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DR/GR committee member resigns over consultant report
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When Lee County’s Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource committee meets Wednesday, they’ll be missing someone — Dennis Gilkey.
Gilkey, who owns a development consulting firm and was the longtime president of Bonita Bay Group, was appointed to the committee as a member. He quit the committee this week, saying his early optimism the group could reach middle ground and propose a feasible solution for the future of southeast Lee County has been dashed.
County commissioners created the committee after imposing a year’s moratorium on new mine applications in the 83,000-acre DR/GR area. The group has spent months — and $500,000 — working with a consultant to come up with three scenarios for commissioners.
The approach recommended by consultants Dover, Kohl and Associates would keep new mines restricted to the Alico Road corridor, prohibiting them farther east along Corkscrew Road.
Gilkey missed the committee’s last meeting, where its members received the recommendation. This week he wrote to Commissioner Bob Janes, who appointed him, to announce his resignation.
“The recommendations of the Dover Kohl report are so far away from a feasible solution, and based on such erroneous assumptions and reasoning, that it indicates to me that the recommendations were pre-determined from the start,” Gilkey wrote.
Following the recommendations could reduce property values along Corkscrew Road by $1 billion, Gilkey said in previous letters to county staffers, adding that such a result would leave the county open to lawsuits.
“I feel this is a golden opportunity lost for Lee County and will result in further polarization of the issues of the DRGR,” he wrote. “I don’t care to be part of what I consider disingenuous stakeholder input or ‘buy-in’ of a report that is so far away from a responsible solution.”
Gilkey nor other committee members could be reached for comment late Tuesday.
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If you go
What: DR/GR committee meeting
When: 9 a.m. Wednesday
Where: Lee County Public Works Department building in downtown Fort Myers
Comments
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Gilkey...are U mad?
R U feeling a lil weft out?
R U gonna pout til U git yer way here in this situation?
Play somewhere else.
Grow up while U R at it.
#1 Posted by beetlejuice on July 15, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe he's just mad because they did't allow it in his area. bonita springs SE is starting a new limerock pit. 15 or so miles south from Alico RD.
#2 Posted by mimibuck on July 15, 2008 at 9:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Could there possibly be a divide developing between those who rule and those who actually do something?
#3 Posted by Naplestango on July 16, 2008 at 5:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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