Posted on 03/10/2003 5:26:01 AM PST by AAABEST
David will take on Goliath, Mar. 13, as Southern Golden Gate Estates property owner Jesse Hardy fights the state of Florida for 160 acres of land he has called home for 27 years.
Located in what is called the "Hole in the Donut," the property is part of the state's 55,000-acre buy-out to restore natural water flows to the SGGE, once slated for development.
Hardy says his property is not necessary to the restoration project and will not be adversely affected by it.
"I'm not against any of the environmentalists' work to re-hydrate the Southern Golden Gate Estates," he says. "I'm all for it. The more water, the happier I will be. I'm not trying to stop anything. I just want to keep my home."
The 67-year-old Florida native homesteaded the rustic property in 1976. Using propane and a gas-powered generator, he lives in a tiny wood frame home with his seven-year-old son. Despite talk of offers of up to $5 million, Hardy says he has no plans to sell his property for any price.
"Living here is what has kept me going," he says. "It's my home. I'm too old to go anywhere else."
Hardy is one of three property owners holding out on the state's quest to purchase the final 4,000 acres of the buy-out, which has cost $90 million thus far.
Last month, the governor and Cabinet were asked to initiate condemnation proceedings on Hardy's property. If approved, it would be the first time the state has ever used eminent domain to take homesteaded land. Instead, the Cabinet directed the Department of Environmental Protection land acquisition agents to negotiate with property owners.
Hardy says it won't make any difference. He has no plans to sell his property for any price.
"My attorney asked me if there is any dollar amount I would take for my property. I told him, ‘no,'" he says, "My attorney said, ‘Don't be surprised if the Cabinet grants eminent domain.' He said it will be up to me to get the information to the governor to stop it."
Hardy is hopeful area residents will show their support by writing letters asking the governor not to grant eminent domain and allow him to keep his land.
Estates resident Cindy Kemp, founding member of the Property Rights Action Committee (PRAC), says the group hopes to assist Hardy in his quest. She says PRAC has connections with other property groups across the nation and a letter writing campaign is underway.
A special gathering to meet Hardy and hear his story will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Mar. 9, at his property. For directions, call 352-9033.
"He has such an interesting story," Kemp says. "People need to hear it to fully understand his situation."
At an elevation of 11-13 feet, Hardy says his property will never be affected by the restoration project. He says he doesn't understand why the state is insisting on buying him out.
"It was willing buyer, willing seller," he says. "It was always willing buyer, willing seller. It was a CARL project for the benefit of the people of Collier County. If they shut it off to where people can't use it, how is that a benefit to the people of Collier County?"
Hardy says he is frustrated by a lack of reasons as to why he is being forced to sell his land.
"They haven't given me no reason for wanting me out," he says. "They made their deal with everyone else, but here it's like they want it all."
A disabled Navy SEAL, Hardy says the money doesn't matter to him.
"It's my home and it means more to me than the money. If it (condemnation) was for something useful to the public health and well-being, like a school, a fire station, or a hospital, I would move with no problem," he says.
Nearly two years ago, Collier County gave Hardy the go-ahead to build the first of four proposed 20-acre ponds to create a fish farm. Several environmental groups including the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Collier County Audubon Society originally opposed the concept, but later agreed to support the construction of one 20-acre pond. Any future excavation will have to be re-approved by the county.
Hardy has three years to complete the first pond and have it stocked and landscaped. He says the project is currently one-third complete and the fill has been purchased by the county for road building.
He says the fish in the pond are doing well and predators have not been a problem. He hopes to one day open the area up to the public for recreational fishing.
"I'm not going to do just commercial catfish," he says. "We will have three to four different kinds of native species like bass and brim. It should be a real benefit to the people of Collier County."
What a convenient offer. He gets $5M, then the government gets most of it back via estate taxes in a few short years.
So you're easily bought and care nothing about your own children... what does that have to do with the case at hand? He obviously does not want to sell.
That would make a great tagline.
Squalor of the soul
Maybe if Collier county stopped giving the nod to every single golf course community developer that want to set up shop here we wouldn't have these environmental problems. I don't think 160 acres of undeveloped land are going to make a huge difference.. or most of Golden Gate Estates, for that matter.
And you want pedophilia to be legal and hate America.
Don't you people ever think before you post?
You must reside in the ISA, Individual States of America.
If you would refer to the document cited, it states that Southern Golden Gates Estates IS the problem. While I hear you regarding "Luxury Living on the Golf Course", the restoration of the Everglades is quite important. It effects more than the immediate area, it has implications throughout the state.
The state has done a great job mucking up the Everglades, any attempt to fix it should be welcome.
And it never will. You live over the source, and you would be the last to run dry. But the farmer in Sarasota county may one day turn on a faucet and get salty water (or none!)unless some action is taken to restore the Everglades. Water quality and availability are everyone's concern.
The Sierra Club sounds like a group you would fit into quite nicely. I hear they are looking for people to sit in trees in California.
These environmental groups all have one thing in common. They do not care about people and individual freedom, or property rights.
But then you have stations like WINK and the West Palm Beach station with very ill-mannered talk hosts bashing conservatives all the time.
It basically depends on what part of the country you live in. I'm just sorry that the local talk station in Ft. Myers chooses to take such a sour attitude towards this veteran. When I saw the station on the list of stations that carried Rush I thought they'd take a different tack but I was wrong.
Like I said not every station is like that so take heart. There are plenty like me on this guy's side in this battle with these berueacrats.
Regards.
Giving the input does not force or coerce anyone into using it ... it does not lessen them as free americans ... it merely gives them the chance to decide if said input is worthy of consideration and use.
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