Letter to Governor Scott

Dear Governor Scott,

I am writing to make you aware of a situation that is ongoing in Indian River County. There seems to be a misunderstanding among some concerned citizens opposed to the development of a proposed concrete batch plant. The citizens objected to the plant based on noise, dust, traffic, property values, and health concerns.  However, the proposed plant exceeds the state requirements for these concerns and meets the proposed future requirements.   Do concrete batch plants meet the requirements of the construction aggregate statute?

Someone proposed changing the zoning to disallow heavy processing at a county commission meeting. From that proposed change, the County enacted Ordinance 2007-027 which changed the permitted land uses of Section 911 paragraph 11 Table 4 of the County Code.  This removed 31 permitted uses from the table of permitted uses in the light industrial land of Indian River County. This text change of uses would have required amending the comprehensive plan.

The amendment does not appear to have any merit except to prevent the Ocean Concrete batch plant. There is no scope, no proper intent, it is not consistent with the State’s comprehensive plan, no supporting cause and effect, and I am not sure if the proper due process was applied to enacting the amendment.  I cannot even find the filing of the amendment with the Department of Community Affairs. 

I am just a concerned citizen for the protection of industrial, property and due process rights provided by our Constitution.

I am not sure who is the best person to help straighten this out, but I do know we need industry for jobs in our State.  I have read where you are pro-industry and I am sure you would agree we need concrete for roads, bridges, buildings and to rebuild after a storm.  Someone needs to step in and fix this so we can get back to rebuilding our once great industrial nation and prevent this county from stepping on the rights of property owners and the right to industry.