Alliance, Texas – Impressions of an Intermodal Site Visit …

Posted by Bob Gernert on May 10, 2007 at 2:57 pm

Last October representatives from Winter Haven visited Alliance, Texas for a closer look at the potential impact of the CSX Integrated Logistics Center planned for south Winter Haven. The Alliance facility provides a good look at an ILC and its surrounding area developed from raw land, much as the Winter Haven site will be. There is an interesting slide show and much more information on that ILC here.

On April 27, 2007, Jim DeGennaro of the Central Florida Development Council met with Bruce Bachman and Ben Adams, Jr. of Phoenix Industries in Eloise to discuss their October 2006 visit. He also sought their opinions on the proposed CSX Integrated Logistics Center in Winter Haven. Here are the highlights of that conversation:

• The two logistics management executives (Bachman and Adams) are very positive on both the Alliance and CSX Winter Haven projects.

• They said the primary difference between the two sites is that Ross Perot developed raw land near Ft. Worth and Dallas while CSX has to shoe horn its project on the Winter Haven land and buffer it from existing homes.

• Alliance has a cargo airport adjacent to its rail yards while CSX has the Port of Tampa 60 miles away and access to other Florida ports.

• Adams and Bachman believe the key to success in Alliance was a strong public/private partnership, and the same holds true for the Polk County opportunity.

• A variety of quality growth has mushroomed around the Alliance project in the past seven years, and they see the same possibilities for the CSX Winter Haven project.

Adams and Bachman traveled to Texas for a two-day survey last October to the 17,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use development. Both were immediately impressed with the cleanliness of the operations and that approximately one-half mile away from the rail yards were 4,000 sf homes in the $400,000 range and above, which were built after the advent of the intermodal facilities.

Other new developments to the Alliance site included the Texas Motor Speedway, Cabela’s Sporting Good Store, a pre-school, and numerous retail and industrial facilities. At the airport Fed-X, American Airlines and J C Penney have large operations.

The two executives were also impressed with the fact that there are no stoplights and RR crossings in the entire Alliance development. Traffic flow is steady and is helped by overpasses. They said that for the CSX Winter Haven site to reach the same kind of maturity that new roads, including the proposed Heartland Parkway, would have to be constructed to service the ILC and the surrounding area.

They said that there may be 4,000 truck trailers at the Alliance rail yard at any time but it was not noisy and was clean. They noticed at night that the facility was lit by direct lighting.

The two largest railroad customers at the rail yard in Texas are two trucking companies — J. B. Hunt and Schneider. As many as 600,000 containers a year are moved through the Alliance site. Adams and Bachman said that Homeland Security is huge at Alliance and that there are numerous controls at every entrance (much like the Port of Tampa).

They said an undivided two-lane highway feeds the entire Alliance complex while a four-lane divided highway is planned for the CSX Winter Haven facility.

Adams and Bachman have had numerous and extensive conversations with CSX Transportation officials including Rick Hood, Dan Murphy and Carl Warren. CSX has told them that the new Winter Haven facility will not deal with toxic materials, and that it will not house a power plant or a chemical plant.

They said that the country’s transportation of goods system is moving toward regional carriers, and that intermodal is growing at a 4 to 5% a year clip. They said the CSX Winter Haven project makes great economic sense and that, in their opinion, it has too much forward momentum to stop.

Some basic features and background on Alliance, Texas: Alliance is one of the most modern intermodal facilities in the world. Specifically built for intermodal operations, it was constructed in 1994 as a combination of two separate facilities in Dallas and Fort Worth. The Alliance facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with nearly 17 intermodal trains loaded and unloaded every day. Alliance houses a Foreign Trade Zone and is served by an interstate and two state highways.

Update May 29, 2007:  In a decision released today, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will evaluate both Phase I and Phase II as a single “Development of Regional Impact” (DRI. This process will provide a thorough review of the Intermodal Center with regard to such issues as transportation and environmental impacts of the center.

Lasater Flowers

See other entries filed in: CSX - Winter Haven, Commercial Developments

REMARKS   16 Total remarks on this post. Add your own remarks below

  • May 10th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
    Dee Dee Chiavuzzi

    Why wouldn’t the city have gone to this site prior to approving the land sale and rezoning property for heavy industrial use? Would that not be the most logical thing to have done?

  • May 11th, 2007 at 7:36 am
    Mike Chiavuzzi

    “CSX has to shoe horn its project on the Winter Haven land and buffer it from existing homes.” Two very good points. CSX and the City have to shoe horn this in because of the obivious DRI avoiding tactic of limiting the size of the site to 318 acres. Secondly, as far as it stands right now, there are no legitimate, published plans for buffering this site from the residents of SE Winter Haven.

