On July 16, 2008 an article was in the Highlands Today newspaper stating: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! War Games Training Center Proposed Near Venus
By GARY PINNELL Highlands Today Published: July 16, 2008
Editor's note: This is a corrected version of a story printed in the July 16 Highlands Today. SEBRING – By 2010, if Seth Ellis gets his way, Venus will become known as a live-fire training center for the military, homeland security, local police, even foreign governments. Ellis appeared Tuesday at the Highlands County Commission meeting, requesting expedited permitting for Eagle National Security Training Center, a 7,700-acre expanse near the Glades County border. Ellis is the former president and CEO of ICx Digital Infrared Imaging, a subsidiary of ICx Technologies Inc. and a partner in Gator Mezzanine Funds, which loans money to mid-sized companies. The Venus center would employ 250 people at the start, and up to 1,000 jobs eventually, said Ellis, who is from Lake County. He was presented to the commissioners by Lake Placid attorney Bert Harris Jr. They were unsure at this time about how large a buffer zone is needed, but they plan a live-fire zone on 2,000 acres at the center of the property, Ellis said. This probably would include bullets, but not bombs, Ellis said. "We won't be flying anything over," Ellis said. Eagle would build its own roads. Two Army lieutenant generals are involved in the Eagle project, Ellis said, Paul Cerjan and Jerry Boykin, and Marine Gen. Dobie MacArthur. The commissioners granted Ellis's request, but Commissioner Barbara Stewart pointed out that Eagle must go through a long permitting process, which could stop the project at any point. Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! link to this and more articles on this are: ------------------------------------------- New articles about this issue can be found at: War Games Training Center Proposed Near Venus http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/jul/16/161335/la-war-games-training-center-proposed-near-venus/ Training Center Idea Shot Down In Ocala http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/jul/30/la-training-center-idea-shot-down-in-ocala/ Training Center project grounded, but expected to fly http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/may/29/la-training-center-project-grounded-but-expected-t/ County tries to resolve Eagle Center snafu http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/jun/03/la-county-tries-to-resolve-eagle-center-snafu/ Venus neighbors to protest war games facility http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/aug/14/la-venus-neighbors-to-protest-war-games-facility/ Commissioners suspend Eagle training discussion http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/aug/19/la-commissioners-suspend-eagle-training-discussion/news/ Commissioners direct staff to work out training center plan 060509 http://www.newssun.com/0605-eb-eagle-training County OKs expediting permit process for Eagle National July 16 2008 http://www.newssun.com/BCC-approves-expidited-permitting-of-security-center Possible zoning issues for Eagle Training Center http://www.newssun.com/0707-eb-county-eagle-develeopment-problems Training center foes speak to commission http://www.newssun.com/news/0818-eb-eagle-training-center
Questions/concerns raised about the center at the Aug. 11th Planning & Zoning meeting are summarize here…. 1) Stray bullets/ rural nature which residents moved here for: a Venus resident who’s property boarders the property in question on two sides. Was very much NOT in favor of this. He was concerned about the peaceful country lifestyle that he moved to this location for, and was particularly concerned about the safety of his family with weapons instructions going on so close to their home (which is only about 300 yards from the property line). It was pointed out that the two barrier zones that were being set up made a total of ½ mile and many types of bullets (up to 50 caliber) go much farther than that (more than 3 miles), and that although the intended direction of weapons fire was not towards his home – accidents do happen, especially when in-experiences people are handling the weapons. 2) Dept. of Community Affairs/South Fla. Water Management District/Dept. of Environmental Protection objections: What was being done to take care of these agencies objections which were not being specified before this zoning change was to be made? 3) Water requirements for students, instructors, support staff, etc.: What measures would be taken to insure proper procedures in providing potable water for all these people (an estimate of about 2,000 people including 1,000 students was given). 4) County infrastructure requirements: Had the cost to Highlands County’s taxpayers been considered re maintenance of roads, possible additional police, etc. needed re 1,000 trainees “going to town for the evening”, and other county services? 5) New jobs in the county: EXACTLY what jobs? What would be the likelihood that people already living in this county would qualify for these jobs? 6) Limitations to hours of weapons fire: Concerns about the disturbance to wildlife in the area in general. We have been told that the center would “comply with the county’s noise ordinance”. Would this even be relevant for such high caliber munitions? The high concussion effect of these would probably not even be measured by a sound meter. Also, the county’s noise ordinance DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRCRAFT! 7) Proximity to known Florida Black Bear and Florida Panther wildlife corridors, as well as area of special concern for Audubon birding activities: it is only about three miles from this type of area and that this type of activity could easily impact wildlife a few miles away, especially since the airstrip will be running east/west right over the wildlife area. What kind of particulate matter may be expelled from planes flying low over these areas? 8) Effects on watersheds: property includes parts of both the Fisheating Creek Watershed and the Peace River Watershed. What kind of monitoring would be done, and how would the results of the monitoring be made available to the public? Would it be possible to stop lead from munitions fired into the ground from leaching into the water flowing past the property and into Lake Okeechobee by way of Fisheating Creek? What other types of pollutants might run off into these pristine waterways as a result of the air and roadway traffic that would be generated by this facility? This is an area of highly varying groundwater levels, often experiencing “sheetflow”, regardless of man-made ditching efforts.
