SS United States: Could We Soon Have a Ship Larger than the Oriskany Sunk in Local Waters?

Could Escambia County soon be the final underwater resting place for a ship larger than the Oriskany and even longer than the Titanic?

 Yes, we could.  Yes, this is something that is under serious consideration. 

That is the buzz I am hearing from folks excited about the prospect of a nearly 1,000 foot ship, bigger that the Oriskany, being submerged in our local waters.

"This would make Escambia County waters the ULTIMATE dive spot, if we could sink the SS United States in waters off of Escambia County." said a local avid fisherman and diver with whom I spoke about the prospect of us acquiring, transporting, and ultimately scuttling the United States off the coast of Pensacola Beach.

"Right now, to our east and west, the other counties are working overtime to add more artificial reefs and dive spots---so for us to add the SS United States would help us keep pace." said this individual.

He then pulled out a tablet and showed me all the submerged reefs and ships and tanks and other features on our sea bed extending east and west and out as far as 30 miles or longer.  From the HUGE amount of numbers on this graphic shown to me---it appears as if Alabama has everybody beat, with row after row of sunken features lighting up the screen.  Rows and columns.   Way more than Escambia--although Escambia does have a lot of Bridge pilings and concrete spoils submerged off the coast in a gigantic rectangle.

Okaloosa county has a huge footprint of sunken materials and ships as well.  Also, they have a row of "columns" extending out into the Gulf in a kind of Christmas tree array.  These are buoys that extend downward into the ocean to the bottom in and attract all sorts of pelagic species.

"If we could compliment the Oriskany with the SS United States--we would be a hub for divers worldwide and we would generate a lot of trips here and a lot of stays here from pro and amatuer (recreational) divers from around the world." said this angler/diver

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE--WHAT WOULD IT COST?

The move to bring SS United States to Escambia County will require a commitment of $10 Million dollars, and swift action.  According to another individual with whom I spoke who has intimate knowledge of the plan to acquire and scuttle SS United States here--the vessel is up in Pennsylvania at a shipyard and must be moved by September 12th.  It would have to be towed here, in the midst of peak hurricane season, and then there would have to be a plan on where to sink the vessel.

I'm told the objective would be to sink it so it is an easier dive for recreational divers who typically can only go down about 130 feet.  (by contrast, the Oriskany sits in water that is 230 feet deep, with only the very top of the tower reachable by the amateur, recreational diver).

I'm told there is a spot, closer to the shore than Oriskany, where the SS America could be sunk and which would allow for the 57' of vertical clearance necessary while also allowing a much larger porition of this ship to be reachable by recreational divers than is the case currently with the Oriskany.

I like the idea, I like the plan.  But $10 Million is a heavy lift.  Possible funding sources include TDT funds, perhaps some BP Oil Spill money, and potentially even a Triumph Gulf Coast grant if such a project could meet that board's criteria.  Stay tuned over the next several weeks as this will be discussed due to the pressing timeline.  And again, for my vote, I LOVE this idea just as I LOVED the plan to bring American Magic here -- which has now come to pass.

This ship could also be a huge get for our area.

I received a strong email of support from a member of the area's Marine Advisory Committee, on some additional data and facts about the SS United States, which I will publish, below:

"The SS United States

 990 feet long   100 feet longer than the Titanic

101 ft 6 inches Beam.  The maximum width at the time for passage thru the 

                                       Panama canal was 105 feet.

53,330 Gross tonnes 

When loaded to the Load Line she draws 36 feet 4 inches.

She has 12 decks.

She currently holds the "Blue Riband"  (not Ribbon) award for the fastest

trans-Atlantic Ocean Liner.  For her maiden voyage July 3-7 1952 crossing 

from Ambrose light to Cornwall of 3 days 10 hours 12 minutes. Average speed

34.51 knots almost 40 miles a hour. Her top speed 38.32 knots 44 mile a hour.

Impressive numbers. 

She was designed by William Francis Gibbs. He was also head designer of the American "Liberty Ship which led to the larger "Victory Ship". both of which were

major contributors to the American and Allies victory in WWII.

WFG's daughter Susan Gibbs has headed the SS United States Conservancy.

she has stated in the past that " It would be preferable if the ship can't be restored that she be reefed". Opposed to being scrapped.

I understand that the Conservancy may have a sizeable amount of objects for a museum. There's also a maritime museum in Virginia with a sizeable collection. I think it's time to create our own maritime museum with or without UWF's participation. I also think Susan Gibbs would want to participate in the dedication of any SSUS museum or monument.

Fun Facts: There has been four Presidents to have sailed aboard the SS United States and too many celebrities to mention. When Leonardo DaVinci's masterpiece "Mona Lisa" was on loan, she traveled safely aboard the SS United States.

I sincerely hope we can find the funding for this project. It is a rare opportunity. I will be 

glad to keep you updated with any information pertaining to this."

A Win-Win On the BCC's OLF-8 Jobs Project is Now Within Our Reach!

We are on the cusp of a great win, an exciting and unprecedented opportunity for all of Escambia County with our OLF-8 jobs incubation project.  I'm excited for the possibilities this project will be bringing!  With this as the backdrop---it is unfortunate that this project ---for which we've worked so long and hard--- is being dismantled and the facts surrounding the reasons for this project are being deliberately obfuscated, minimized, watered-down, marginalized, misstated and misrepresented.

