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Labor Housing: Hear From Public

Lakeland Ledger – September 2, 2009

Did you know that a labor-housing complex may be coming to your neighborhood without your knowledge and without your ability to go before the Polk County Commission to give your input?

Two years ago, citizens in southeast Polk County successfully fought having such a labor camp put in the Lake Buffum area because of its lack of compatibility. By law, we were notified of the proposed change and we were able to go before the Planning Commission and the County Commission, which both turned down the proposed site as a result of our efforts.

After that confrontation, a Farm Labor Housing Task Force was set up to reword the Land Development Code which regulates what kind of approval is necessary for zoning changes. This task force is heavily weighted in favor of the citrus industry and is proposing that no public notification will be required or public input allowed if the labor complex is apartment-style and meets certain criteria.

These complexes could hold as many as 128 men and would now be allowed in rural and suburban areas of unincorporated Polk County without a public hearing.

The official wording would be to require only a Level II review, which means all that is necessary is the approval of county staff employees. The current language requires a Level III review, which requires notifying neighbors and allowing a review before the Planning Commission and County Commission.

This case file, LDC 08T, is a major change designed to sidestep public input and avoid neighborhood groups that want to be heard.

Today, the Polk County Commission will vote whether or not to approve these far-reaching changes.

Please let your county commissioners know you are against allowing citizen input to be bypassed. Let them know that public hearing should be preserved and that Level III review should continue to be required for labor-housing complexes.

KAY McCONNELL

Fort Meade

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