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REMARKS   19 Total remarks on this post. Add your own remarks below

• September 18th, 2007 at 8:39 am
  SAM

  I’m glad to see someone from outside the Polk community support the CSX project. With Orlando and Tampa supporting the project we should have a great future here in Polk County…

• September 18th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
  Carl Kocher

  SAM said it all.

• September 19th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
  jane

  Why am I not surprised that Linda Keever is speaking for the CSX interlocal hub? What kind of “tremendous opportunity” is she envisioning? Of course, she means business opportunity and that has a way of translating into further strain on the our beautiful state. There are no positives for this hub unless you consider the further urbanization of our state a positive. It will undermine us in every way overtaxing the infrastructures already in place and reducing our quality of life. Just once I’d like to a “tremendous opportunity” not involve the growth of industry. And as far as collaboration with Orlando….the only collaboration they have in mind is getting the hub out of Orlando and moved to Polk Co. We don’t need that kind of neighborliness.

• September 20th, 2007 at 7:43 am
  Bob Gernert

  Jane,

  To really appreciate a “tremendous opportunity” you have to live in a place where there is no economic growth, stagnation, no place for your children to aspire to be employed … where there is no “tremendous opportunity.”

  Do you really think that stopping the hub will stop urbanization in Florida. The hub will be bring consumer goods … cars, televisions, air conditioners, paper towels, diapers … the list is endless … many things that you use to make your home here now … and rail can bring it here using one third the energy of truck transit.

  Without industry growth, your quality of life will stall and eventually deteriorate. You only need look to many areas of the mid-West to see the effects of stagnant economies.

  We believe Polk County has the talent and creativity to make this a business and industrial showplace.

• September 20th, 2007 at 9:35 am
  John M

  Well said. A recent trip to Michigan City, IN showed just how disheartening a stagnant economy can be. Once steel took a hit the only thing left to do was put a big casino on the river to try and spark growth. A depressing situation indeed.

• September 20th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
  Steve

  It’s all about planning. The “ideal” location for an intermodal hub of this magnitude is within close proximity to an interstate(s)(Not so with this location).I agree with Bob in that “rail can bring it here using one third the NRG of truck transit.” However, the rate limiting step is the truck traffic is coming here to pick up the goods. In the URS study of the ILC the author states “the overall volume of trucks in this part of Polk County could be very significant.” Many issues have to addressed as the ILC area develops.
  The economic benefits of this ILC can’t be realized until the logistics center can be marketed. How efficiently can the trucks access the interstates? Us 98 is currently failing on several segments and road improvements have been pushed back. How will the trucks get to I4?
  Currently, Polk County has $300 million deficit in road infrastructure. Is the future going to fix it? It hasn’t so far. The State (FDOT) doesn’t even know where they are going to get the money for the access road to the ILC. This is good planning?

• September 20th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
  Jim

  “… the CSX rail facility could be a tremendous opportunity for this area” …. “it could be the glue that links the region together.”

  No kidding. Would someone tell the kind lady that we have paved roads out here in Polk County?

  She’s right, though: “regionalism” works for the big cities of the region - if Polk County citizens and taxpayers will simply sit down, shut up and quietly allow our county to become an “industrial showplace.” It’s amazing that some in Polk are eager to take Orlando’s problem and boost Port Manatee’s business - but then one only has to follow the money to know where the politicians are coming from.

  So go ahead, make Polk County an “industrial showplace” of railroad yards, and semis clogging and destroying our roads and our way of life. It’s a small price to pay for our “region.”

  Sing Kumbayah, y’all!

• September 21st, 2007 at 10:00 am
  Bob Gernert

  So, Jim, what in your estimation would be an acceptable substitute for this project? And since we currently have six times the industrial/warehouse space within the county, with five million more approved in Lakeland. How is this five million going to be the five million “clogging and destroying our roads and way of life.”

  That seems a little dramatic.

  Automatically assuming we do not have the talent and brains to approach this project successfully reminds me of a favorite quote from Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can do a thing or whether you think you can’t do a thing … you are right!”

  It’s all a matter of perspective.

• September 21st, 2007 at 3:35 pm
  Jim

  Bob, thanks for the opportunity to express my concerns. I represent no one but myself, and will answer your question from a personal point of view:

  First, my “acceptable substitute” to the CSX-Winter Haven marriage - as if we need a substitute - is to keep Orlando’s problems in Orlando.

  You may see any discussion of clogged roads, traffic problems and safety issues as “a little dramatic.” I see CSX supporters who are either exaggerating the benefits or minimizing the costs - and you can’t have it both ways.