Case in Point:  a recent Sunday PNJ Guest editorial regarding the development of Beulah’s OLF-8 property completely misrepresented my position and misquoted statements I have made on this important county initiative.   This hatchet-job attack also glossed over some very important factual details that need to be re-emphasized. 

Because when we are talking about decades of effort by county employees, the private sector, the Department of Defense, and economic development partners region-wide---not to mention millions of taxpayer dollars expended for this property—we must be honest, tell the story truthfully, and maintain the integrity and fidelity of the purpose behind the acquisition of this OLF 8 property. 

the county commenced this project and expended nearly $18 Million in taxpayer funds to acquire this property from the US Navy starting more than two decades ago to 1.) protect the military flight training mission in NW Florida (which has been largely accomplished with Escambia county’s successful land swap with the Navy) and 2.) to create good jobs for Escambia County residents.  Period.

We DID NOT publicly fund this project to get into the residential land development business, the hotel business, to build a giant park, a mini-city, or a mall.

The recent Sunday PNJ guest editorialist, certain developers, and several other self-interested parties appear to be minimizing and downplaying the essential reason(s) Escambia County started this project in the first place.  Apparently, these folks that have not paid attention to the history of this project (and even some who have paid attention and know better) want to naively and passive-aggressively assert that this property somehow just magically fell out of the sky and into our laps while ignoring the real history of how this land was acquired and for what purpose it was pursued.  Worse yet—many of these same individuals espouse that now, like a “tabula rasa” clean slate, we should do exclusively with this land “that which appeals to and benefits nearby residents and special interests exclusively.” 

These entities and their proxies are even pushing massive residential development on this parcel (1900+ new residential dwellings!) AND a multi-story Hotel to boot! 

As Beulah residents, we’ve all witnessed firsthand the problems that have festered as massive residential growth has been allowed to occur without the necessary infrastructure to support such growth.

I, along with the clear majority of the Beulah constituents I represent, DO NOT favor any residential dwellings being constructed on this field!  This is starkly illustrated with a countywide poll recently taken that shows 57% of county residents surveyed support jobs being created on the field, and only 25% want residential construction on the land. In that same poll, an astonishing 85% of county residents surveyed want the county to do more to support high-wage, high-tech jobs!

And as it pertains to a multi-story hotel on the OLF 8 field--there are several nearby Hotels under construction already--- so why would we ever want to get into the business of competing with hotel developers?  Answer: We shouldn’t.

Although I did not create this OLF-8 Jobs project—I inherited it upon taking office in 2016---I do strongly support it.  And as the recently re-elected D1 commissioner, I will never countenance a “bait and switch” job on the other four districts of the county by conveniently forgetting about and

Big Restore Act Projects on the Agenda Tomorrow

What is Going to Happen at OLF 8?

The BCC had a good discussion today concerning the way forward on OLF 8 in Beulah

Chairman of the Board Lumon May signed the RE Deed today for the OLF 8/OLF X land swap.

This is happening.  At the end of this month, we will own the property in Beulah known as OLF 8.

And now we have two offers on the table for the purchase of OLF 8.  One from Navy Federal Credit Union and one from a private development partnership.

The total of these offers is $22.2 Million dollars, and the county has spent roughly $17.5 Million to acquire this property.  If we were to simply sell this property we would have a windfall of $4.7 Million PLUS our seed money of $17.5 Million back all at once.  This money would be put into LOST categorical funds and it would be available for use on infrastructure projects county-wide, in each of our 5 commission districts.  So we are coming to a head, we are at a decision point.  Something is going to occur.

This all said--------- what is going to happen at OLF 8?

The board discussed this all at today's committee of the whole.

I'm still going to push for the jobs creation aspect of this project--because to just sell 530 acres to a developer would  KILL our $30 Million dollar Triumph jobs project while simultaneously all but guaranteeing that more high-density, high-impact traffic producing residential housing units would be built on the field.  I do not support more residential and neither do the residents that live out in Beulah like I do. These residents know what I know---our infrastructure is not ready and cannot handle any more residential.  We have too much already.

One commissioner made it known that he wants to sell right away, as soon as possible, and recapitalize the public's money. He also stated flatly he did not support economic development incentives from the government. This commissioner is/was alone in this position so far as I could tell from today's discussion.

I would only support doing this (selling the property outright for the highest price we could get) if there were not three votes on the dais to stick with the jobs creation.

Luckily, there are three votes,  as the other four of us want to maintain the focus on job creation and providing some amenities for the community; they want us to follow through with the master planning process utilizing the document we arrived at via compromise two months ago.  This was my takeaway from listening intently to the discussion taking place today.

This is good news for nearby residents who have told me in no uncertain terms that they do not want more traffic-producing, gridlock exacerbating residential housing out here at OLF 8.  They know what I know:  Having 1000 good jobs on the back of the field in nicely designed, attractive facilities and with a predictable traffic flow (8:00AM and 5:00PM) beats the alternative of thousands of high density residential units with multiple cars per unit going every which way all day and night 24-7, 365 days a year.  The jobs project will simply be much easier to accomodate than any more residential given our insufficient existing infrastructure....

Obviously there are folks that wanted no further development.  There are those that hate NFCU.  There are those that wish Beulah today was like Beulah in 1960.   I get that, but I don't have a time machine and this project was rolling down the runway full-speed ahead and with $Millions of Dollars of taxpayer money invested when I joined the board in late 2016.  I inherited this project.  But I am smart enough to see the best way forward in this circumstance is to go the jobs route, demanding some amenities for the residents, and bolstering our existing infrastructure with the resultant grant monies.  This is the intelligent way forward that apparently all but one commissioner sees with crystal clarity...

