Floridians have deep concerns about the state's explosive growth
A few weeks ago, The Sun published my thoughts about Floridians under siege from development. In the piece, I shared the story of my family. In order to maintain our lifestyle of organic farming and respect for nature, we had to migrate from south to north Florida.
Now happily established in Suwannee County, I urged my new neighbors to resist the destructive madness that ruined my own Fort Myers area. My new neighbors, as it turns out, had a lot to say! So I will let the readers pick up the story where I left it.
Take Chris, who has lived in Live Oak for 43 years. He accepts some development is necessary. But he finds a lot of it worrisome, especially along Interstate 10, and suggests an idea to preserve the land while creating jobs: “Hopefully the emphasis here will be on ecotourism.”
Penny, also in Suwannee, says “I too am a refugee from south Fl, then central Fl, and we need to keep it ‘right’ here.”
Don left Clearwater when he realized “the orange groves, woods, ranches and farmland will never return.” He now lives in southwest Georgia: “It’s all good for now until the rich developers decide nature needs to be replaced with concrete and crime.”
Joel, in Delray Beach, thinks along the same lines: “When the developers come offering you a lot of money, be the last one to sell and move to an undeveloped area.”
This may be an option for some of us in this generation, but the problem is that land is a finite resource. What options will future generations have? How long can this go on? Here’s Lori: “They have been paving over Florida for 50 years!”
Many non-Floridians wrote to express sadness at what’s going on in our state. Tim says, “I love visiting Florida but could never live there. It’s heart breaking to watch the continuous development of this important land.” Stephanie lives in Polk County, but grew up in the foothills of Carolina, where “life was simple and very green. I would give anything to go back to that simple way of life.”
After World War II, an explosive growth of suburbia started, fueled by cheap energy and land. We now know that neither resource is unlimited, but the decision to build ever-expanding suburbs has burnt oceans of fuel, and destroyed millions of acres of pristine nature and much of the best farmland in America.
Readers like Dave, in Tavares, say, “The horrible destruction for jammed together subdivisions. I never understood destroying the reasons one wanted to move here.”
And for what? Here’s Norm: “Unfortunately the wretched developers have discovered Nassau County and are throwing up their cookie cutter subdivisions everywhere. (In one project) that was wooded swampland they trucked in 20,000 x 40 cu.yd. loads of fill dirt. Framers erect the skeleton in one day. Before the OSB is nailed, one may rock the structures back and forth by hand. Plastic artificial stone fronts. The dwellings are mid $300k and up. My wife and I are in despair.”
More from Santiago De Choch:Hurricanes remind us of our place on Earth
I mentioned greed in my answer, and he said: “Many Americans are shortchanged by the American homebuilding industry. For example, the industry has successfully marketed homes with an open plan layout and cathedral ceilings. Never mind that such a building is inherently weaker because the outer and inner walls are not tied together with ceiling joists, cost more to heat and cool plus one must use a high stepladder just to change a lightbulb. But you see, it is much cheaper to build than a conventionally structured house.”
Lucinda works for the Ichetucknee Alliance (belovedblueriver.org). While many wrote to add their voice to this conversation, I choose to finish today’s article with a beautiful quote she sent. It’s by Marjorie K. Rawlings, who lived in Cross Creek near Gainesville.
It inspires all of us who love nature to not give up in our fight for a clean and sustainable Florida: “Who owns Cross Creek? The red-birds, I think, more than I, for they will have their nests even in the face of delinquent mortgages. It seems to me that the earth may be borrowed, but not bought. It may be used, but not owned. It gives itself in response to love and tending, offers its seasonal flowering and fruiting. But we are tenants and not possessors, lovers, and not masters. Cross Creek belongs to the wind and the rain, to the sun and the seasons, to the cosmic secrecy of seed, and beyond all, to time.”
Santiago De Choch is an organic farmer in Suwannee County. He can be reached at seedandpen@gmail.com.
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