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Ex-justice to mediate Weeki Wachee dispute
By Times Staff Writer
Published October 17, 2007
BROOKSVILLE For once, they've agreed on something: It's former Florida Supreme Court Justice Ben Overton. Last week, lawyers for the Weeki Wachee Springs mermaid attraction and its landlord, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as Swiftmud, chose Overton as the next mediator in their ongoing legal battle. Talks are scheduled to begin Oct. 23, while a location has yet to be decided. The city of Weeki Wachee owns the mermaid attraction and the adjacent water park. The land the attraction sits on is owned by Swiftmud, which leases it to Weeki Wachee. The 60-year-old Hernando County attraction and the water district have been in legal battles since 2004. Among other issues, the water district questions whether the city can legally own and operate the attraction. Senior Marion Circuit Judge William Swigert ordered the feuding sides back into talks last month when it became clear that too many legal issues remained unsettled. CLEARWATER Pinellas officials boost hotel development Looking to kick-start the beach tourism industry, the Pinellas County Commission Tuesday voted to increase the number of hotel units a developer can build on a given acre. The move has long been sought by the tourism industry because of concerns that the coastal condo boom wiped out too many overnight accommodations. On the beaches, the plan will allow developers, depending on the size of their site, to build 50 to 150 percent more hotel rooms per acre than previously permitted. Elsewhere 25 MPH speed limit in question: Facing angry comparisons of their city to the notorious speed trap of Waldo, Safety Harbor officials are planning a traffic study to see if 25 mph is the best speed for Main Street from around 13th Avenue west to McMullen-Booth Road. LAND FOR FUTURE SCHOOLS: Expecting the population to boom in the Shady Hills area, the Pasco County School Board approved a contract to buy 30 acres adjacent to where it's building Crews Lake Middle School and just northwest of Mary Giella Elementary. The district will pay $1.1-million for the site, where it intends to build a high school at some point in the future.
[Last modified October 16, 2007, 23:19:48]
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