Navy Federal Credit Union Makes a Formal Offer of $4.2 Million for 100 Acres of OLF 8

NFCU has offered the Escambia BCC $4.2 Million for 100 acres of OLF 8.  Not mentioned are the 300 jobs and the offer to Master Plan the site....

UPDATE--12:00-  I just received a call from NFCU leadership;  although the 300 additional jobs issue does not appear in the written offer to purchase the land from the BCC--that pledge of an additional 300 jobs as additional consideration for the 100 acres still stands, and language to this effect will be worked into any finalized deal made with the county to purchase this land, according to NFCU's interim President of Greater Pensacola Operations Kara Cardona.

ORIGINAL POST below:

Navy Credit Union has made a formal, written offer to purchase 100 acres of the County's soon-to-be acquired 636 acre site in Beulah known as OLF 8.  The offer was made on December 19th, just as everyone (myself included) was focusing on holiday plans, travel, and family.

This offer was not entirely surprising, though.

Two months back-- NFCU sent a letter expressing interest in 100 acres for the purpose of providing additional parking for their employees, a recreation field, and other amenities which would allow them to also add an additional 300 jobs (over and above the 10,000 they are already slated to add under previous agreements).

I responded directly to NFCU when that offer was made.  I reiterated the importance of the jobs creation aspect of this land and our Triumph Gulf Coast application.

As I read through the newest offer, I see the 300 jobs created language is not present in the terms.

This is problematic.

The 300 jobs are of CRITICAL importance.

In order to receive as much as $30 Million dollars from Triumph Gulf Coast (which will help fund regional stormwater infrastructure and offset the county's $17.5 Million dollar acquisition costs associated with OLF 8)--a minimum of at least 1,000 good wage-paying jobs must be created with

The Value of a Fair Compromise

Nobody gets everything they want in a compromise, but sometimes compromise is precisely what is needed to move a project forward...

Yesterday's meeting of the Board of County Commissioners produced several significant-albeit nuanced-victories.

The most profound outcome came from our discussion and eventual compromise on OLF 8 (and our jobs project for that location).

This OLF 8 project was conceived, enacted, and funded--from day 1-- as an economic development project to create jobs for all Escambia County residents.

But as we came closer to the point where we would actually acquire this 636 acre Beulah property from the Navy--a growing number of folks wanted us to scrap the jobs aspect of the deal and instead develop the property solely as an amenity for local residents and/or as an "attraction" for visitors and residents of  Beulah.  These folks did not want any additional good, high-paying clean-tech, high-tech jobs to be produced with this land---in direct contrast to the original intent of the project.

That's why, when these folks took the staff's initial RFP draft, they removed mention of the triumph grant, regional economic significance, and other important verbiage.

Staff and I took their version, and I added back the language about adhering to the spirit of our Triumph Gulf Coast grant (which may pay us as much as $30 Million Dollars if we create a minimum of 1000 good-paying jobs on this property) and the regional significance language which is essential if we are to win this grant.

Although I do not support any additional residential units being constructed on this property for many good reasons, my chopped version of the RFP still maintained the language  that "all options should be considered by the master planner in order to bring the highest and best value for the taxpayers with this land."  This included reference to mixed use development and housing---even though I don't support this because I do not feel we need any more.  But I was, and am, attempting a compromise.

So at the meeting, one speaker made some recommendations that were not profound and one of my counterparts made some suggested changes that did not dramatically alter the direction of this document-- and nobody suggested the removal of the reference to job creation on the site--so I agreed to the changes and the full board moved forward to a 5-0 compromise on an RFP document for the master planner that all parties could be happy with.

In a situation like this, with multiple persons and entities involved with various agendas and differing visions for this land---NOBODY is ever going to get everything they want.  Never going to happen.

But it was profound, and significant, that we were able to reach a 5-0 on this contentious subject via this compromise.

Round 2 comes next as the BCC and staff evaluates a proposal from NFCU to pay for a Master Plan for this property.  This next step will be complex, and it may take several months for staff and NFCU to bring something to the board for our action.  But as I have said at several meetings---step one for this project is and always was creating an RFP all stakeholders could live with---one that maintained the focus on jobs and not loosing our $30 Million Dollar triumph grant ----regardless of who it is that will eventually pay for the plan to be produced.

And we completed step one yesterday via a compromise that was fair.

My Response to NFCU Offer for OLF 8

NFCU has offered to pay for a master plan for OLF 8 in Beulah if they can select the firm that conducts this work.

I was travelling when the news broke about NFCU's offer to pay for a Master Planner to plan OLF 8 and/or to purchase OLF 8 outright from the county.  Here is my response to that letter.

Debbie,

Thanks for the information and I apologize for my late response (I commenced a long trip of 22 hours flight time just 15 minutes before you sent this—didn’t see it until now). 

The offer you forward is very intriguing, and I certainly believe it will soon be discussed by the full board (at our next committee of the whole). 

The chief concern that I have is our $30 Million Dollar Triumph grant.  