  My projection for clogged roads and traffic problems comes directly from the article you referenced in the Bradenton Herald, proclaiming the project’s benefits to Port Manatee - and this is only one of the many transportation points that will feed into and out of Polk County ….

  – “Port Manatee officials are excited about a proposed CSX railroad terminal in Winter Haven that would improve the flow of container shipments throughout the state and to other parts of the country.”

  – “If a shipper in Asia knows that a sophisticated intermodal facility like the one proposed for Winter Haven is only an hour away, that means we could more easily sell Port Manatee as a port of entry.”

  – “… the project comes at a crucial time as the Panama Canal is being widened, which will lead to more container shipments to and from the Gulf Coast.”

  – “The projected $100 million facility would off-load containers from trains for placement on trucks headed to distribution centers….”

  – “As the growth of the Southeast ports happens, like at Port Manatee, Tampa and Jacksonville, there’s an opportunity to feed this as a distribution point for goods to the Midwest and the northern part of the country. If something comes in to the Port of Manatee and the destination is Ohio or Indianapolis, the containers could be sent to those destinations and beyond.”

  My questions:

  – Does a question about the project’s impact seem “dramatic” after reading that?

  – Who is competing with Winter Haven for this industrial monstrosity? Certainly not Orlando, which has it now.

  – Why was the deal done in secret?

  – Why the rush?

  – Are we not permitted to question the happy talk coming from CSX and their supporters.

  – If in fact you do “have the talent and brains to approach this project successfully,”as you say, why don’t you also have the “talent and the brains” to find more acceptable solutions than this one?

  – Will you personally pledge to live next door to the rail yards in Winter Haven, or in downtown Lakeland?

  Bob, there is an old saying, “Act in haste, repent at leisure.”

  I appreciate your concern for jobs and the Winter Haven tax base - but why not focus more efforts on economic development that would produce less damaging impact on the environment, our local transportation system and the overall quality of life for countless thousands of Polk residents?

  The Polk polytechnic branch of USF, for example, is a step in the right direction. But becoming a major freight and trucking center for the eastern United States - as CSX and their supporters are projecting for Polk County - is not the best way to improve either our economic base or our quality of life in Polk County. At a minimum, a plan of such magnitude requires much more extensive study and consultation than has occurred.

  As a 7th-generation Floridian, I do not find my concerns “dramatic” at all.

• September 21st, 2007 at 4:08 pm
  Wally

  Mr. Gernert wants an acceptable substitute for the proposed CSX facility.
  Polk needs a green research park in Bartow that has access to an already built Rt. 60. A park that would attract high tech companies and research facilities that provide real jobs instead of minimum wage jobs being touted by CSX and Winter Haven. A park that would grow with support from local universities. A park that would not require much of Central Florida to be paved over to support trucks delivering containers from Winter Haven that should have been sent by trains to their intended destination. The cost in environmental damage and unnecessary fuel use of driving trucks from Winter Haven all over Florida is wrong for our community, wrong for Florida, and wrong for the United States of America

• September 22nd, 2007 at 10:30 am
  Bob Gernert

  Well Jim, using terms like “industrial monstrosity” IS dramatic and frankly unfair when the first spade of earth has yet to be turned.

  We realize this is a complicated project but believe with proper planning the economic potential far outweighs the negatives.

  The movement of consumer goods is a key component of our standard of living. Polk County is presently a major warehousing/industrial distribution location … this center would be a fraction of the current total. In other words, a great deal of consumer goods is already distributed from this area.

  Economic stagnation or decline will be a far greater challenge than using our brains and talent to capitalize on this economic opportunity and do it the right way.

• September 22nd, 2007 at 10:33 am
  Bob Gernert

  Wally,

  The new USF campus in Lakeland plans to develop a polytechnic focus and the research center you suggest will likely develop nearby.

  As far as wages go the ILC projects an average wage of $45,000 and that far exceeds minimum wage and our current county average.

• September 22nd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
  JC

  We need more jobs to offset the phosphate & citrus industry that was once the bread and butter for Polk county. I am looking forward to this project getting started.

• September 28th, 2007 at 6:39 am
  Poindexter

  I find this entire discussion very curious. For years Polk County has bent over backwards to attract cement and truss plants which bring the associated minimum wage jobs, increased truck traffic and frankly were a nice fit for the local economy transitioning from one based on phospahte and agriculture. We now have the opportunity for thousands of jobs WELL above the average Polk County income and some folks are raising sand at every opportunity.

  If you have vistied the Central Florida Development Councils web site lately, you will see that they market us as a location uniquely located within close proximity to a population of over 2 million. I beleive they have previously used the slogan “near the center of it all” or something to that effect. Point is … that Polk County is uniquely situated to attract distribution and transportation dependent companies.

