Calusa Ranch Comprehensive Plan Amendments

The Review Process

1. Why is there a perceived rush to get the project approved, and what considerations have been made regarding the timing in relation to public awareness and engagement?
2. Can the Commissioners elaborate on the decision-making process and criteria used to determine that the project does not constitute urban sprawl?

Water and Environmental Impact:

3. Without requiring water quality monitoring, how can the public be assured that converting low-impact cattle rangeland to a development with homes, golf courses, cottages, and support facilities will not further degrade the quality of our surface waters?
4. How will the enhanced nutrient-reducing septic systems be implemented, and what guarantees are there for their effectiveness?
5. What measures are in place to mitigate potential environmental consequences of the development, especially given the lack of municipal water and wastewater services?
6. Regardless of how storm water and leachate from on-site water treatment systems are managed, isn’t it likely that pharmaceuticals, forever chemicals (PFAS and PFOS), and chemicals related to the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers will make their way off-site and/or into our surficial aquifier?

Infrastructure and Services:

7. Without having details for the multi-slip docking facility, it is impossible to determine the extent to which the project is consistent (or not) with the County’s Manatee Protection Plan, and it’s associated Boat Facility Siting Plan, and how that element of the project aligns with other environmental conservation efforts.
8. What considerations have been made for traffic management and public services (e.g., emergency response), considering the extension of development beyond the Urban Service District?

Community Impact:

9. What assessments have been made regarding the potential increase in traffic on Kanner Highway and its impact on the community?
10. Are there plans to address the potential strain on local resources and services due to the introduction of new residential and commercial elements outside the Urban Service District?

Conservation and Open Lands:

11. We believe that the requirement for a conservation easement or agricultural easement (with a third party easement holder) was a valuable addition to the off-site component of Rural Lifestyle projects that exceed a density of 1 unit/20 acres. As described in the Guardians Position Paper on Golf Courses proposed outside the Urban Service Districts (which was transmitted as an attachment to our comments for the LPA mtg. at which the Calusa Ranch project was considered), we urge the County to require a conservation easement or agricultural easement that will apply to the undeveloped portions of the Calusa Ranch property that will not be protected by a PAMP.  Additionally, we are interested in understanding how the proposed development aligns with other components of the existing Rural Lifestyle Regulations and the character of the surrounding area, particularly when it abuts Pal-Mar’s “Chimney” to the west.
12. How will the development impact open lands that would otherwise not be protected, and what efforts are being made to ensure conservation?
13. We supported the proposal to allocate a percentage of new tax revenues that will be generated by Rural Lifestyle projects for the purposes of acquiring environmentally sensitive or strategically valuable properties.  Please consider adding that provision to the Calusa Ranch project as a means of mitigating the conversion of rangelands to housing, golf courses and other lands uses of comparably lower-value open space.

Please join the Guardians, 1,000 Friends of Florida, and others in urging county commissioners to either deny the requested amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, or continue the transmittal hearing to a later date to give the applicant and the community the opportunity to discuss refinements that would address concerns about water quality, economic issues, wildlife corridors and land conservation.

Please attend the County Commission meeting on Dec 5^th at 2401 SE Monterey Rd – rally beginning at 8:15, public comment soon after the meeting starts at 9 AM. If you can’t attend in person, you can email all the commissioners at:  comish@martin.fl.us