It is not mentioned at all in the letter—however we will be in the running to recoup these funds from Triumph if we can secure a minimum of at least an additional 1,000 good jobs total with this property.  If we simply build-out low-wage retail and more housing, we lose that grant and opportunity.  If we are not going to pursue good-wage job creation with ANY of the OLF 636 acres, that would be a travesty and at that point the only objective should be to list the property on the open market for sale to the highest bidder—so that the maximum amount of our investment in OLF 8 could be recouped for the taxpayers county-wide. 

I hope that is not the scenario that comes to pass.

With a spirit of cooperation in mind,  I re-worked the RFP (attached) to find a compromise between what staff put out initially and what you all countered with. 

I believe the compromise document is very good, and contains the lion’s share of all the additional information that NFCU, via Theresa Blackwell, had added.  The caveat is that I added back the language about Triumph gulf coast and our grant with that body.  I think one idea that might help is if NFCU committed to also pursue that Triumph Gulf Coast money with whatever master plan concept is sought.  If that could be a part of the agreement and the conversation it would be an easier sell I believe.  

As you know Debbie, I live in Beulah and I care about what happens out here just as you do. I’ve lived out here a long time.  However the larger concern has to be that this project, from its inception, has been a county-wide  project that carries the potential to greatly benefit the entire county and the region if we pursue job creation.  And although I strongly support some amenities for the Beulah community to be added as well—this property was not purchased with money allocated solely by Beulah taxpayers.  It was purchased with dollars from every taxpayer in Escambia County.

So whatever happens should be for the benefit of the entire county—not just Beulah—and I truly believe that everyone can get something from this property if we do it right. 

In short, I believe we can have a great project out here that does it all;  creates amenities for the local citizens

A Burger King and a Bunch of Ugly Buildings!

The Board of County Commissioners will discuss several topics at tomorrow's Committee of the Whole Meeting.  Two that are of particular interest to me are the Beach Access issue and the issue of finalizing the language for master planning OLF 8 in Beulah.

We have talked a lot about OLF 8 on this blog.  It is important-- and however that property is developed-- there will be impacts on nearby residents like me (I live right across the street, where I've owned a home for nearly 15 years).

It has been astonishing to watch how--as we have come closer and closer to acquiring this property--opinion about using this property to generate jobs has been pushed further and further from the forefront.  It's almost as if, in some strange way, these these items are inversely proportional.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a well-known community leader that lives in Beulah.  This individual has had a stellar career, and he is actively involved in business development.  So I asked him his opinion about why, suddenly, everyone is running away from the original plan of building good jobs with this property.

"Where are the renderings, where are the drawings" he said.  "I support whatever happens out there, but I want to see what we're talking about---right now all I have heard is it will be a Burger King and a bunch of Ugly Buildings."

"You know I'd never support that, right, because I live right across the street like you do?" I told him

He went on to discuss the fact that he wears multiple hats and his opinion on the project hasn't really changed but he has to be careful about what he says publicly about the project.  I get that, to a point.

But I also think there comes a point when something that was proposed and submitted as one thing is being pulled in opposite directions due to some strong special interests that want something different--something has to give.  At some point, if we whittle that RFP down to the point where the planner is told "Do whatever you want--do not focus on creating jobs at all" --then we will get a plan that resembles nothing close to what was initially proposed.  And at that point, our $30 Million Dollar Triumph grant will evanesce and that money will go to some other community in the panhandle.

Maybe that's what the special interests wanted all along......

For my part and my vote, and I have not wavered, I want to recoup as much of the county's LOST funds as possible by re-zoning (HCLI) the frontage acreage on 9-Mile Road--as suggested in our Brantley Appraisal. I do not support any more residential construction in the area or on this property (there are 1,200 condos, apartments, and homes currently under construction within walking distance from NFCU already--and our infrastructure can't take much more!)--however I will look at what our planner comes up with if this is what he/she honestly, independently believes is needed.   I do want to see some restaurants developed there for the community, an urgent care facility, and perhaps a postal annex store. I'd like to set aside space for future use for a second elementary school that Beulah desperately needs.  I want a world-class biking, hiking, walking trail all around this property for use by citizens, and a regional park with amenities for residents. We could use some of the triumph money to make a regional stormwater basin and we could enhance Frank Reeder Road to Beulah Road on the North side of this OLF 8 property if we can secure our Triumph grant money.   Also, set back from the road, in the interior of the parcel, I want to see us set aside space for us to create a minimum of 700 more good jobs so that we can stay in the running for as much as $30 Million from Triumph Gulf Coast--this is a fair compromise that gives everyone something from this property, and this is what I support.  This is what I will say at tomorrow's meeting, because it will not be, and never was going to be, just a "Burger King and a bunch of Ugly Buildings"

What is the Best Way to Develop OLF 8?

Before I was elected to my current office, the existing Escambia Board of County Commissioners made a critical vote in 2016.  

This unanimous vote on June 2^nd of 2016 authorized spending to complete a land swap with the United States Navy which would ultimately result in the Board of County Commissioners receiving the 636-acre site in Beulah known as OLF 8 later this year. 

This vote precipitated Escambia county’s total spending of $17.3 Million dollars to acquire OLF 8.  

This is a lot of money and I inherited this issue when I joined the board less than two years ago—But I’m up for the challenge to make this project work for everybody; I’ve lived right across the street from this property for the last 14 years, I have skin in the game, and I want what is best for Escambia County! 

 This is the #1 economic development project identified by the County’s Restore Act Committee, and a lot of people have worked very hard to bring this project to where it is today.

