Outer Beltway Update

[tufsu1]

I'm sure those land owners would have no problem with land use changes that guidd more development to the corridor.

[north miami]

I'm sure those land owners would have no problem with land use changes that guidd more development to the corridor.

Of course not.Delaney giggled over the prospect in one memorable radio show interview.And key landowners have guided and invested in the process-key "Driver".The process has delivered boosterism of a different season to our  present day doorstep.
Certainly affected land owners should be involved and command some influence.For some reason they prefer to not have their I.D. profiled.

The Brannon/Chaffee beltway is a reflection of ardent land owner influence,the dreams and aspirations of a different time,lack of citizen participation in the planning arena due to fear,sense of futility.The Beltway is Blanding Blvd. personified,a process applied on a regional scale,rough and tumple local governement "Growth Management",and the "Beltway" appears as if by magic.
For example, and only a brief profile;on the Clay County side,with the placement of the 1973 Local Government Planning Act  Reinhold Corp quickly established future roadway map concept depicting Brannon Chaffee extension on down in to Penny Farms and over to Green Cove Springs- a graceful ,perfect arc.Citizen busy bodies with links to development such as BettyJane Triplett maintained county liason as if tending to a garden.

Key events included decades long starts and fits promotion of Brannon Chaffee.BC,a north/south alignment far to the west of Orange Park(the only dry land west of the broad,sprawling regional Little Black Creek/McGirts wetland belt)came in to being as a result of Tom Smathers and Gulfstream Land Development Corp. which,in concert with similar proposals statewide unveiled never before imagined 100,000 population "Argyle" on the Clay/Duval line.Even in the early 1970's county commissioners were promoting a 'much needed" third North/South arterial roadway for Clay,since the county had "only" two-State Road 21/Blanding and US 17-both of which were wide open, unencumbered by development.In the very early 70's commissioners promoted a new roadway parallel and west of Blanding.This effort soon failed due to existing neighborhood opposition in the Park Ridge area, and the fact that a subsequent route proposed further west would have traversed the Little Black Creek wetlands-not only prohibitive in cost but likely illegal under looming new wetland protection laws.
So all eyes focused on Argyle and Brannon Chaffee and a Kingsley Avenue extension proposal which spurned speculative land transfer.The Kingsley extension saddled with prohibitive costs-basically a bridge across wetlands.During the course of the 1980's Blanding Blvd. compromised/ruined due to what a grand jury would describe as "Inept" local government planning efforts strangled by undue development political influence.That same influence enjoyed solid footing and was at work on the Beltway.Although Brannon Chaffee was never intended or devised as a viable "alternate" to Blanding,the promotion as such under many clever angles directed to a gullible public ( and lax FTU editorial board) really flourished-and worked!  Our own Jacksonville Delegation under Pacjic placed low emphasis on B/C funding efforts,one member made a concerted effort to scrutinize the "alternate" claims and became staedfast in opposition to funding.
Gulfstream had suffered criminal investigations,Argyle went bust.(A Gulfstream official ,Mike Garretson would later pop up in the Delaney Administration for a short time....).Some former Argyle lands,approx. 1800 acres along the BC corridor were held by Trust For Public Lands-a pesky detail,County workshop minutes reflect such- and eventually the Trust lost it's grasp,most acreage going to well connected Jax area persons (who would rather remain unknown-Don Pittman was key player.After this episode he went across the River to St.Johns and created SilverLeaf.Hunting on much of Pittman's lands is like making love to a terminal partner-the lands are slated for development.) A couple of hundred acres went to the abbreviated Game & Fish Commission Brannon/Chaffee Mitigation Park,the rest became OakLeaf.
And Horne,King,Thrasher to the roadway funding rescue.

Clay County Sector Plans were key events. The first,addressing the Brannon/Chaffe area,over 20,000 acres extending down to "Middleburg", initially saw about 90 persons/citizens in workshop attendance.As the records will show,this soon dwindled to a core group of land owners and their representatives seeking vesting rights.(Like magic,all six or so design charette map tables would have the same "vision" emerge in vivid crayon....)Brian Wheeler/Genesis Group was selected by the county to conduct this first Sector Plan.Genesis promoted inclusion of thousands of affected land owners- including glowing account in "Water's Edge" however the largest land area was comprised of a handful of landowners involved in the process.

