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Exclusive RV park would only burden county taxpayers

Re: RV park backers pitch plan to county, Jan. 25, Citrus Times.

To change the now-designated low-density coastal lakes zoning to high-density recreational vehicle park zoning on the property bordering Lake Spivey and the eastern canal system would be a serious mistake.

At this time, there are no vacant lands in Citrus County designated RVP. Such an extreme departure from the comprehensive zoning amendment application package prepared by the County Development Division with information provided by the developers clearly states, "The project is designed to be as self-contained as possible with recreational and day-to-day necessities available within the park."

The park is to be marketed and sold to an out-of-county, nonresident, nonvoting transient crowd of users bringing little to the county except their homes on wheels.

Citrus County taxpayers will only visit the RV park if invited by owners of the pads. The usage of fast-release, high-nitrate fertilization on the golf course and park grounds will, in time, leach its way into the aquifer and our lake system. No amount of berms or barriers will stop this process.

The planned use of an existing well would put another environmental concern in the proposal. Millions of gallons of groundwater would be used to keep the golf course and park green (remember that not long ago we had dry lake beds and mud for our back yards).

The lone benefit that this writer can find in the proposal is the developer's offer to give money to Inverness and Citrus County for the building of the (mandated by the county) sanitary sewer service to the park. This anticipated funding would only serve to keep the developer from building a sewage treatment facility on-site or pay for collection, containment, treatment and disposal of sewage generated by the 499 homes (RVs).

It has been stated by commissioners that given the large amount of new building (commercial and residential) permits and pending applications, county funding for sewer lines will be forthcoming through increased impact fees and taxes. The cost of feeder lines and all the associated hookups will be much more than the main line dollars offered by the developers.

The taxpaying voters of the county would be most irate if a main sewer line with possible water lines would be constructed only for the use of the RV park (a park with amenities and recreational facilities to be used exclusively by nonresidents).

The county commissioners should not allow this zoning change. They would be inviting any cash-in-hand developers to pursue the same route of comprehensive plan change. A precedent set by the passing of this change would be many steps backward in the development of Citrus County.

Keeping game rooms open would benefit local economy

This letter is to protest the closing of the game rooms in Florida.

The idea of being able to get gift cards as your prize is not a bad thing, as most people use these cards at supermarkets and restaurants in our area. This is good for the economy, and the money is staying in our community.

To hear the concern about people squandering the money in these places infuriates me. We are adults, and it is our money to spend on entertainment as we choose.

If we can no longer make these choices, then you need to consider stopping bingo (they have the same video slot machines in operation), horse racing, dog races and probably even the lottery. I enjoy playing here in Inverness where I can spend a few hours with the company of others, spending a very small amount. I've gone to Tampa and the amount of play time was nil. I could play at Lady Jo's Game Room for six months for the same amount of money spent in Tampa in six minutes.

I now have to again leave the state, taking the money I'll use for entertainment to another state, because I am going to play. I'd much rather keep the money right here in our own community, and have the enjoyment of the association and benefit our local area.

Late start would make it hard to end term before winter break

Re: Later date for starting school is a smart idea, Jan. 13 Andrew Skerritt column.

As an educator with 30 years' experience, 26 in Pasco, I would like to say that starting the school year closer to Labor Day is almost impossible to do and still have the end of the semester before the winter break.

Understanding that there are 180 days of school, 90 for each semester, we would have to start school Aug. 18 for the 2006-07 fall semester to end on Dec. 22. The school year would not have any days off for teacher planning or any other holidays except Labor Day and Thanksgiving, and students would be going to school the day before and the day after Thanksgiving.

Start counting back from Dec. 22 and see where 90 days brings you. Next year we are lucky that Nov. 11 is a Saturday and we won't have to face the concern about going to school on that day for two years. Don't forget that there is a statewide teacher in-service day in the fall and the county has required the teachers to attend two days of in-service each year.

One point not mentioned is that several years ago, when Pasco was in school two or more weeks longer in June than the other local counties, Pasco students were not as successful in finding summer employment as the other students had taken the summer jobs first because they were out before the end of May and could therefore start working earlier than Pasco students.

Having taught high school for 26 years, I know the value of having the end of semester exams before the winter break. Students used to have to come back to school after more than 14 physical days off and then try to review and cram for semester exams during the two weeks after winter break. This was difficult for the high school students and did not make sense as the college students had finished their classes and were coming back ready to start a new semester.

Ending school before Memorial Day gives the students 10 uninterrupted weeks of summer vacation, which again makes more sense than trying to break up the summer months with half of June and three-fourths of August for vacation.

I don't know what you were thinking when you said, "With some imagination, they can still accomplish that with a later start," but from Aug. 18 to Dec. 22 there is only time off for Labor Day and Thanksgiving, and that is only an eight-day start difference from Aug. 8, 2006.

[Last modified January 30, 2006, 00:32:10]