Earlier this year, however, some residents began to submit alternative ideas for this 636-acre parcel. Some folks fleeing from the urban sprawl of South Florida are proposing residential development (Apartments, Condos, subdivisions) on the OLF 8 site in a way that re-creates the exact thing they are fleeing-- right here in Beulah.

I don’t know anyone that wants to build a “City of Beulah” -- the constituents I have spoken with DO NOT want more apartments and high density residential construction out here on the helicopter field.

Some critics say the county “spent too much and that the property is only worth $4.75 Million.”
 

This is inaccurate.   The Brantley Appraisal of May, 2016, listed the value of the OLF 8 property at $17.8 Million.

 

But the true value of the land swap continues to be in what the county could do with this property to create jobs and attractive amenities for the area.

Our triumph gulf coast application, for which we stand to receive $30 Million dollars, is centered on creating 1,000 good-paying jobs with this property as well as quality of life improvements like walking, running and biking tracks—which would benefit the entire county and region.

 

Or, we can just cancel the grant application and sell the property to the highest bidder (perhaps $20 Million dollars) who might promise good amenities; but history has proven they will build cookie-cutter home subdivisions, high-density, low income apartments with things like vape shops and tattoo parlors. 

My neighbors do not want 7,000 more residents with extra traffic and low-end retail.

Beulah already has too much residential construction underway...Amazingly, some want to cram even more on OLF 8.

 

No, they would much rather have upscale employers like Navy Federal increase the workforce with 1,000 more good jobs.

I know there are many who lament that Beulah has become a suburb.  I have family members who have lived in Beulah since the 1960’s on several acres of land and wanted nothing more than the green areas to remain and have no subdivisions.  Unfortunately, populations grow, people move outside the city and places change.

And Beulah has changed.

The area in and around the proposed Beulah Interchange now has roughly 7,000 residential units recently completed, currently in construction, in planning, or going through development review; our roads and infrastructure simply cannot handle any more of this residential construction…

We need a master plan for OLF 8 that captures the maximum amount of value for this land for residents via amenities and community enhancements while simultaneously staying within the guidelines of our Triumph grant request.

We must be good financial stewards of this county-owned resource—staying in the running for our $30 Million-dollar grant while intelligently developing OLF 8 is how we demonstrate this.  

Staff is Moving Forward with Plans to #OpenOurBeach

The comfortable status quo is ending, the beach access that taxpayers purchased 5 years ago will be opened--that ball got rolling in earnest last night.

Dozens of speakers excoriated us for letting that property just sit idle for all these years, chained up preventing citizen access.

Meanwhile, condo owners and other nearby locals continue to use this property as their own private beach.  They even advertise the fact that they have their own private boardwalk to "The beautiful Gulf of Mexico"  see the picture below, from their marketing materials available online.

The Condominium across the street from our 300' beachfront property advertises their "private boardwalk" to the Gulf of Mexico--where they currently utilize taxpayer purchased property as their own "private beach"--while you and I are locked out of this beach.  Is this fair?

Beach access is becoming more and more precious in Florida, and this parcel that was acquired back in 2014 should have been opened years ago. Additionally, the mouse habitat that is also an important component of what this property is to be used for should also be protected.  We have not done this, either.  Shame on us for that.  Currently, there is no signage on the dunes warning pedestrians to stay out of the property to protect the habitat.  Instead, there are footprints all over that property and litter strewn about.  It's as if every facet of what we should have been doing with this property under the grant we received to purchase it has been ignored purposely.

That is ending.

Because now that the board has expressed its collective displeasure over this parcel not being opened for public access, as the board voted to do 5 years ago--staff has now been firmly directed to bring two plans to the next meeting to describe what it will take to get this access open.

The feckless attempts at deflections and protestations that this somehow does not align with the Perdido Key Master Plan all fell on deaf ears last night.  Intelligent, unbiased people realize very quickly this is not an "either or" scenario.  We can and should seek to purchase additional gulf-front access to the east near the core--which is directly in alignment with the goals of the PKMP.

But opening this particular parcel (that we already paid for and own) is the right thing to do, and it does not go against the Master Plan--in fact Public Beach Access is Encouraged in the PKMP!   Moreover, the zoning of this parcel HDR-PK allows for beach access as a conditional use once the Board of Adjustment weighs-in.  So very soon that process will begin as well.

Meanwhile, the comfortable status quo is ending, we are now working toward opening this parcel.

The irony is thick:  Condo owners are using our beach here as their private beach, attempting to keep the public out.  Meanwhile, a little ways down the road at our tiny 60' Beach access #1--both sides of that public beach have no trespassing signs going all the way to the water.  Sheriff's deputies guard the beaches on either side, keeping the citizens out of the Condo Owners' "private beaches"

The Indefensible Position:  Condo Owners want to enjoy their "private beaches" and our publicly purchased beaches while also keeping the public off of their "private beaches"----and our public beaches!!!  What?!?

It's ridiculous.  Yes we need to open our 300' Gulf front property now, which will double our free beach access on Perdido Key.

This is what staff is now working to do.  No more excuses, no more explanations, no more stonewalling.

We will #OpenOur Beach !

Making Proper Comparisons, NOT simplistic ones

It’s easy yet intellectually dishonest to take two different real estate development types, do a 6^th grade-level, basic mathematical comparison on one metric--ad valorem property taxes paid-- and then suddenly exclaim “point-proven, issue settled residential development is BETTER than Commercial!”