  Yesterday, the state awarded funding to help move along the new polytechnic in Lakeland - what a great opportunity for Polk County!! One of the key goals of this school is to create a center of learning that will educate and retain our youth and not have them leave for “greener pastures” elsewhere. The way we retain these educated kids is with jobs - pretty simple. And if you look at the type of graduates the polytechnic will be producing the CSX facility appears is a perfect match.

  Thanks for reading.

• January 8th, 2008 at 12:45 am
  Jean Adams

  I agree with Wally and could never say it better than Jim. Ill try anyways ?

  Winter haven should focus on bringing in high tech companies. Though CSX might be the catalyst for job growth it may not bring in the kind of jobs we want our children to have. It might bring the wrong kind of jobs. Jobs that don’t bring families up to middle class status. Though it might bring in some management jobs and some technical positions I don’t see CSX’s employees as being predominantly high paid workers even in other areas across the country. Most jobs could very well be for low paid manual non skilled labor.

  Just to be clear, I’m not against CSX moving here but I’m not seeing the great benefits others have mentioned. CSX would definitely stir up the local economy but it by no means leads to the best future of Winter Haven. You won’t see a great number of highly skilled workers moving to the area. You won’t see the quality of life increase for the majority of its existing population.

  If we’re honest we would all agree that there are other industries that are far more town friendly than CSX not to mention more environmentally minded as well. High technology, aviation and aerospace, film and television production, biotechnology, tourism and some manufacturing companies would be great for our area. What incentives are we offering companies that fall in to these categories? These industries bring the economic base Jim is speaking of. These are the industries that hire highly trained engineers, designers, architects, scientists and artists. These are the jobs that truly elevate our quality of life.

  The movement of more goods doesn’t lead to a higher quality of life for the average person in winter haven. If it does I’d love to know how? I believe its arguable that it could negatively impact quality of life for the average family that lives here (traffic, pollution, low income jobs, eye sore developments, and many others that have been mentioned here and in other publications). I could think of hundred of key components of a good quality of life and never come close to thinking that the movement of *more* consumer goods is what will lead to it.

  Even the average corporate salaries for CSX are low. What would you expect the non corporate average be. Higher or lower? The standards for Winter Haven should be higher than this in my opinion.

  CSX is OK if it’s the best we can draw here but not the best industry people of winter haven in mind when they think of economic development. Lets not fool ourselves.

  I almost see this type of development in complete contrast to how Winter Haven has tried to promote itself. The Chain of Lakes, Fishing, water sports, and other outdoor activities drew me and many other people here. Let’s hope CSX can coexist with the traditional characteristics of Winter Haven and Eagle Lake.

  Just an Opinion. I wish the best to all involved in this complex proposal.

• January 8th, 2008 at 8:49 am
  Bob Gernert

  Jean,

  The vast portion of the actual potential of this distribution hub lies in the warehousing, industry and office complex that will be attracted to locate adjacent. The actual potential does not lie with the intermodal rail terminal as in Alliance, Texas approximately 27,500 direct jobs have been created as a result of both an air and rail hub (and the rail terminal employees approximately 300).

  In fairness, the CSX project is planned to handle about one third of Alliance’s present volume or 200,000 lifts (loading or unloading a semi-trailer sized container of goods) at build out. The land area available south of Winter Haven is far less than the Texas site as well.

  Hi-tech industry is certainly a very viable goal especially associated with the new USF campus planned for NE Lakeland adjacent to I-4 and the Polk Parkway.

  Please see this post for an overview of the actual experience of such a project in Alliance, Texas.

  http://blog.winterhavenfl.com/2007/11/21/alliance-texas-an-economic-juggernaut/

• January 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
  Ulysses Jackson

  Maybe someone can answer a question for me. I don’t have an opinion either way on the CSX project yet. Why, if this is a truck to train facilty has the zoning been jacked up to Heavy Industrial 2. I’m no expert but that seems a bit extreme to me.

  Thanks

• January 12th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
  Jean

  Ulysses,
  The Heavy Industrial 2 zoning permits faciity operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Other less intensive zoning levels restrict noise level, outdoor lighting, and/or hours of operation.

• January 14th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
  M. Rivera

  I find it intriguing how for as long as I have lived in Winter Haven i hear residents complain about the lack of growth, the lack of employment opportunity, yet when a group of proactive individuals take an approach to improve our community, there is opposition. Change is always good if properly planned, even when at the present time there are obstacles to overcome. I appreciate the efforts and welcome the vision that provides additional opportunities today and for future generations.

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