- April 28, 2024
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Florida Park Drive speeding remains an issue
Dear Editor:
Well, we made it on channel 13 news again because of the city’s neglect to control the speeding on our road.
All we get are excuses as to why they refuse to lower the speed limit to get this under control. The mayor and City Manager Jim Landon have basically washed their hands of it and will not even respond to our emails when we ask certain questions about the Florida Greenbook laws in regards to safe speed limits. We are told to call Cmdr. Mark Carman.
Carman does not return our calls, either, even though he will lie right to your face and say that he does.
Although when channel 13 called him last Wednesday about the speeding here, he answered his phone for that.
I have lived in many states in my lifetime and have never seen a city like this before with total disregard for its residents. With all the attention this road has been given lately, when some of the everyday speeders go by our homes, they just smile at you when they fly by, knowing that nothing will be done to slow them down.
This city has ruined our property values, has made this an unsafe road for the school kids waiting for their bus in the morning and for us homeowners that have children of our own. I know why the mayor does not want to lower the speed limit: it’s because our city leaders can’t drive the posted speed limits. God forbid if he did the right thing for us. There was a time in 2003 he had sent a letter stating he wanted to force traffic up to Old Kings Road because he did not want more traffic on Florida Park Drive.
Here is a quotation from the minutes from a public meeting on Jan. 23, 2003, regarding a proposed development at that time: "Vice-Mayor Netts reminded Mr. Barr of his commitment to attempt to funnel the traffic onto Old Kings Road to alleviate heavy traffic onto Florida Park Drive. Mr. Barr stated he is working closely with the city and city engineer and stated he will put a turn lane on Florida Park. There is a connection between this phase and first phase to get to Old Kings Road."
When I asked the mayor what happened to keeping traffic off our road in an email, he did not respond.
When I asked the mayor why the speed limit is not 25 mph in order for a person to cross the street safely to get to the sidewalk as it states in the Greenbook, he did not respond.
When we called Carman on Saturday and Sunday several times about the speeding, he did not respond.
Does anyone see a pattern here? I think they are under the impression this is going to go away. Well, we are here to tell all of you it is not.
Ernie Tykarski
Palm Coast
Protect the Florida scrub jay from developers
Dear Editor:
As most long-term Floridians can attest, our state’s battle between environmental preservation and the growth/development cartel is nothing new. It has been going on here for many years.
When both collide, as it is now near the Howland Boulevard corridor in Deltona, the feathers often fly (no pun intended). Unfortunately, most of the time it's the environment that comes up short.
Studies of species like the threatened scrub jay are often conducted prior to the arrival of the bulldozers; the truth is, these studies, mitigation attempts, etc., seldom help the birds’ long-term survival.
These very unique birds continue to be under considerable stress throughout the state, and their numbers are being diminished daily; 80% to 90% of this species has been lost in the last century, mostly due to habitat destruction.
As a person environmentally concerned who also participates in scrub jay counts, I have two simple questions for our federal and state officials and anyone else charged with the protection of the scrub jay.
1) Why not designate the scrub jay as Florida's (official) state bird? After all, it is the only bird species native to our state. The abundant mocking bird, which currently holds that position, needs no protection.
2) When a proposed area for habitat has been diligently restored to offer adequate habitat protection, including appropriate scrub oak height and open areas, as in the case of North Peninsula State Park in Volusia County, why not relocate other birds from more populated preserves to better support population survival?
The North Peninsula loss is not the result of habitat destruction, unlike what took place in Matanzas Shores, Beverly Beach and Hammock Beach in Flagler County not long ago, when government agencies basically sat on their hands as this unique species came under attack.
Records clearly show at this time only 3,000-4,000 scrub jay family groups currently survive in Florida. With their numbers in rapid decline, one might ask, why then do these agencies continue down the same old path with never-ending studies and mitigation attempts at the expense of these birds, and the taxpayers?
Could it be that their long-term plans for threatened or endangered species are in need of some basic adjustment if their true intent is to help such species survive?
Maybe the time has arrived for our federal, state and local officials to consider a more realistic approach in order to save these birds before it's too late. All of the studies, mitigation and rhetoric will not reverse this birds’ fate, or its downward spiral. Only proper management and diligence can do that.
Arthur Woosley
Flagler Beach
Planes are flying too low near my house
Dear Editor:
In August, I called the airport and told them that low-flying aircraft were making so much noise that I couldn't hear the radio in my garage where I was working. For several weeks, things were normal: Planes flew over, but they were high and not noisy.
In September, all that changed and there was a constant caravan of planes that flew next to my house. Many, in my opinion, were below 800 feet, which is where I was told the tower keeps the plans. Come on. When you can read the numbers on the planes, they are low. This noisy situation culminated on a Wednesday night when I counted more than two dozen noisy flights between 8 and 11 p.m. Needless to say, this made sleeping difficult.
The next day, I called the airport. A woman said that the airport director would get back to me. He didn't. I got a response from County Administrator Craig Coffey, but he didn’t address my concerns satisfactorily.
These are my concerns:
The airport was not enforcing its 800-foot rule. If it were, noise would not be an issue. Why don't twin-engine planes have a higher ceiling since they make more noise? Why are planes flying circles around residential areas and not two miles west of here over the sparsely populated agricultural areas?
Oh, look! Today, at 11 a.m., more planes are flying so low you can read their numbers, planes with stripes. In my opinion, they were way too low, not to mention that twin-engine plane on which you could also read the numbers.
Now I may be wrong, but looking at the response I received, this seems like a non-issue for city and county government, so I may look into it, dusting off my long unused investigative reporter skills.
Tom Cook
Palm Coast
