Copyright 1998 Stuart News Company
The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News (Stuart,FL)
March 26, 1998, Thursday
SECTION: Local; Pg. B1
LENGTH: 610 words
HEADLINE: PONDS PLAN WINS OVER MELZER
BYLINE: Andrew Conte of the News staff
BODY:
"(The fish kill) points out the urgency ... it brings
home to everyone the importance of the river to us ... now we're
looking for land to store water on."
-Donna Melzer, county commissioner
Spurred by the mysterious, sudden deaths of thousands of fish
in local waters, the chairwoman of the Martin County Commission
said she no longer opposes a controversial project that could
help clean the St. Lucie River.
Donna Melzer said she will support any project to protect the
river, even if the solution includes deep-water retention ponds
that she has spoken against in the past.
Her support will be critical, because three of the five county
commissioners had opposed the project. Melzer said she changed
her mind after a mysterious fish kill in the river and the Indian
River Lagoon in recent weeks.
"(The fish kill) points out the urgency of it," she
said Wednesday. "El Nino has not been kind to us. It's been
very hard, but it brings home to everyone the importance of the
river to us ... now we're looking for land to store water on."
Activists who support the river project said they are surprised
and pleased by Melzer's reversal.
"I guess the facts can eventually win out," said
Kevin Henderson, vice president of the St. Lucie River Initiative,
which advocates the retention ponds. "We still face all the
usual battles to get funded, but it's most important that we show
local consensus."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water
Management District are studying ways to clean storm water runoff
before it enters local waterways, and to control the flow of fresh
water into the estuary.
One leading proposal that Melzer had opposed would include
"water preserve areas," or marshy lakes to hold storm
water and purify it. The lakes would be built on 45,000 acres
in both Martin and St. Lucie counties, including the Allapattah
Ranch, a 22,500-acre property on the county line.
Melzer also had opposed efforts to purchase the Allapattah
Ranch because of fears that it would automatically be used for
a water preserve area, she said. Now she supports buying the property,
adding that the corps has been considering several proposals and
that its engineers might decide not to use the ranch property
after all.
If they do want to flood portions of the ranch, however, Melzer said she will
go along with their recommendation.
"I'm still not in love with (the water preserves), but
whatever plans the corps and District decide we need, I've decided
we can live with them," she said. "I'm ready to buy
Allapattah."
If the county can agree with the current owners on a purchase
price, the county could close on the property by early next year,
Melzer said.
For area shop owners who have been hurt by the recent fish
kills, Melzer's change of heart could not have come at a better
time.
Bram Broder, owner of Crossroads Guides Services, called Melzer on Tuesday to complain about the commissioner's previous stance on the cleanup proposal. Thirteen of his customers have canceled fishing trips this month, citing
fears about the sick fish.
When Melzer returned the call Wednesday, she had changed her
mind.
"I heard a 100 percent message that we must have these
retention areas," Broder said. "Everything I heard tonight
was totally agreeable with me. I've been hearing some negatives
about these three clowns (who opposed the water preserves) running
the commission, but everything I heard was positive."
Commissioners Janet Gettig, Marshal "Bud" Wilcox
and Melzer opposed the water preserves. Melzer said she thinks
Gettig also has started to come around to support the cleanup
project.
GRAPHIC: (B/W) Melzer
LOAD-DATE: March 26, 1998