Update 2024-08-12: Packet: Return of the proposed 2,109-acre rezoning for Planned Unit Development in floodplain –City of Chiefland, FL 2024-08-12.
Here is audio of the applicant’s answers to citizen questions in the June 24, 2024 Chiefland City Commission meeting, as well as the applicant’s slides.
If somebody wants to transcribe these audio files, that would be most helpful.
Here is part 1 of audio from the June 24, Chiefland City Commission meeting:
Continue readingAccording to a 2016 Florida state law, FDEP is supposed to “adopt uniform rules for issuing permits that prevent groundwater withdrawals harmful to the water resources and a uniform definition of the term “harmful to the water resources” to provide water management districts with minimum standards necessary to be consistent with the overall water policy of the state for Outstanding Florida Springs.“
The department’s writeup even says, “The rule is likely to affect consumptive use permitting in the Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River and Southwest Florida water management districts.”
Well, it won’t limit permitting in its current form.
![[Agenda for 2023-08-28 and Madison Blue Spring 2022-06-04]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-08-28--fdep-springs-workshop/many.jpg)
Agenda for 2023-08-28 and Madison Blue Spring 2022-06-04
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is holding a workshop on development of this rule.
You can ask them to actually follow the law and protect our springs.
That’s 11 AM,
Monday, August 28, 2023, at the
Alachua County Headquarters Library,
Meeting Room A,
401 E University Ave,
Gainesville, FL 32601.
Sierra Club Florida has an RSVP form
Here is the agenda: Continue reading
Update 2023-07-23: Levy County 3RT Sand Mine is in Springshed of Rainbow Springs 2023-07-23.
Only one Levy County Planning Commissioner, a former miner, voted against recommending a Special Exception for a proposed 1,100-acre sand mine, after 70 people testified for four hours under oath that the mine is a bad idea in a rural residential agricultural area.
The county mailed about 2,800 notices in April to residences within two miles of the site, because of the large number of truck trips that would be required, about one every 90 seconds.
When this case comes up before the Board of County Commissioners of Levy County, I recommend interested parties show up and speak. And meanwhile send them a letter or call them.
If approved, this mine will be there for 40 years, and maybe 100 years.
![[Collage, 3RT Sand Mine, Levy Count Planning Commission Packet 2023-07-10]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-07-10--levy-planning-commission-packet/many.jpg)
This case will not be heard by the Levy County Commission at its next meeting on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, because on July 18th the Planning & Zoning Office received official notice from the 3RT Sand Mine (SE 23-01) applicant, Ryan Thomas, requesting a continuation to a date uncertain to have time to assess the project with the Planning Commission conditions.
This is a standard developer tactic: delay hoping the opposition will forget. I recommend the opposition keep on it.
The Levy County parcels of the mine site and other parcels proposed for access are shown in yellow on this map. Manatee Spring on the Suwannee River is highlighted towards the left. Levy County staff wrote, “e) Site is not located within one mile corridor (one-half mile on either side) of known geological features with the potential to Impact Manatee Springs or Fanning Springs. Additional study is not recommended to be required.” Apparently the staff believe what DNM Engineering & Associates, Inc., told them on behalf of the miners. I’d prefer to see further study. Continue reading
![[Applicant slides, sound recordings 2024-06-24, Proposed 2,109-acre PUD, Chiefland, FL, Manatee Springshed]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-06-24--chiefland/fbmany.jpg)