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Yankeetown projects require good-faith debate

By Peter Spittler
Published October 11, 2006

As someone who has been in the thick of the controversy in Yankeetown for nearly a year, I am pleased that the debate in the town appears to be taking a milder tone. Having previously been called an instrument of the devil, I am happy for whatever breaks I can get.

I have spent a great deal of time in Yankeetown, and I found with only a few exceptions that the people have been exceedingly polite to me, my family and my colleagues.

So I am hopeful that we can attempt to reach consensus with Yankeetown's leadership on a plan to redevelop the town's waterfront into viable businesses that will benefit the town.

I believe a reasonable discussion has to start with a clear statement of the facts, so I would like to clarify some issues that repeatedly are mentioned in relation to the plans to redevelop Yankeetown's waterfront.

First of all, Izaak Walton Investors is no longer seeking to rezone residential property in Yankeetown. As of our last development submittals in May, and subsequent applications in September, all of the plans we are asking the town to process are designed in accordance with current zoning.

We have also included "sustainable development" design principles, and will continue to pursue certification in every aspect of the project. Yankeetown and the Withlacoochee River deserve it.

We had previously requested the rezoning of a piece of residential property - the so-called "Speck parcel." We thought our reason for originally seeking the zoning change was sensible and offered more benefits to the town. Since both properties surrounding the "Speck" parcel were commercial, we felt combining all three would offer better boating facilities, smaller scale buildings, public amenities and more access to the river.

However, rezoning of any kind, for any reason, is a continuing hot button, so we are proceeding with the current zoning.

In the past, we also sought to enter into a development agreement with the town, which would have offered financial and technical assistance from us to help the town meet its well-documented infrastructure needs.

An agreement is still possible from our perspective, but there are some who still think it would be unacceptable to "negotiate" with us. So we will have to leave that on the table and proceed with our plans as submitted.

Here, in a nutshell, is what we think is possible on our property. As always, we are open to a discussion with Yankeetown leaders who think they see a better way. All we are asking is to be treated fairly.

The initial aspect of our plan is called the Izaak Walton Lodge and Marina, and is planned to include the current Izaak Walton Lodge and the Riverside Marina. The current zoning of these parcels is commercial, which allows us to renovate the Izaak Walton restaurant and rebuild the bed and breakfast lodge, which burned down in 1999. It also allows us to include a general store, galleries, resort residential units and a marina.

The second aspect of our plans is the Yankeetown Boat Company and Fish Camp, incorporating the Speck parcel, Yankeetown Marina and B's Cypress Marina.

As stated above, Izaak Walton Investors is no longer asking to rezone the Speck parcel. Therefore, our submitted plans call for the Speck property to include only eight single-family residences on 5 acres, and eight boat slips. The Yankeetown Marina, which is zoned commercial, will include 36 resort residential units on 2 acres, and 24 boat slips. B's Cypress Marina, which is zoned commercial, will include 54 resort residential units on 2½ acres, and 31 boat slips.

The third aspect of our plans is called the Anchorage Boathouse and Preserve, which is along Cormorant Canal.

This property is currently zoned commercial as a "Special Marina District," and is the only property in Yankeetown that allows for a dry dock marina. Appropriately, this project will consist of two 88 slip storage buildings, and two buildings with 24 resort residential units each.

As in any development in Florida, there will be many details that have to be resolved as we move forward. Fortunately, town ordinances provide for ways to amicably resolve these details.

A give-and-take process to find a middle ground is the best way, but some in Yankeetown have in the past expressed a confrontational "bring-it-on" attitude, all but inviting us to sue over our development.

We have already been forced to litigate some contractual and other issues in Yankeetown, chiefly based on the actions of individuals who were not acting in good faith. I remain optimistic because I do not believe these individuals are representative.

We consider litigation to be a last resort in any situation, and prefer to engage in good-faith negotiations conducted with honesty and respect by all parties.

Peter Spittler is the project architect for Izaak Walton Investors LLC. Guest columnists write their opinions on subjects of their choosing, which do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.

[Last modified October 10, 2006, 22:15:42]