Rarely, but very rarely, advocacy brings results. Such is the case with the land swap in the SJRWMD with the mysterious newly formed land corporation. They are trying to hide the identify of that group.
Read the original article here in the Tampa Bay Times.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Bipartisan outrage from Florida lawmakers, residents grows over land swap
ST. JOHNS COUNTY — As news spread over the weekend of a proposal for the state of Florida to trade 600 acres of preserved land to a private company, so too did the outrage.
Locals and lawmakers of both parties expressed disbelief that another secretive attempt to develop beloved public land would crop up so soon. Less than a year ago, the public revolted when the DeSantis administration planned to add golf courses and hotels to state parks.
State Rep. Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, sent an email blast to every member of the Florida House around 4:30 a.m. Saturday asking for help building opposition. She also emailed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, asking them to reveal the identity of the person or company behind the proposal, she told the Tampa Bay Times. She said Saturday afternoon that the agency had not yet replied.
“Somebody needs to tell me something other than ‘Upland LLC,’’ Kendall said Saturday. ”I’d like to have a conversation with whoever it is.”
She is calling on her fellow lawmakers to speak out against what she said “goes directly against the spirit of the legislation we just passed” to prohibit development on state parks.
In return for that land, the company would trade the state about 3,066 acres from a constellation of other parcels in four counties. The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting says that state staff recommends the committee, called the Acquisition and Restoration Council, approve the deal. That would send the decision to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson for a final vote.
“That land is the most gorgeous, most authentic, undisturbed beach land I may have seen,” she said. “It would be a disaster to see it mowed over and see multimillion-dollar properties built on top of it.”
Both Kendall and Tant, along with many who joined a protest of the plan on Saturday, had heard the same name rumored to be behind the proposal: Dream Finders Homes, a home-building company whose chief executive, Patrick Zalupski, lives in the area. Zalupski formerly donated to DeSantis’ presidential campaign and was named by the governor to the University of Florida board of trustees.
But neither Kendall nor Tant had been able to independently verify the speculation. Dream Finders Homes previously built a community in Colorado called Uplands, and so Zalupski’s name is listed on multiple Florida companies with names that include that word, though none exactly match the LLC listed on this proposal.
Rob Riva, a general counsel for Dream Finders Homes, sent the Times an emailed statement Saturday denying the connection.
“Dream Finders has no involvement in this swap,” he said.
Hundreds of residents protested in St. Johns County, a deeply Republican area, with homemade signs Saturday. Many of them had taken to the streets less than one year ago to push back against the state park proposals.
“I’m getting whiplash out here. Once again, our land is under attack,” said Sarah Arnold, a St. Johns County Commissioner who joined the demonstration. “I’m disgusted, angry and frustrated that we’re out here doing this again.”
She held a sign depicting a gopher tortoise with an accompanying slogan: “I may be slow, but I know this deal is wrong!”
Over the years, Stacey Strumpf, 38, said she has watched as her once-wild and green county has been converted to homes, golf courses and buildings. Since 1980, St. Johns County’s population has increased six-fold to more than 320,000 people.
“Even if you don’t live here, Floridians should be watching what’s happening in St. Johns County,” Strumpf said. “If they’re coming for us, they’re coming for the rest of the state, too.”
