Charity Fund-Raiser Organized by the Concerned Citizens of Coconut Creek (4C’s) To benefit preservation of Coconut Creek hardwood hammock/wetland area. Sunday afternoon, July 19th, Korrigan’s Irish Pub, 2301 W. Sample Road, will play host to the second Rock for the Wetlands fundraising event to benefit preservation of the Cocomar wetland area. Rick the Unapoemer, classic rock group Assassin, acoustic soloist Billy Sansone and country-rock artists The Rodeo Clowns are scheduled to perform, along with guest speakers and raffle drawings. Sound services are being provided by Phil Rich. The event starts at 2:00 P.M. and everyone is invited. Don’t forget to bring your coupon and enter the drawings! Korrigan’s is on the north side of Sample Road, between Powerline Road and the Turnpike. The last RTW was a blast! The 4C’s would like to invite you out for a great time for a great cause. The Cause HELP SAVE SOME GREEN SPACE! At the northwest corner of Atlantic Blvd. and Lyons Road in Coconut Creek, Florida, there is about 43 acres of naturally wooded area. If you’ve ever driven by there, you might have noticed how nice it is to have such a green space within a bustling city. Absorbing carbon dioxide, generating oxygen, filtering rainwater, cooling temperatures, providing habitats, this little parcel of land also turns out to be one of the last remaining mixed hardwoods/wetlands open sites left in Broward County. Additionally, leading Broward County archaeologists indicate a high probability of prehistoric/historic cultural resources on this land., especially since these resources have been identified inside Fern Forest Nature Center, A Broward County Park just ¼ mile to the south. And then there is the wildlife, most notably, the magnificent wading birds. Here is a place where an Endangered Species, the Wood Stork, Mycteria americana can be observed. Not to mention Great Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Ibis. And that’s just a fraction of the wildlife that depends on this site for habitat and feeding. The problem is that this land is privately owned and is zoned Commercial. A Development Plan has been in effect for this site that reflected a desire to preserve as much natural area as possible and integrate commerce into the neighborhood with regard for environmental issues. Recently, though, one of the largest developers of shopping centers in the country, Regency Centers, has proposed a plan to develop this site. Their goal is a shopping center that features two “big box” retailers, a Lowe’s Hardware and Kohl’s Department store. Their plan is so invasive that it required a change in the type of commercial zoning that was in place. The proposed “Cocomar Plaza” plan calls for an extreme reduction in the amount of green space to be preserved, tossing the original concerns out the window in favor of maximizing retail space and parking. On September 25th, 2008, in spite of protests from hundreds of area residents, the Coconut Creek City Commissioners voted unanimously to rule against the recommendations of their own Planning and Zoning Board and grant Regency the zoning change requested. The commissioners justified their decision saying that without the rezoning, the developer could do whatever they wanted and the Commission needed to protect their constituents “from themselves”. The residents were not permitted to ask the commissioners why the developer was spending thousands of dollars to get the zoning change if they could already do whatever they wanted. Residents did note that four out of five of the sitting Commissioners have accepted campaign funds from the law firm representing the developer in this matter. Something seemed rotten in Coconut Creek. Out of this controversy, a grass-roots community-based coalition has been formed, called the Concerned Citizens of Coconut Creek LLC. This Florida Corporation has been formed by residents to assist in the non-profit bipartisan support of fund raising efforts for the preservation of as much of this parcel of land as possible. A lawsuit has been filed in the Broward County 17th Judicial Circuit Court against the City of Coconut Creek and Regency Realty, Inc. to overturn the zoning change citing: “…the City failed to follow the essential requirements of law and issued a development order inconsistent with the City’s state mandated comprehensive plan”. The residents are represented by the law firm of Andrew Dickman, P.A. of Naples, FL. A second suit has been filed against Broward County for violations of quasi-judicial proceedings when Broward County Commissioners voted to approve the City of Coconut Creek’s action. While every courtesy has been extended by Andrew Dickman on behalf of this cause, a financial burden still exists. So far, residents have footed the bill out of their own pockets. But help is needed. That’s why donations of any amount are being solicited. No matter where you reside on this planet, the ecology of the site in question belongs to you as well. The benefits of this green space are not exclusive to the residents of Coconut Creek, although they would be among the first to suffer the loss of its existence. That loss would be felt by generations to come in perpetuity. Concerned Citizens of Coconut Creek is a Limited Liability Corporation in the State of Florida with pending not-for-profit status. All members participate on a volunteer basis and do not receive any salary or other financial benefit from funds collected. |
