Swiftmud: Restore corridor

Two homeowners landscaped over a wildlife corridor in Oakstead.

By CHUIN-WEI YAP, Times Staff Writer
Published November 28, 2007

LAND O'LAKES - The Southwest Florida Water Management District is telling Oakstead officials to restore a wildlife corridor that two homeowners had landscaped over.

Following a St. Petersburg Times story that had highlighted the issue, Swiftmud officials on Monday visited the two homes at Sheehan Drive.

"On 3405 Sheehan Drive, there was a total impact to the wildlife corridor, and on 3355 Sheehan Drive, there was a partial impact," said Robyn Hanke, the district's spokeswoman. "Definitely, the wildlife corridor is part of the Oakstead's environmental resource permit to the district."

Swiftmud issues environmental resource permits to developers. The permits cover water management issues like drainage and wetlands.

In 2002, Oakstead developer Don Buck gave the wildlife corridor, which is supposed to run uninterrupted from Lake Patience Road to State Road 54, to the Oakstead community development district, the development's governing agency.

About two years ago, a neighbor, Bob Thurston, began telling the CDD that a portion of the corridor running behind 3405 and 3355 Sheehan Drive had disappeared.

But the CDD let the matter stand for two years.

County officials and the home builder have offered to help restore the corridor. Two CDD board members, John Witmer and Joseph Cascio, said they are still unsure what to do.

"There's no approach yet on how it needs to be dealt with," Witmer told the Times two weeks ago. "I think sometimes when you look at the forest instead of the individual trees, maybe you get a better oversight of how significant or insignificant something is."

Now, Swiftmud plans to send a letter to the Oakstead CDD telling them to restore the corridor.

"Our technician will be turning this over to our compliance department," Hanke said. "We'll be shortly sending a letter to the CDD. They're going to have to come up with a resolution and work with the homeowners on a plan to restore the corridor."

Swiftmud isn't setting a time frame yet.

"Our goal is to try and work with permittees to get them into compliance without having to go through legal channels whenever possible," Hanke said.

Chuin-Wei Yap can be reached at 813909-4613 or cyap@sptimes.com.

[Last modified November 27, 2007, 22:26:11]