To take such a firm-fixed position on such a large and complex subject (real estate development and the public-sector) based upon one data point is ridiculously naïve.

First and foremost:  Because we know the free market system works, the private-sector should always take the lead in development of the lion’s share of residential and commercial development within an economy. The government (public-sector), on the other hand, should enact policies and ordinances that foster an environment conducive to private-sector development of most housing, commercial facilities, and other development that enriches a community (e.g. shopping malls, restaurants, theme parks, golf courses, office buildings, strip centers, etc.)

Of course, there are circumstances where the local government must purchase and develop properties for the good of the citizens and to fill a market niche for which the private sector has no profit incentive. (Schools, Fire Stations, Hospitals, libraries, Courthouses, Jails, etc.).

Then there are cross-overs between the public and private-sectors:  for-profit hospitals, for-profit schools, public-private ventures, contracted-services, out-sourced services, off-shoring, nonprofit- provisioning and not-for-profit service providers.  The lines become blurry on some areas between what the public and private sectors do in some economies.  

That is a fact.  

There are numerous other examples that could be given.

  

And regardless of how one feels about either low-cost publicly-subsidized housing or public-sector economic development---from a philosophical, ideological perspective---there are already numerous federal, state, and local laws and ordinances that encourage both of these hybrids.

Most importantly for this discussion are the publicly funded economic development projects. 

Along with Infrastructure and Public Safety--Economic Development is a vitally important government function—no matter who says otherwise.  Escambia County voters recently approved a renewal of the local option sales tax of which 15% can be utilized for economic development—and this is a good thing! The game has changed nationwide-and communities are now engaged in a pitched battle for jobs.  

States and communities have put together strategies to compete, and there are winners and losers—as in life. 

Escambia County has had several big victories in the competition to import jobs and revenue to our economy from outside of our area:  Navy Federal Credit Union is building a massive campus here that will culminate in 10,000 jobs by 2026 and an economic impact to our region of $3.4 Billion yearly--- per reporting by the PNJ.  ST Engineering Aerospace just completed a massive Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Hangar at the Pensacola Airport, they’re bringing 400 jobs here and they’ve just received a $56 Million Dollar grant from Triumph Gulf Coast to build 3 more MRO hangars and add an additional 1300 jobs!

None of these wins occur without diligent effort and incentive packages from the public-sector. 

Incentives drive the decision making. Incentives bring corporate relocations, manufacturing firms, and jobs. 

Incentives were the deciding factor in NFCU’s move to Pensacola according to NFCU Senior Vice President Preben Ebbeson as reported in the January 2003 Site Selection magazine.

So, when we bring the discussion back locally to the subject of what to do with the 636 acre OLF 8 site in Beulah that Escambia County will soon acquire, to achieve the highest and best use for this property, we must be sophisticated and intelligent.  We must be deliberative and we must listen to the

How Quickly and Inexpensively Could we #OpenOurBeach ?

I requested information from our environmental department about what it would take, in terms of time and resources, for us to #OpenOurBeach at the property we own on the Gulf of Mexico in Perdido Key.  All board members will be presented the below information during tomorrow's Committee of the Whole Meeting.  We can open this beach, for a lot less money and with a lot less red-tape than what many have been espousing.  This is what my research is indicating....

#Research to #OpenOurBeach, Part III--Are there Any Legal Reasons We Couldn't #OpenOurBeach

The County Attorney sent out the following email to all commissioners today.  It is legal to #OpenOurBeach

#Research to #OpenOurBeach, Part I

What would happen if the BCC installed "no-trespassing" signs all the way down to the beach water line and enforced this with our 300' of beach property--just like the condo owners on Perdido Key are doing presently?  Would that force this issue to be addressed?

In preparation for this Thursday's meeting on the subject of public beach access, I am doing a significant amount of research on this topic all weekend.  I think it is an absolute travesty that we are not doing more to #OpenOurBeach ! as it pertains to a large, 300' beachfront plot of land we own on Perdido Key.

I've requested additional information from the staff over the last two days--to include legal, zoning, and environmental "opinions" on whether or not we can open this beach quickly, as was the original intent when this property was purchased, if the resources to do so are identified (e.g. is there any legal reason we cannot open this property if we do so as was contemplated in these documents here, here, and here?).

Obviously--this beachfront is currently, right now, being utilized by a few fortunate residents who have access to this publicly owned beach via a privately owned and maintained wooden beach walkover. (that also is locked and has a "only for use by residents of Sundown Condominium Owners and guests") sign affixed to the gate.

So yes, doing nothing and making no forward progress on getting this 300' of beach frontage opened for the public creates a very comfortable "status quo" for the few condo owners and paying customers of the nearby "Crab Trap" restaurant that are currently benefiting by the Board's inaction on this.

They get to use our beach at their whim with no "competition" from the taxpaying citizens who paid for and would also like to use the beach.

It is a very comfortable status quo for them--just as I have stated earlier here.

These lucky few condo owners are now having their cake and eating it too!....They get to fence off their "private" waterfront areas within their condominium footprints-- and even hire private security guards to keep the public out of "their" areas and off "their" beaches-- while simultaneously using a wooden structure they own on a 10 foot sliver of property that runs down to the beach--to use our 300' of beach exclusively!  (remember, you and I are locked out of this property and no trespassing signs are on the property)

I wonder what would happen if the county installed "No Trespassing" signs all the way down to the beach on both sides of our 300' section of this beach and had security keep the condo owners off our property like the condos keep the public off of their property?  I wonder how that would play out?

