Hardy accepts $4.95 million for property in S. Estates

Naples Daily News ^ | April 13, 2005 | By Daily News

[TonyWojo]

Jesse Hardy has ended his years-long eminent domain fight with the state Department of Environmental Protection over property in Collier County that is considered vital to Everglades restoration.

Senior Judge Jack Schoonover signed papers Wednesday approving a deal by which Hardy will get $4.95 million for Hardy’s 160-acre homestead in Southern Golden Gate Estates.

The DEP has tried since 2002 to negotiate a deal to buy Hardy’s land for an Everglades restoration project. Hardy had refused offers for as much as $4.4 million to leave. He also rejected several land swap offers.

The deal approved Wednesday allows Hardy to stay put until Nov. 30 and allows Aggrisource LLC to continue until then to haul dirt and rocks that already have been mined from Hardy’s land.

Collier County commissioners are set to decide later this month whether to give Hardy a permit for the hauling. Hardy’s old permit ran out last fall.

Watch Naplesnews.com for continuing developments in this story.

[TonyWojo]

Ping

the end of a saga

[Joe Brower]

Hiya, gents. Long time no see!

Yeah, my take on it was that it was just a matter of time. I hope that $5 mil will allow Jesse to get another spread somewhere else where the great-god of "Everglades Restoration" isn't constantly trying to step on him. Plenty of natural land in Florida, at least.

So what you guys been up to lately? Hard to believe it's been almost a year and a half since I was last down to the south blocks. I think it's been closed to to shooters since last June.

[TonyWojo]

Yep been awhile have to give a call on the tele some time. Why don't you use your FL ping list on this

[Joe Brower]

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

[sergeantdave]

I find it interesting that the state used eminent domain to condemn private property for the benefit of snakes and alligators.

Is there something in the Florida constitution that defines snakes and gators swimming in a swamp as a public use?

I'd be interesting in learning how scaley critters trump the interests of people owning private property in Florida. Will the citizens of Florida be involved with tossing babies into the swamps for the public use of the alligator gods?

If someone can direct me to the court or legislative directive stating that alligators in a swamp are a compelling public use, I want to read it.

[AAABEST]

The real News here is all three of us being on the same thread again. I miss you guys.

While I'm a bit relieved that this disaster is over, it's sad to think that our government can behave in such an anti-American and immoral way - as they did (and still do) with the property owners in the South Blocks.

All of the creepy influential types were able to advance their agendas while causing the average idiot to believe their motives were "preserving the environment for future generations".

[tutstar]

Thanks for the ping. I never thought he'd leave there. I guess they haven't exactly given him much choice though.

[piceapungens]

Does anyone know the status of the eminent domain case that went before the SCOTUS? We must stop abuse of eminent domain!

[GladesGuru]

The Sheeples Republic of FloriDUH has used its constitution for everything including pig pen regulation. Just keeping the "DUH" in FloriDUH, you see.

Hopefully, a rather strange and unique case which will be heard before summer will set some limits to such socialist behavior.

[GladesGuru]

Hi guys, nice to see the gang's all here.

And, in spiritus, though certainly not in corpus, one might include Edmund Burke - who said that those loudest for the public good have it least at heart.

Perhaps the good news it that SCOTUS may rule against condemnations for mere increases in the tax base.

[AAABEST]

Perhaps the good news it that SCOTUS may rule against condemnations for mere increases in the tax base.

Jan! Now the gang's officially "all here".

There are many things about FloriDUH that I love and hate. One of the things I love is some of the friends I've made.

I hope all is well with you sir.

[ovrtaxt]

...while causing the average idiot to believe their motives were "preserving the environment for future generations".

Not me. I'll be interested to see what actually becomes of that land. 'Environment' my cracker butt. Revenue source more likely.

[Joe Brower]

"I miss you guys."

Yeah, it's hard to believe it's been such a while. Life sure is busy! Not too busy to not go shootin', though, if you have a spot in your AO... $:-)

[The Great Yazoo]

My wife's family had 50 acres in the south blocks that we used twice a year (Easter and Thanksgiving) for camping and ATV riding. Otherwise, those 50 acres were pretty much vacant and left alone.

But that wasn't good enough for environmentalist wackos, who harangued the state until it took our property. Since being locked out of our property, we've gone to the state-owned campground at Fisheating Creek.

Talk about environmental disasters! Fisheating Creek is way overcrowded. The restroom facilities are filthy. No ATV riding is allowed. Between people partying all night and the traffic on U.S. 27, camping is anything but restful. Besides, despite its name, relying on the creek to produce the fish to eat is a fool's errand.

While the state and the environmentalist wackos blame "native" (I use that phrase rather than "redneck" to avoid offending other FReeper like I did some FReeper-lawyers yesterday) use of the south blocks and the Everglades for all our problems, they can't see that environmental degradation due to a few dozen families using land for ATV riding, swamp-buggying, and airboating pales in comparison to the 19-fold increase in Collier's population since 1960.

My father-in-law, whose family moved to what is now Collier County in 1872, responds to environmentalists who assert that they're "only trying to keep Naples from being like the east coast." that they're about 55 years too late.

[bill1952]

Strange as it may sound, coming from one who spent the first 29 years of his life in Pennsylvania, the first time that someone told me that I sounded like a redneck, I took it as a compliment. 8^)