    Another point, although in Alliance there have been new home construction a half mile away, those people have chosen to live there. The residents of SE Winter Haven did not have the same oppurtunity with this site. And there are many residences within less than a half mile to our wonderful CSX site.

    Last point, CSX didn’t develop the Alliance site. That was another railroad company. Seems CSX isn’t quite approaching this site plan and implementation the same way.

  • May 11th, 2007 at 10:38 am
    Bob Gernert

    For legitimate published buffering details please see: http://blog.winterhavenfl.com/2007/03/01/csx-initial-offer-to-sundance-residents/

  • May 11th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
    Mike Chiavuzzi

    Stating that they are “planning for a landscaped earthen berm” and publishing detailed plans is two different things. A two foot high berm with azaleas planted on it would meet that criteria, but would hardly buffer the site from the rest of SE Winter Haven.

    Now a 30 foot earthen berm surrounding the entire site would do the trick. You know, like the one surrounding the intermodal site in Rochelle, IL. That would be a nice, good neighborly gesture by CSX that I’m sure would make the thousands of residents within a two mile radius happy. Like those folks living in Windsor, Wyndham, Renaissance, Skidmore, Tuscany, Terra Nova, Hart Lake Hills, Crescent View etc,…..

  • May 11th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
    Bob English

    The berm proposed by CSX was suggested at 15 feet — not two. This entire discussion is better served by facts than baseless claims. If 30 feet is better, then bring that thought to the discussions CSX has offered with your neighborhood.

  • May 11th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
    Bob Gernert

    The berm proposed by CSX for discussion purposes measured 15 feet … not two. For the purposes of these discussions it may be better to present factual information and not baseless claims. Remember, you chose to live where you can see the trains, hear the whistle … feel the vibrations … immediately adjacent to a decades-old rail line.

    If a higher berm is more desireable, CSX has offered a seat at the planning table to representatives from your neighborhood.

    They will also be meeting with neighbors in other areas you mentioned.

  • May 11th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
    Bob Gernert

    The proposed CSX berm would measure 15 feet and that was published on this site in March. This dialogue will be better served by presenting facts and not baseless claims such as “two foot berms with azaleas.”

    If you think higher berms are better, bring that to the table.

    CSX has offered nearby residents to participate in the planning process for the center. (See our earlier post and their letter to you and other residents of Sundance Ranch Estates.)

    CSX will soon announce meetings for other nearby neighborhoods and we will publish those details on this site.

    We endorse an honest open discussion of the issues. Not exaggerations.

  • May 14th, 2007 at 9:41 am
    Pam Childers

    Bob,

    I have read your responses and am actually floored. CSX has said many things, I could list them for you if you would like…I have my notes to say the least my backup written letters.

    CSX has proposed many things to many people only to backout or take the ‘deal’ off the table. Check out what happened to the neighbors that are ‘close’ to the CSX Fairburn GA site. By the way close is 700+ feet of GA wooded land – I have pictures if you are willing to post them.

    As to the berm, no where in my letter from CSX is a 15′ berm noted. It says “planning for a landscaped earthen berm”, please note that does not say anything about “15 feet”.

    I will ask, what control or enforcement does the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, or even you personally, have to enforce or guarantee that CSX will do this berm at 15′? So posting it on your website is of no comfort to me.

    As to where we get “2 feet”, I got it from using the fire hydrant in the picture supplied by CSX in my copy of the letter as a height measurement…the earthen part of the berm is not much taller than the fire hydrant in the picture. I can even supply you with a copy of the picture.

    I ask that you and other readers check out the Polk County News Blog at http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/csx-hub-new-industrial-city-or-humble-rail-yard/ written by Billy Townsend. He has done his homework, not just listened to CSX’s propaganda.

  • May 14th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
    Mike Chiavuzzi

    Bob, I did not say that they were planning a 2ft berm, I said that with no detailed plan published, their own statements are too vague to assume any substancial buffering of the site.

    As far as the proposed 15ft berm made to the residents of Sundance, if you haven’t been informed, they turned it down. The proposal was unexceptable. So again, no published, detailed plan for a site that is to be started in the coming months.

    And we have asked for a bigger berm. We have stated this desire directly to Mr. Hood of CSX and Mr. Chichetto of the City of Winter Haven. Mr. Chichetto stated that only the phosphate mines had such large berms and that Winter Haven would not require such from CSX. Mr. Hood has not responded.

    Yes, CSX has mentioned that they would like to have the locals involved with planning for the center, however, to date, nothing concrete has been done on their end.

    There you have it, open and honest discussion. No exaggerations. Thanks for posting this.

