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Polk County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson says he will raise the issue of forcing a “development of regional impact” process on the CSX rail hub planned for Winter Haven, possibly at the next commission meeting.
Until now, the project, which is located within the Winter Haven city limits, has been exempt from the extensive DRI process because the hub falls just below the 320-acre size threshold. However, the full CSX project that Winter Haven business and government officials are backing so strongly is a 1,250-acre hub/warehouse/distribution center. The 318-acre hub is just its first phase. By splitting the hub and distribution center, CSX has avoided the DRI process. And CSX project has been able to move like relative lightning toward approval. It has been subject to review only by the Winter Haven City Commission, which badly wants it.
A DRI process requires multi-agency review and typically takes years to complete.
Wilkinson thinks the CSX hub should be made a DRI. “I can’t see why anyone would be against that,” he said. He says he will raise the issue publicly, probably at the next County Commission meeting. Couple Wilkinson with new Commissioner Jean Reed, who has expressed some concern about the CSX project’s impacts on roads, water and other infrastructure, and we may get an intriguing discussion.
The big question, of course, is can the county legally trigger the DRI process against the wishes of CSX and Winter Haven, which has jurisdiction over the project, based on concerns about regional impact? I don’t have an answer to that and need to do more reporting. In the meantime, if any knowledgeable readers out there know the answer to that, please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Also, credit where it’s due, The Ledger’s county government reporter Tom Palmer, a longtime colleague of mine, has advanced the CSX story significantly in recent days, both in print and on his blog “Side Table Spectator,” where you will find important, fairly complex CSX posts here and here.
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