July
17, 2003
Dear Editor:[The Feather Sound News]
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to the letter published
in the July 2003 issue of The Feather Sound News, and to correct erroneous
information. The Public Hearing of the Board of County Commissioners to
which you refer has been scheduled for September 23, 2003 at 6:30 p.m., not
September 16th, as the letter from Ava VanNahmen stated. The meeting will be
held at 315 Court Street, Clearwater, on the 5th floor. Allowing for input
from the affected community in advance of the decision was the driving
factor that prompted me to request a delay in consideration of this matter
until that date.
To insure carefully controlled development and an acceptable buffer area
between the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Feather
Sound, the County is retaining a professional land planner to analyze the
subject property and facilitate a workshop with the local community as part
of the preplanning effort. That workshop is scheduled for August 13, 2003,
from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Select, 3535 Ulmerton Road. The
recent purchase option buyout of Moog’s interest in the site and the use of
a land planner to work with the community reflect the sensitivity of the
County toward the residents of Feather Sound.
I think it is important to clarify the 5 points in Ms. VanNahmen’s
letter:
1. Possible property being used for airport hangars – not true. The
notion of developing the Moog site for aircraft hangars is misleading. If
the site were being contemplated for such use, the rezoning from the
existing manufacturing (M1) zoning would not be necessary.
2. Tampering with the archeological Indian burial site – not true. The
archeologically significant Indian Midden site is not included in the
rezoning application and remains both as a protected site and a buffer
between the Airport and Feather Sound residents.
3. Tree removal - The removal of trees from the buffer area is not
contemplated, nor is it a condition of the rezoning application.
4 & 5. As to the notion that one Government agency would go before
another and receive rubber-stamped approval - prior to any future
development of the Airport parcels, we will require the same County
scrutiny, approvals, and mitigation as we require of a private applicant.
Again, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to clear up some
confusion about the Airport’s rezoning request. I look forward to hearing
from the residents of the Feather Sound community.
Sincerely,
John Morroni
County Commissioner &
Feather Sound Resident