NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. Here is a video breakout of Mayor Adam Barringer's direct plea Wednesday to the Florida Department of Community Affairs to expedite the process of approving land-use amendments that affect more than 70 community projects, including a Wal-Mart Supercenter just west of I-95 and a high-end hotel on Flagler Avenue. The city dropped the ball on this process dating back five years. NSBNEWS.net will post the 90-minute hearing in its entirety in eight parts later today.
TALLAHASSEE -- Mayor Adam Barringer made a passionate plea to state officials Wednesday, asking them to expedite dozens of community projects dating back five years that the city's planning department failed to send back to them for final review.
The process of shipping to the state final changes, if any, to 29 land-use amendments had gone through extensive local and state review was not done as far back as 2005 and the first-term mayor elected in November, had no answers as to why.
"Coming just into this, trying to get my head around it, "I'm spinning too, asking how could this happen?" Barringer asked rhetorically.
Then speaking of several citizens seated behind him, including an attorney for the Wal-Mart project, Barringer said the stakes are high: "I know their clients are chomping at the bit. We certainly have a liability out there for not doing our jobs."
And while high-ranking officials with the Florida Department of Community Affairs said they would do everything in their power to expedite, it would still be up to DCA Secretary Thomas G. Pelham to agree to do this considering the city's lack of follow-through that most likely will force the DCA to bring on extra staff.
Barringer said after the 90-minute hearing that he was optimistic about the DCA moving forward with the applications, though he was incensed that the situation in the planning department was allowed to go on unchecked for half a decade.
"This is a systemic problem," Barringer said, eight months into his first term, adding emphatically, "There are going to be changes in staff and procedures so that this will never happen again."
Asked if that meant employee terminations, Barringer said, "Yes."
James Morris, the New Smyrna Beach attorney seated in the row behind Barringer and the the city contingent, said after the hearing that he, too, is cautiously optimistic the Wal-Mart project, which was prevented from breaking ground next month because of the city's missteps.
"I hope the secretary approves the staff's recommendation (to proceed)," said Morris, who represents the Wal-Mart builder, Regency Development of Jacksonville.
If the DCA approves Regency's application, then the project can move forward, most likely by late summer. Regency has already invested $12 million, including the purchase of nearly 40 acres of land Road, just west of Interstate 95, with Wal-Mart as the anchor for a large-scale retail center.
Morris said based on the fact that his client's project had had no community, local or state objections, it simply needs to have the DCA's final blessing.