DENSITY AT--THE.- COUNTY.'S REQUEST,TO-R-2B.. AFTER HAVING DECIDED R -2B WAS BETTER,'BUT NOT THE BEST' OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS, THEIR ULTIMATE AND FINAL RECOMMENDATION, WAS THAT THE PROPERTY -BE REZONED TO R -IA, AND THAT IS WHAT HE IS HERE TO REQUEST OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION TONIGHT. HE THEN REVIEWED THE HISTORY OF -THE -ZONING OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, STATING THAT IT WAS ZONED TO MULTIPLE FAMILY AT THE TAG END OF THE PRECEDING COUNTY COMMIS- SION S-TENURE OMMISSIONS-TENURE IN OFFICE, ANa AT THE TIME OF THIS ACTION, THERE WAS A- VERY LARGE,- IRATE CROWD PRESENT CALLING IT A "LAME DUCK" COUNTY COMMIS- SION. HE FELT IT APPEARED THAT COMMISSION. PRETTY MUCH HAD AN ATTITUDE --OF "THE PUBLIC BE DAMNED, FATHER KNOWS BEST." -ATTORNEY O'HAIRE THEN PROTESTED ATTORNEY HENDERSON'S SUGGESTION TO LEAVE ALL THE AGRICULTURAL PEOPLE IN THIS AREA, MANY OF WHOM' HAVE BEEN ON THE ISLAND SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, IN THEIR AGRICULTURAL CLASSIFICATION AND LET THE NEW DEVELOPERS SOAK UP THE DENSITY FROM THE AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO DISCUSS THE BARRIER ISLAND STUDY AND THE FRAGILE NATURE OF THE ISLAND, EMPHASIZING THE WATER PROBLEM AND QUOTING FROM THE BARRIER ISLAND STUDY AS FOLLOWS: "WELL YIELDS IN THE SHALLOW AQUIFER ARE GENERALLY VERY POOR, PARTICULARLY ON THE NORTH BEACH. IT IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT ONLY VERY SPARSE DEVELOPMENT..." MR. O'HAIRE STATED POSITIVELY THAT THE AQUIFER IS BEING DEGRADED AND THE WATER IS TURNING TO SALT, HE NOTED THAT EVEN ON PLANNING STAFF'S RECOMMENDA- TION, WE ARE TALKING A DENSITY OF 5,000 ON 316 ACRES, AND THE ISLAND WILL NOT SUPPORT THAT. ATTORNEY O'HAIRE CONTINUED THAT, GIVEN THE PRESENT ZONING STRUCTURE, THE ONLY REASONABLE APPROACH IS AN R -IA ZONING AND ANYTHING MORE THAN 4 UNITS TO THE ACRE IS A DESPOILATION AND RAPE OF THE ISLAND. 9