Of course I'd never support actually doing that-- but I bet if we did do this it would spur some action on getting this beach access opened up.

I want us all to be able to enjoy the beach--that's why it is imperative that we do what we told the FEDS we would do--conserve the dunes for habitat and signage, provide public parking and ADA accessibility, and  #OpenOurBeach !

Together, Let's #OpenOurBeach!

At yesterday's public forum--multiple passionate speakers demanded action from the board of county commissioners on public beach access on Perdido Key.

Currently, out on Perdido Key, there are only three small public beach access points where beach visitors can park and visit the beach free of charge.  These are very small, and all around the public access points are condominium owners that have cordoned off the rest of the beach from public use.

Public Beach access #1 only has about 60 feet of beachfront and there are police on either side enforcing "no trespassing" signs.

Meanwhile, back in 2013, the county purchased a large piece of property out on Perdido Key just East of the Crab Trap.  It has 300 feet of beach frontage.  It was purchased with $2.3 Million in Federal Grant money to assist with Beach Mouse Habitat.  An additional $787,000.00 in County money (LOST funds) was put into the purchase price ($3.1 Million total) to provide for Public Beach Access.

Sadly, this site has been locked-up and inaccessible to the public for going on 5 years!

On March 8th, I asked about this property and why it was locked up. Folks had asked me about it so when we discussed the restore act projects I asked questions of D2 about this property.  I did not receive a satisfactory answer so I did some additional research on the issue and requested documentation from the staff.  I received the data, I read the data, and Long story short, we can utilize this property for dual purposes--mouse habitat and public beach access.  We just have to muster the will to do it and we have to fund the project.  Contrary to what some say about me online--I do my research.  And this issue is no different than any other issue I study and research. Because of the

Mikey---He Likes It!

When Mikey grew up he realized he had been duped...Quiche actually tastes delicious and it is a healthier breakfast food than sugar/cinnamon coated carbs.....But Mikey liked it, the way the sugar-cereal tasted.

I remember the commercial from the 1970's where they gave a boy a bowl of cereal, and it was supposedly a test.  Would Mikey like the "Life" Cereal?  The talking point was that he would HATE it because Life cereal is/was allegedly "Nutritious."   Of course it was a funny shtick.--of course he was going to love it--whole milk over straight carbs covered in sugar and cinnamon.  Who wouldn't love that?

The real test would have been to set the bowl of Life next to a plate of Quiche.  Quiche, with eggs, cheese and spinach--it is delicious and healthy.  Protein, low-carb, and delicious.  Mikey--given the choice between quiche and a huge bowl of Life would throw the quiche across the room like a Frisbee and gobble down the cereal like Pac Man eating the dots...woka woka woka woka woka... 

Heck, it might as well be a choice between a steaming plate of Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Eggplant  OR a bowl filled with Ice Cream, birthday cake, and chocolate bars.  What would Mikey pick?

I see a parallel between this funny choice, above, and the much more serious and important choice about what to do with OLF 8 once we acquire it later this year.

The easy path would be to take the land, build a beautiful clock tower, cobblestone city circle, add in lots of retail stores, a giant park, a nature preserve, lots of buffer zone acreage for NFCU, and an additional 100 acres for NFCU so they could build more parking for their employees, as well as an NFCU employee-only recreation center.  If we hit the easy button, we could sell off  the remaining

Yes, This Would Be Like That...

In a blog entry I posted last week, I asked a hypothetical (and real) question.

Everybody knows it was immoral, unethical, and illegal to use a $1.00 Food Stamp Bill to go to a store and buy a $.07 cent pack of kool aid, keeping the $.93 cents, and then repeating the process over and over until you cobbled enough money in change to buy what you really wanted (cigarettes and alcohol) but what you could not purchase with food stamps.  I saw people do this as a bagger when I worked at a local supermarket here in Pensacola in the 1980s.  It was ridiculous but nobody stopped the practice so it continued.....

But what about a county using LOST funding to purchase a property for "economic development" purposes (specifically allowed under statute)--and then subsequently selling such a property and depositing the proceeds not back into the LOST fund (where uses are restricted) but to the general fund instead(which has more flexibility with respect to what can be purchased/how the funds can be utilized)?  Nobody seemed to know for sure.

So I asked the question on Sunday--in writing.   Now we have the answer, (see below).  As I suspected, this shell game scheme  cannot be done.  Proceeds realized from the sale of property acquired with LOST funds must be deposited back into the same LOST fund from which such purchase funding originated.  So to the developer that thinks we should sell the OLF 8 property for "what we have in it and use the money to take care of operating expenses"--as I told you in person Friday, that is not legal.  see below.

OLF 8 Commerce Park and Restore Act Committee

Some folks are upset that the BCC is poised to move forward with the OLF 8 project--the project to create high-paying jobs, the project that was ranked #1 for Economic Development by the Restore Act Committee.

Some folks have selective amnesia or they simply refuse to recognize the history of the decision making process regarding the plan for a commerce park at OLF 8.

Some folks are just against it no matter what the experts say and no matter what the BCC voted for.

Some folks are partisans and closed minded, so they just don't care about the decisions and actions that led to the direction the Board, Restore Act Committee, and Economic Development experts have taken on what should be done with OLF 8.

