It makes me ill. Just who will be using these private marinas?
I think the key here...is that if were for a university or for a new city hall...we might be able to understand and approve of this more. But if its for private club members or rich Americans who want to live along the sandy beachside...then we don't really believe in this. The only weapon left to fight with in a episode like this is a recall of the county commission members. They are allowing the rezoning and the purchasing of the property...and they should be the immedate target. All you have to do is put a picture of the commissionar involved and letter it "who works for who"...and the dude will look as dumb as a brick.
Private boat (read yacht) owners will be using the marina. The shrimp boats used to tie up on Old River (I haven't been there in a couple of years). They have quick access to the Gulf so it is a good place for shrimpers. There is already a marina in the area that has been there for years, Bridge Harbor Marina. As far as Freeport being depressed that is putting it mildly. It is the most pathetic excuse for a town you have ever seen. Squeezed in by chemical plants on the west and the Gulf of Mexico on the east, I can't remember seeing more than a dozen residences there. It is not the kind of place you would want to live. There are some tacky beach houses at nearby Surfside and a few year round people there. Taking this man's business for a marina should be a crime.
The Mayor and his buddies, for one. Take property from private citizens and put it in his own pocket -- what a guy.
"Dallas developer Hiram Walker Royall" for another. This is all about taking from the politically powerless and giving to the (already very well-heeled) politically powerful. Wait till you see what something like Marion Barry's Kinshasa-on-the-Potomac does with this ruling.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F