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SunWest stalls at costly canal

The developer of the Hudson resort is having trouble finding money for dredging, which costs as much as $6-million.

By CHUIN-WEI YAP
Published February 20, 2007

HUDSON - A multimillion-dollar canal to the Gulf of Mexico looks set to be the first major hurdle for developers behind SunWest Harbourtowne, a 2,300-acre proposal to develop a limestone mine on Hudson's coastline.

For the developer, Sun West Acquisition Corp., money is a concern.

Sun West needs as much as $6-million to dredge the 21/2-mile, 10-foot-deep channel, said top Sun West executives R. Victor Taglia and Robert Carpenter.

The company is searching for money but is running out of luck at state and federal levels, executives said Monday.

"The channel drives this project," Carpenter said. "The county has pentup demand for public access to deep water."

But for environmentalists, the canal represents a battleground over the sea grass that lines Hudson's coastal marshes and supports its rich ecosystem.

Sun West's developers downplayed the expected environmental damage Monday, saying they had found a path through the marsh that is largely free of sea grass and is lined instead with sand and limestone.

They might have some convincing to do today, when Sun West and county officials hold a public meeting in Hudson to get feedback on the proposal.

"The Sun West mine is going to be a battle for Middle Earth," said Clay Colson, an environmental activist, jokingly referring to the epic war in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

The county has a stake in the canal because of its new 312-acre park, across from Sun West's proposed inland marina, that touts public access to the gulf. Pasco got the park and $3-million in exchange for giving up its court dispute with Sun West over the mine's ownership.

Sun West's proposal calls for 2,900 homes, a golf course, a 250-room hotel and convention center, and 33 acres of stores, scattered around five brilliant-blue lakes carved out by limestone mining.

But it is the 32-acre marina and boat lift and its 100-foot-wide canal that have become the focus.

The canal is important because it attracts the kind of boat traffic that makes the project a more financially attractive proposition.

The dredging project could take as long as six months and needs permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection. Sun West is scheduled to make its formal development applications in May.

But so far, the company has not managed to unlock state or federal funds, which emphasize aid for working waterfronts and not private developments. The county has no funds for dredging, Carpenter said.

State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, had secured state funds for another dredging project in Hernando but said Monday that a private developer in Hudson would not be eligible for the Florida Ports Council matching grant program. Only a port authority in counties with populations of fewer than 300,000 can apply for these funds, he said.

Environmentalists have spoken of threats that the development poses to wildlife, including black bears and the fishing hot spot at Fillman's Bayou off Hudson.

In response, Sun West has designated a black bear corridor, an eagles' nest area and nearly 1,500 acres of green preserve.

Sun West spokeswoman Honey Rand has courted potential environmental opponents, including Colson, Jennifer Seney, Gulf Coast Conservancy trustee Mac Davis and the Sierra Club.

But questions remained.

"I'm extremely doubtful that they can find a path that would avoid some seriously damaging environmental effect," said Davis, who has viewed aerials of the site.

"The inland marina would be dredged through some of the finest sea grass in the state," Colson said. "It's the most devastating thing they could do."

The project's opponents also fear the development's impact on hurricane evacuation routes and existing roads. But Sun West's executives said Monday that they expect most incoming traffic to the resort to stay within the resort, given its range of amenities.

"They won't go back out on U.S. 19," Carpenter said. "We're going to be paying impact fees that are significantly higher than the impact we're going to have."

If you go

Public meeting on SunWest Harbourtowne

On the agenda: The project's developers and county officials will brief the community on ongoing wildlife, water and traffic studies; details on the development plan; and the development's time line. They also want feedback from the community on the project.

When: 6 to 8 p.m. today.

Where: Heritage Pines Country Club, 11524 Scenic Hills Blvd., Hudson, just east of U.S. 19 off County Line Road.

[Last modified February 19, 2007, 23:00:51]