The second Sector,'Lake Asbury',grew contentious largely due to a different demographic.Lake Asbury citizens were more knowledgeable, inclined to participate ,more numerous and influential in pre determined "consensus" format, and energized over opposition to a proposed Brannon Chaffee extension (Beltway) on in to what had become state conservation area lands-Ravines.Now trying to be at arms length from Genesis,the County selected Prosser Hallock Planners & Consultants (Nocatee) for Lake Asbury.Also by this time the county planning head position was filled with a former Prosser Hallock employee,Thad Crowe.
Reinhold was present at the Lake Asbury public proceedings,as was Genesis mixed in the crowd on Reinhold's behalf.
For months the citizen's battled in multiple meetings against a beltway alignment that would not go away.Events were clearly,as a matter of formal record, not in favor of  Beltway promoters.Proceedings were put on hold for a time,citizens advised "the professionals' at Regional Planning Council would weigh in.When the meetings reconvened the Ravines alignment remained.(Florida growth management rules require public input-buy not held to accepting input)
Turns out Lake Asbury Sector Plan # 1 was not even authorized by Tallahassee/DCA.At the county commission meeting to transmit the Plan to the State I asked the Chairman if in fact the Sector Plan proceedings were in fact authorized,to which he shrugged his shoulders.Sector plans require specific authorization from DCA-we had just gone through many months of motion,to no avail.    ***Curious-and worthy of follow up***
During this first LA process the citizens were admonished by the county Planning head that the promoted growth the citizens were being asked to agree with/vest was "inevitable" and in weak response to Landowner influence concerns the County Planner claimed that 'no one powerful individual' would dominate.
There was eventually another authorized Lake Asbury Sector Plan,churned out and submitted to the state.
We were able to remove the beltway Ravines alignment away from the Ravines at the DCA level.

The gerrymandered present day beltway route, a departure from earlier depictions and in fact most actually built facilities reflects many such events and influences.

(The role of the FTU in all of this is telling,but not to be told here.)

At one point Reinhold approached the Water management District in a brazen attempt to swap the Ravines State Lands for more remote acreage south of Penny Farms.It almost worked had it not been for a first ever possible state constitution state lands Amendment challenge threat which would have really put us on the map.................

Also curious and worthy of follow up;The DOT Brannon Chaffee permit application for the section extending to Blanding Blvd. placed before Corp of Engineers and Water Mangagement District was under the guise of a "stand alone" project with "no...plans for extension."John Delaney,at the height of his "Green" hue, helped nudge the Agencies to permit approval.  

Coincident during the course of above brief outline events were broader regional DOT Beltway efforts-the legally viable "No Build " option quietly came and went.

Most readers who now question the viability of the beltway are unaware of the events profiled here in this very brief outline and that is the most empowering and dangerous aspect of the Beltway promotion.

[Ocklawaha]

And, finally to Ock's comments....come on, man, you knopw as well as I do that there are far more people in this state that think transit (especially rail) is an absolute waste of $....even "transit supporters" call HSR a mickey mouse train or rat rail.

HA! Maybe because our HSR "plan" is a mickey mouse plan, that smells of Rats large and small. Bottom line, it's designed by the folks who have brought us decades of more pavement and massive international airports, the ones now claiming that they have "always" supported rail. NOT.

I realize a knee jerk reaction might have been in order here since you might have had some hand in that planning, but really? You, Lake, I, or any other transit professional who would have taken that job would be just another guppy in a very big fish bowl.

OCKLAWAHA

[north miami]

I'm sure those land owners would have no problem with land use changes that guidd more development to the corridor.

Of course not.Delaney giggled over the prospect in one memorable radio show interview.And key landowners have guided and invested in the process-key "Driver".The process has delivered boosterism of a different season to our  present day doorstep.
Certainly affected land owners should be involved and command some influence.For some reason they prefer to not have their I.D. profiled.

The Brannon/Chaffee beltway is a reflection of ardent land owner influence,the dreams and aspirations of a different time,lack of citizen participation in the planning arena due to fear,sense of futility.The Beltway is Blanding Blvd. personified,a process applied on a regional scale,rough and tumple local governement "Growth Management",and the "Beltway" appears as if by magic.
For example, and only a brief profile;on the Clay County side,with the placement of the 1973 Local Government Planning Act  Reinhold Corp quickly established future roadway map concept depicting Brannon Chaffee extension on down in to Penny Farms and over to Green Cove Springs- a graceful ,perfect arc.Citizen busy bodies with links to development such as BettyJane Triplett maintained county liason as if tending to a garden.

