Comment EI-20805
Received or sent (printed as 12/18/2014)
Dear Mr. Navecky, As an elected representative of the citizens who live on North Merritt Island, I am very concerned about the multiple negative impacts involved with the PCRE. The community here has been unaware of the plans of the Port Authority prior to the last few months and many feel decisions may be made without considering their opinions, property values or the fragile environment of North Merritt and the Indian River Lagoon. In terms of property values, the proposed route through North Merritt Island presents an obvious negative impact on the property values in the North Island area. The claims of the CPA to ..increase initial activity of three or four cargo trains a week by 20 times in the next 10 years..." are chilling. While we have grown to doubt most of what we have heard from the CPA on this topic, as it changes with each new version, the inevitable negative impact on property values in North Merritt Island due to this proposal does not change. The proposed route through North Merritt Island is not an acceptable proposal. A suggested alternate route for this venture is the commercial corridor of Florida State Road 528. It is shorter, already goes straight into current Port property, more directly aligns with the FEC rail, and is far less environmentally destructive. Several years ago, the state planned widening of SR 528 was described, involving many properties that were not developed at that time. State Representative Bob Allen spoke at this public presentation and multiple maps demonstrated the area considered. Since that time, properties have continued to be developed along this state road, but the SR 528 widening plan was never rescinded to my knowledge. This is the preferred alternative route of the proposed cargo rail. The other alternative is the no action alternative. Sincerely, Mary E. Hillberg NMISAB Member NMIHOA Vice President"
Submitted by: Mary Hillberg · NMISAB
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-35852/comment/EI-20805 · back to the docket sheet