On July 16, 2008 an article was in the Highlands Today newspaper stating:
ReplyDelete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
War Games Training Center Proposed Near Venus
By GARY PINNELL
Highlands Today
Published: July 16, 2008
Editor's note: This is a corrected version of a story printed in the July 16 Highlands Today.
SEBRING – By 2010, if Seth Ellis gets his way, Venus will become known as a live-fire training center for the military, homeland security, local police, even foreign governments.
Ellis appeared Tuesday at the Highlands County Commission meeting, requesting expedited permitting for Eagle National Security Training Center, a 7,700-acre expanse near the Glades County border.
Ellis is the former president and CEO of ICx Digital Infrared Imaging, a subsidiary of ICx Technologies Inc. and a partner in Gator Mezzanine Funds, which loans money to mid-sized companies.
The Venus center would employ 250 people at the start, and up to 1,000 jobs eventually, said Ellis, who is from Lake County. He was presented to the commissioners by Lake Placid attorney Bert Harris Jr.
They were unsure at this time about how large a buffer zone is needed, but they plan a live-fire zone on 2,000 acres at the center of the property, Ellis said. This probably would include bullets, but not bombs, Ellis said.
"We won't be flying anything over," Ellis said. Eagle would build its own roads.
Two Army lieutenant generals are involved in the Eagle project, Ellis said, Paul Cerjan and Jerry Boykin, and Marine Gen. Dobie MacArthur.
The commissioners granted Ellis's request, but Commissioner Barbara Stewart pointed out that Eagle must go through a long permitting process, which could stop the project at any point.
Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828
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link to this and more articles on this are:
-------------------------------------------
New articles about this issue can be found at:
War Games Training Center Proposed Near Venus
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/jul/16/161335/la-war-games-training-center-proposed-near-venus/
Training Center Idea Shot Down In Ocala
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/jul/30/la-training-center-idea-shot-down-in-ocala/
Training Center project grounded, but expected to fly
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/may/29/la-training-center-project-grounded-but-expected-t/
County tries to resolve Eagle Center snafu
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/jun/03/la-county-tries-to-resolve-eagle-center-snafu/
Venus neighbors to protest war games facility
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/aug/14/la-venus-neighbors-to-protest-war-games-facility/
Commissioners suspend Eagle training discussion
http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2009/aug/19/la-commissioners-suspend-eagle-training-discussion/news/
Commissioners direct staff to work out training center plan 060509
http://www.newssun.com/0605-eb-eagle-training
County OKs expediting permit process for Eagle National July 16 2008
http://www.newssun.com/BCC-approves-expidited-permitting-of-security-center
Possible zoning issues for Eagle Training Center
http://www.newssun.com/0707-eb-county-eagle-develeopment-problems
Training center foes speak to commission
http://www.newssun.com/news/0818-eb-eagle-training-center
Questions/concerns raised about the center at the Aug. 11th Planning & Zoning meeting are summarize here….
ReplyDelete1) Stray bullets/ rural nature which residents moved here for: a Venus resident who’s property boarders the property in question on two sides. Was very much NOT in favor of this. He was concerned about the peaceful country lifestyle that he moved to this location for, and was particularly concerned about the safety of his family with weapons instructions going on so close to their home (which is only about 300 yards from the property line). It was pointed out that the two barrier zones that were being set up made a total of ½ mile and many types of bullets (up to 50 caliber) go much farther than that (more than 3 miles), and that although the intended direction of weapons fire was not towards his home – accidents do happen, especially when in-experiences people are handling the weapons.
2) Dept. of Community Affairs/South Fla. Water Management District/Dept. of Environmental Protection objections: What was being done to take care of these agencies objections which were not being specified before this zoning change was to be made?
3) Water requirements for students, instructors, support staff, etc.: What measures would be taken to insure proper procedures in providing potable water for all these people (an estimate of about 2,000 people including 1,000 students was given).
4) County infrastructure requirements: Had the cost to Highlands County’s taxpayers been considered re maintenance of roads, possible additional police, etc. needed re 1,000 trainees “going to town for the evening”, and other county services?
5) New jobs in the county: EXACTLY what jobs? What would be the likelihood that people already living in this county would qualify for these jobs?
6) Limitations to hours of weapons fire: Concerns about the disturbance to wildlife in the area in general. We have been told that the center would “comply with the county’s noise ordinance”. Would this even be relevant for such high caliber munitions? The high concussion effect of these would probably not even be measured by a sound meter. Also, the county’s noise ordinance DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRCRAFT!
7) Proximity to known Florida Black Bear and Florida Panther wildlife corridors, as well as area of special concern for Audubon birding activities: it is only about three miles from this type of area and that this type of activity could easily impact wildlife a few miles away, especially since the airstrip will be running east/west right over the wildlife area. What kind of particulate matter may be expelled from planes flying low over these areas?
8) Effects on watersheds: property includes parts of both the Fisheating Creek Watershed and the Peace River Watershed. What kind of monitoring would be done, and how would the results of the monitoring be made available to the public? Would it be possible to stop lead from munitions fired into the ground from leaching into the water flowing past the property and into Lake Okeechobee by way of Fisheating Creek? What other types of pollutants might run off into these pristine waterways as a result of the air and roadway traffic that would be generated by this facility? This is an area of highly varying groundwater levels, often experiencing “sheetflow”, regardless of man-made ditching efforts.