Forest sited eyed for New North Florida Fairground

[cityboy05]

I was looking at the Tallahassee democrat online as usual when I came across this article:http://www.tdo.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060516/NEWS01/605160326/1010. In this article it talks about how the congress is trying to get a bill that would sell about 114 acres of land from the Apalachicola Forest. To me it sounds like a wonderful idea, but to some this isn't really all that. Friends of the forest says that this would reduce amounts of sand that is home to plants and animals. They want to sell it to buy pockets of privately held land within the forest and build and improve facilities, such as a ranger station outside Lake City." What do you guys think about all of this?

[TD]

sell the forest. move the fair.

[jpl02]

We talked about the National Forest in one of my environmental planning classes last summer. Basically, the land there is a National Forest simply because it can't be used for anything else..........it won't support farming because the soil's too poor, it can only support a few plant species that are hardy enough to live in its sandy environment, and it's not really suitable for large development. So, that's why it's a forest.

With that said........move the fairgrounds. We're not losing that much by sawing a few trees down and plopping new fairgrounds on them.

Also with that said, Capital Circle's widening won't hurt the forest. But that's a whole other topic......

[DaiDreamer5]

Do we know where the exact forested tract is? That would depend alot on my opinion on this.

If it is a old windrow site that sticks out into developed areas, I would be okay with it (unless there were connections to the Florida aquifer or an endemic species on the plot). However if they are cutting into the main area of the forest, I would have some issues.

The article mentioned that is was difficult to do prescribed burns in that area because of development. If they develop that area, wouldn't make the areas near it more difficult to burn?

I am also wondering about the reason to move/replace the current fair grounds. Are they in poor condition? I have never been there but they are sort off the beaten path. Wouldn't moving them out to the forest make it even worse? We all talk about how the airport is so far away from downtown and this seems to be a similar situation; take from the national forest and built something big.

I'm sorry. I am sort of suspisious of the whole idea of selling preserved lands for development. It was suppose to be set aside for natural reasons, either to protect it or use it as a resource (wood). Sort of reminds me of the whole "We don't have a draft anymore! But hey! We are still taking names!" Once we start selling off the forest, where will we stop? (Unfortunately we already have the airport)

*gets off of soapbox*

[psycuda]

Do we know where the exact forested tract is? That would depend alot on my opinion on this.

If it is a old windrow site that sticks out into developed areas, I would be okay with it (unless there were connections to the Florida aquifer or an endemic species on the plot). However if they are cutting into the main area of the forest, I would have some issues.

The article mentioned that is was difficult to do prescribed burns in that area because of development. If they develop that area, wouldn't make the areas near it more difficult to burn?

I am also wondering about the reason to move/replace the current fair grounds. Are they in poor condition? I have never been there but they are sort off the beaten path. Wouldn't moving them out to the forest make it even worse? We all talk about how the airport is so far away from downtown and this seems to be a similar situation; take from the national forest and built something big.

I'm sorry. I am sort of suspisious of the whole idea of selling preserved lands for development. It was suppose to be set aside for natural reasons, either to protect it or use it as a resource (wood). Sort of reminds me of the whole "We don't have a draft anymore! But hey! We are still taking names!" Once we start selling off the forest, where will we stop? (Unfortunately we already have the airport)

*gets off of soapbox*

The reason that they want to move the fairgrounds is that many of the higher ups in the city and county see the fairgrounds site as a catalyst for the redevelopment of the Southside of Tallahassee with a mixed use community replacing the weekly car sale and yearly fair.

[Florida]

I still can't see what they could put here that would draw me to the southside. I love this site for the fairgrounds. But I'll agree to support anything that goes on this property, so long as its use is commercial and attractive. Not a cheap strip center with cheap metal/stucco buildings.

[csmurphy8885]

OMG... where are the tree loving tallahasseans on this!?

Who enjoys a fair really? Once a year its filled with a rickety wanna be amusment park midway, which people hurry past the actual fair to get to. Then that goes and we get a Rodeo, a Couple Gun and stereo sales, car lot, and bus parking. the problem isnt finding a place to move the fairgrounds.... Its finding decent uses for the current area. Whoever does her booking sucks.

[DaiDreamer5]

OMG... where are the tree loving tallahasseans on this!?

*Raises hand*

I just need more info about the land. I see no reason to save this land if it is simply a part of an old tree plantation that can't be restored. You have to make choices on what to save sometimes. If it is nothing more than some scrub pines and the Tallahassee community believes that it will reenergize this area, then perhaps it is a good trade. My only fear is that we will start cutting into the national forest more and destroying restored or untouched ecosystems. We also have a lot of species of plant and animal that can only be found in this area. We also need a good buffer area to not to spook or pollute the plants and animals.

I tried to look the area up on a map but it didn't really tell me much. Does anyone have the bill number?

[seminole]

I drive by the Fairground site at least 3X's a month and my first thought is what a waste to have this land reserved for canivals, guns, and auto sales. The Southside is in dire need for good quality commercial and residential development. A nice theatre, with shopping (no strip malls w/expansive parking lots), entertainment, and residential facilities could bring those with more disposable incomes to this area. But first and foremost, we need good quality affordable housing that will entice some upstanding citizens seeking homeownership to reside in these areas because a lot of us don't have the desire to live in Northeast Tallahassee.

- By the way, the next time any of you are in this area please take the time to drive down Tram Road. The Dry Creek Run subdivision is a wonderful start for the area of town.

[seminole]

But first and foremost, we need good quality affordable housing that will entice some upstanding citizens seeking homeownership to reside in these areas because a lot of us don't have the desire to live in Northeast Tallahassee.

I should clarify my statement to include MORE upstanding citizens, because there are some really good people who live in this area and they should be offered the same living standards as other parts of this city.

[Florida]

I agree with the last three statements on this. I feel the southside needs quality economic development, and the fair grounds site could offer a bit of this so long as the traffic load is kept on Monroe Street and not Paul Russell. I think Tram has the potential to be widened to handle more of the growing traffic load from the Southwood Development and the one Seminole mentioned above.

One thing about the affordable housing, there is plenty of good land in this area of town to build affordable homes. I think the last thing we need at this point is for the baby boomers to take this area and "prestige it" much the same way they are doing the undeveloped parcels throughout the rest of the city.

I'd like to see a group of teachers, professors, and state employees get together, sit down at a table and draw up the ideal community they would like to live in. With specifications of how much sq. footage they think they will need and and a standard size yard set. Then I'd like to see a developer take those plans and run with it. Building homes that meet the needs of these everyday working people while at the same time making it so they can afford the homes... I know its possible.

[psycuda]

I agree that having some sort of quality mixed use development at the Fairgrounds is key for the future of the southside of Tallahassee. WIth the impending building of Southside, plus several other projects in various stages of the pipeline, including Southbrook, a 800+ home development located west of Crawfordville Highway along Capital Circle and the new state legislation that will place a stranglehold on development in many areas of the county, having a hole like the fairgrounds at the intersection of two or three key roads, with a large amount of frontage on South Monroe makes no sense. Plus, with the monies that the federal government can get for the proeprty on Capital Circle, the privately owned homes that are in the middle of the forest can be bought out, instead of being burnt to the ground by a raging forest fire a few years down the road and costing us money to enable the rebuilding of those homes..