HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpoil Site 04-10-2007
Saint Lucie Waterfront Council
P. O. Box 4143
Fort Pierce, FL 34948
MEMO
0:
St. Lucie County
Commissioners
Jeanne Hearn
Government Relations
Date April 10, 2007
Number of Pages 1
Phone (772) 461-7526
Fax (772) 468-8688
I Re: Objection to Harbour Pointe Spoil Disposal Site
I
The St. Lucie Waterfront Council adamantly opposes the use of Harbour Pointe as a spoil
disposal site for the numerous reasons listed below:
Protecting the Indian River Lagoon - St. Lucie County's Most Valuable Asset
No spoil disposal site should be located adjacent to the Lagoon. Environmental damage risk.
Permanent spoil disposal site should be obtained. Temporary spoil disposal sites extremely costly.
We have spent 2 million dollars to build and demolish the Bell spoil site and now county is
proposing to spent at least 2 million dollars to build and demolish another temporary site.
NOTE: Port Master Plan, Policy 3.3.5 "The Port of Fort Pierce, working WIth other
governmental bodies and other interest parties, will, bt: January 2006, identify, acquire (if
necessary) and permit a permanent spoil disposal site or materials dredged from the port
planning area. The Waterfront Council urges you to follow the Port Master Plan. .
Consideration of City of Fort Pierce. The City on previous occasions has made it quite clear they do
not favor a spoil disposal site within the City. The City's CRA has been extremely active in
. acquiring parcels in and around the Port and it is our understanding, object to the Harbour Point
spoil disposal site idea.
Harbour Pointe purchased by taxpayers support of Bond issue. The 81. Lucie Waterfront Council '
worked untiring on getting the Bond Issue approved. This would not have been done, if it were
for a spoil site, even if temporary. The Bond issue was to purchase this parcel for the specified
uses of Tourism, Recreation and Marine Commercial (not a spoil site).
Potential Loss of Quality Development.
At this time there are serious developers looking at the port area. To be burdened with a spoil
site until 2009 is foolhardy. Also, after land has been used as a spoil site, especially a site that
will have the contaminates from Taylor Creek, it has the potential to have a stigma of concern
for remaining toxins therefore deterring future positive developers.
Modern technology could be used for what it is costing the County for building and demolishing
the sites.
Why has the County not pursued the dewatering systems, such as Black & Veatch system
that requires only a couple of acres of work site'? This process uses equipment to separate the
muck, sand and contammates. This process was very successful in the cleaning the Great Lakes.
No settling ponds required. Eliminates need for a spoil site.
The Waterfront Council will continue to stand firm on its objection to the use of Harbour Pointe as they did
back in 2002 for Phase I. At that time, if you will recall, all environmental groups objected as well as the
City of Fort Pierce. It is unfortunate we are again faced with this issue.
We request the County remove Harbour Pointe from the list of potential spoil disposal sites.