Key events included decades long starts and fits promotion of Brannon Chaffee.BC,a north/south alignment far to the west of Orange Park(the only dry land west of the broad,sprawling regional Little Black Creek/McGirts wetland belt)came in to being as a result of Tom Smathers and Gulfstream Land Development Corp. which,in concert with similar proposals statewide unveiled never before imagined 100,000 population "Argyle" on the Clay/Duval line.Even in the early 1970's county commissioners were promoting a 'much needed" third North/South arterial roadway for Clay,since the county had "only" two-State Road 21/Blanding and US 17-both of which were wide open, unencumbered by development.In the very early 70's commissioners promoted a new roadway parallel and west of Blanding.This effort soon failed due to existing neighborhood opposition in the Park Ridge area, and the fact that a subsequent route proposed further west would have traversed the Little Black Creek wetlands-not only prohibitive in cost but likely illegal under looming new wetland protection laws.
So all eyes focused on Argyle and Brannon Chaffee and a Kingsley Avenue extension proposal which spurned speculative land transfer.The Kingsley extension saddled with prohibitive costs-basically a bridge across wetlands.During the course of the 1980's Blanding Blvd. compromised/ruined due to what a grand jury would describe as "Inept" local government planning efforts strangled by undue development political influence.That same influence enjoyed solid footing and was at work on the Beltway.Although Brannon Chaffee was never intended or devised as a viable "alternate" to Blanding,the promotion as such under many clever angles directed to a gullible public ( and lax FTU editorial board) really flourished-and worked!  Our own Jacksonville Delegation under Pacjic placed low emphasis on B/C funding efforts,one member made a concerted effort to scrutinize the "alternate" claims and became staedfast in opposition to funding.
Gulfstream had suffered criminal investigations,Argyle went bust.(A Gulfstream official ,Mike Garretson would later pop up in the Delaney Administration for a short time....).Some former Argyle lands,approx. 1800 acres along the BC corridor were held by Trust For Public Lands-a pesky detail,County workshop minutes reflect such- and eventually the Trust lost it's grasp,most acreage going to well connected Jax area persons (who would rather remain unknown-Don Pittman was key player.After this episode he went across the River to St.Johns and created SilverLeaf.Hunting on much of Pittman's lands is like making love to a terminal partner-the lands are slated for development.) A couple of hundred acres went to the abbreviated Game & Fish Commission Brannon/Chaffee Mitigation Park,the rest became OakLeaf.
And Horne,King,Thrasher to the roadway funding rescue.

Clay County Sector Plans were key events. The first,addressing the Brannon/Chaffe area,over 20,000 acres extending down to "Middleburg", initially saw about 90 persons/citizens in workshop attendance.As the records will show,this soon dwindled to a core group of land owners and their representatives seeking vesting rights.(Like magic,all six or so design charette map tables would have the same "vision" emerge in vivid crayon....)Brian Wheeler/Genesis Group was selected by the county to conduct this first Sector Plan.Genesis promoted inclusion of thousands of affected land owners- including glowing account in "Water's Edge" however the largest land area was comprised of a handful of landowners involved in the process.

The second Sector,'Lake Asbury',grew contentious largely due to a different demographic.Lake Asbury citizens were more knowledgeable, inclined to participate ,more numerous and influential in pre determined "consensus" format, and energized over opposition to a proposed Brannon Chaffee extension (Beltway) on in to what had become state conservation area lands-Ravines.Now trying to be at arms length from Genesis,the County selected Prosser Hallock Planners & Consultants (Nocatee) for Lake Asbury.Also by this time the county planning head position was filled with a former Prosser Hallock employee,Thad Crowe.
Reinhold was present at the Lake Asbury public proceedings,as was Genesis mixed in the crowd on Reinhold's behalf.
For months the citizen's battled in multiple meetings against a beltway alignment that would not go away.Events were clearly,as a matter of formal record, not in favor of  Beltway promoters.Proceedings were put on hold for a time,citizens advised "the professionals' at Regional Planning Council would weigh in.When the meetings reconvened the Ravines alignment remained.(Florida growth management rules require public input-buy not held to accepting input)
Turns out Lake Asbury Sector Plan # 1 was not even authorized by Tallahassee/DCA.At the county commission meeting to transmit the Plan to the State I asked the Chairman if in fact the Sector Plan proceedings were in fact authorized,to which he shrugged his shoulders.Sector plans require specific authorization from DCA-we had just gone through many months of motion,to no avail.    ***Curious-and worthy of follow up***
During this first LA process the citizens were admonished by the county Planning head that the promoted growth the citizens were being asked to agree with/vest was "inevitable" and in weak response to Landowner influence concerns the County Planner claimed that 'no one powerful individual' would dominate.
There was eventually another authorized Lake Asbury Sector Plan,churned out and submitted to the state.
We were able to remove the beltway Ravines alignment away from the Ravines at the DCA level.

The gerrymandered present day beltway route, a departure from earlier depictions and in fact most actually built facilities reflects many such events and influences.

(The role of the FTU in all of this is telling,but not to be told here.)

At one point Reinhold approached the Water management District in a brazen attempt to swap the Ravines State Lands for more remote acreage south of Penny Farms.It almost worked had it not been for a first ever possible state constitution state lands Amendment challenge threat which would have really put us on the map.................

Also curious and worthy of follow up;The DOT Brannon Chaffee permit application for the section extending to Blanding Blvd. placed before Corp of Engineers and Water Mangagement District was under the guise of a "stand alone" project with "no...plans for extension."John Delaney,at the height of his "Green" hue, helped nudge the Agencies to permit approval.  

Coincident during the course of above brief outline events were broader regional DOT Beltway efforts-the legally viable "No Build " option quietly came and went.

Most readers who now question the viability of the beltway are unaware of the events profiled here in this very brief outline and that is the most empowering and dangerous aspect of the Beltway promotion.

The above worth repeating............