But these same folks, by and large, are also the ones that hate the fact that Escambia County brought Navy Federal Credit Union out to Beulah.  They hate this and wish they had an "Easy Button" to press to make that whole area the cow pastures again and to send NFCU back to Virginia.  So that is them.

For everyone else, though, here is a brief, consolidated History of how the OLF 8 commerce park project evolved.

2010--Oil spill decimates the economy and environment of the Gulf Coast--exposing a glaring need for jobs diversification (away from simply tourist/retail/support jobs)

2012--Restore Act Committee formed by BCC to take projects in, rank them, provide recommendations to the BCC for funding such projects with proceeds from fines levied against BP by the Federal Restore Act.

March, 2016--Restore Act Committee Racks and Stacks all projects.  Projects are subsequently ranked in silos based upon categories (environment, economic, and infrastructure)

April, 2016-Restore Act Committee Sunsets after making recommendations.  OLF 8 Commerce Park project selected, by this committee (Not Jeff Bergosh, Not Jim Cronley, Not the Tooth Fairy,Not Santa Claus, Not anyone else but by the professionals and experts on the BCC's very own Restore Act Committee) As the NUMBER 1 Economic Development Restore Act Project.

November, 2016--Jeff Bergosh elected to and joins BCC as District 1 member

September, 2017-- BCC votes to move 10 Restore Act Projects forward--to include the OLF 8 Commerce Park concept.

June, 2018--Realizing that the OLF 8 property will be coming to the county, certain developers and individuals (same ones that Hate NFCU and jobs growth)  demand that the BCC not take the Restore Act Grant, ignore the Restore Act Committee, Ignore the experts in business development--and instead use this property, once acquired by the county, for a recreational facility, a town center, a nature park, more condos, townhomes, and apartments, and an ampitheater--with NO AREAS SET ASIDE FOR HIGH-TECH, HIGH WAGE JOBS AND CORPORATE OFFICES--NO MATTER WHAT!!!

It is astonishing to watch these folks in action, as they blatantly ignore the history of how the commerce park project came to be, how it was vetted, and how the project has progressed.  Now, they just want us to leave all the restore act funds on the table, and build more low wage retail jobs and apartments on the site--in direct contravention to what the restore act committee recommended.

For my part, as a resident that lives right across the street and is the elected representative of this district, I'm not ignorring the experts and changing course to mollify a few loud opponents.

I'm voting to move forward.

Wouldn't This be Kind of Like That?

Of course it wasn't right and it wasn't  legal for people to purchase $.07 cent Kool Aid packs with $1.00 food stamps in order to cobble together enough change to buy alcohol and cigarettes........

There is now, officially, a movement afoot to pressure the Escambia Board of County Commissioners to "sell" the property in Beulah known as OLF 8 to the "private market" for "development....

Forget the fact that we do not even own it yet.  

Forget the fact that the plan from day one has been to develop that property to create jobs (good paying, high-tech manufacturing and assembly jobs).  

Forget the Restore Act Grant and the Triumph Grant that if pursued and won (The OLF 8 Commerce Park was the #1 Economic Development project as rated by the Restore Act Committee) would exponentially increase the value of that property (by injecting $Millions of dollars into the construction of infrastructure on that land) for the Escambia County taxpayers who have paid the bill to work toward acquiring that property.

Forget all of that.  

Now, all that matters is that this property be sold to the highest bidder so someone can double, triple, or quadruple what they spend for this and build more condos, townhomes, a private park,  single family homes, a giant parking lot, and a large open-space buffer-zone and low-wage service jobs on this site. ( we already have enough town homes and condos and single-family homes being built in Beulah--we have enough.  We also already have enough dead-end, low wage service sector jobs in Escambia County as well---we can do better!)

The logic goes a little something like this (paraphrased below), according to one developer with whom I recently spoke.

“Why don’t you sell the land for what you have in it, and let the private sector develop it, and you can use the proceeds to help with your budget problem over the next several years?”   

But wait a minute--would this even be legal?  I believe, even if we were to countenance the nonsense idea of selling the property outright, once we acquire it, for "what we have in it plus a dollar"--I believe those proceeds would have to go right back into our LOST fund--because that is where the money to acquire that property came from in the first place.  So I asked the question.  And I got a nebulous confirmation back that I am probably right about this.  

I mean, just imagine if counties around the state could sell property acquired by LOST funds and then subsequently dump those funds back into their respective general funds?!?could this not become a shell game that counties around the state could play when financial times get tough by “entering” the private real estate markets locally, purchasing “needed” buildings and property with LOST monies, and then turning around and “declaring surplus” and selling the same properties on the market (regardless of profit or loss—even if the sale price back was $.50 cents on the dollar) to generate desperately needed money for their respective general funds? 

To me this would be a shell game, and I can't imagine it would be legal.  As a matter of fact, it reminds me of what I witnessed back in the 1980's working as a bagger at a locally-owned supermarket chain here in Pensacola.  Parents would send their kids into the store, one at a time, over and over, with $1.00 dollar food stamp bills and they would purchase $.07 cent "kool aid" packs---and they would receive the change back in 

If you buy $.07 cent kool aid packets with $1.00 Bill Food Stamp coupons, you receive $.93 cents in change back in real money currency that can be used to purchase anything---that's why people did it--even though it wasn't right....

regular coin currency.  And they would do this over and over, until eventually the parent would come in and purchase a carton of Doral or Newport Cigarettes and a 12 pack of Bush--- all with loose change.  It was wrong, but it happened.  They