  • May 14th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
    Christi Gomez

    Mr. Gernert,

    First let me start by saying I was born and raised in Winter Haven and my Grandparents lived here for over 80 years. My Grandmother worked as the secretary to the Justice of Peace for Winter Haven for many years. My Grandfather owned the Studebaker dealership here so you can see my family goes way back. My Grandparents donated a piece of land between (11th Street N.E. and where the PCC access road is now) to the City of Winter for the College. I grew up with Parents and Grandparent who loved and believed Winter Haven was the ideal place to raise a family and I grew up to love it as well. Now with that said let me also tell you that I have lived in Sundance Ranch Estate or over 20 years and my house is the closest to the tracks I live 65 feet from the existing track. I am extremely sad that neither you nor any of the City of Winter Haven officials have the least little bit of empathy for the residents of Sundance or surrounding neighborhoods that will be the most affected by this CSX project. Second it is not true that CSX has tried to involve the residents in their planning of this site and may I also add with all do respect CSX has never even contacted me as an individual homeowner to discuss anything. I did meet with CSX along with my neighbors on two separate occasions but was told at these meetings they were considering buying our properties. What bothers me the most Mr. Gernert is that not one Winter Haven City Officials has bother to even come out to Sundance to see how close we live or to see what kind of impact this will have on our peaceful way of life nor have they come talk to us about a berm or check to see if a berm would be compatible or even feasible for us. Third the proposal from CSX did not have specifics on the size of the berm and each time we talk to the City we get a different answer regarding the size of the berm. Last but not least let me say, I understand the potential economic impact this may have and all me and my neighbors are asking is that CSX and the City of Winter has the decency to come and look at our property and have a true, honest and open discussion with the residents. Please no more exaggerating the positive we have done more research and investigations on this subject than any City or County official we know the fact so please let’s be honest about this issue. Thank you for letting me express my opinion.

  • May 14th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
    Bob Gernert

    Ms. Gomez,

    First let me say that I do empathize with the residents of Sundance Ranch Estates. But that empathy is tempered by the fact that you chose to build your home 65 feet from an operating railroad track and the spray fields of a wastewater treatment plant. The potential for industrial development has existed for decades.

    That being said, I believe that both CSX and City of Winter Haven representatives want an equitable solution for nearby residents. But for an equitable solution to be found there has to be common ground. What is it that the majority of Sundance residents want to happen? Fair market price? A 30 foot berm? Or should we walk away from the potential for thousands of jobs and an economic impact that can raise the standard of living for many, many area citizens?

    I am committed to bringing you and your neighbors into a setting where equitable solutions can be found.

    I love this community as you do and a strong vibrant economy will ensure Winter Haven will be a place where our children and grandchildren can be successful. Let’s not slam the door shut on such a great opportunity as this when we have the talents necessary to do this correctly, safely and in a way that everyone will benefit.

    CSX has already begun the process of scheduling the first of many citizen meetings. I believe they truly want to be good neighbors. Anything less is unacceptable.

  • May 14th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
    Dee Dee Chiavuzzi

    I will point out, as no has yet to, that by Winter Haven’s own land use codes and definition that heavy industrial is incompatable with residential.

  • May 15th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
    Bob Gernert

    Up until the time the property was annexed into Winter Haven (April 2005), it was zoned “Institutional” by county code. When annexed, the City’s existing zoning code required the wastewater treatment plant be classified as “Heavy Industrial.”

  • May 15th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
    Kendra Branchley

    There must be some disconnect then with the County, as it was listed municipal well after the annexation. Also, why did it take the City over a year to rezone it Heavy Industrial? Can you post a copy of or reference the specific the code you are talking about. Thanks for the help.

  • May 16th, 2007 at 12:01 am
    Mike

    Let me get this right, we are arguing over the buffer size, and the potential displacement of a few people, as compaired to the general growth of a large employer for our city? I am sure no one has contacted any one, because ROME did not get built in a day, and there has to be a starting poit to every major event. Go to the meetings as they are open and discuss the issues. Lets not make unfair demands untill we have the facts.

  • May 18th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
    Christi Gomez

    I don’t know if this will get posted because it seems only positive remarks about the City of Winter Haven get posted but here it goes. Mike because you didn’t want to put your last name down I don’t know how to address you properly so excuse me if I am informal. The real argument isn’t buffer size and no one that I know are making any demands. There would not be any controversy if CSX had really wanted to be a good neighbor and if the City of Winter Haven had insisted that CSX deal with the residence two years ago before they did anything. Has anyone every come in and said it doesn’t matter what happens to you because what hurts a few will benefit the many? If this was happening to you, and I hope it never does, you would be trying to do anything you could to protect your way of life and investment in your home. The real issue is CSX and the City of Winter Haven does not have to hurt the few to benefit the many. There is no reason for all this bitter fighting, none of the homeowners I know want this project to be stopped they just want CSX to do what they said they would do and buy them out so they can move away from an incompatible heavy industrial area. There is nothing more to it than that! Berm size is only brought up because of the fruitless proposal made by CSX to the residents of Sundance of a berm to be place on their property that they would have to maintain.

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