"The Eagle National Security Training Center, south of Venus, could be
larger than five Wal-Marts. It will boast a 6,000-foot (over a mile, ed.)
runway - 750 feet longer than Sebring Regional Airport.
"It
could build 100,000 square feet of classrooms and administrative
buildings, 40,000 square feet of military-style shoot-houses and three
five-story training buildings, 1,000 dorms, 25 single-family homes, 100
multi-family apartments, and two 250-feet tall training towers. (And up to 2000 acres of live
fire range, ed.)
"Development
shall be limited to 950,000 square feet of buildings," Eagle proposed,
and Highlands County commissioners agreed. The Avon Park Wal-Mart is
190,819 square feet; Lakeshore Mall in Sebring takes up 650,000 square
feet."
The Eagle National
Training Center is an effort by a PRIVATE
developer, Greg Eagle, to make millions of dollars exploiting open
lands in the
southwest corner of rural Highlands County. Comprehensive Land
Development plan
and codes have put in place guidelines to slow and reduce urban sprawl.
By
citing the “uniqueness” of this project, Eagle has sought zoning and
land use
changes which would permit the placement of a small city, the size of
Sebring,
into the middle of rural, agricultural and conservation lands. This
project has
nothing to do with patriotism, the government of the United State of
America,
nor the United States military. Instead it is a project that will bring
noise,
pollution, foreign nationals and mercenaries, and development to the
peaceful rural valley near
Fisheating Creek.
The
runway is long enough to land C130s (see photo above) and 747s. These
planes are LOUD and will be landing and taking off over Venus
resident's homes and farms. There are planned helipads for military
helicopters, also loud, also capable of hovering over Venus resident's
homes and farms, shattering the peace and quiet and scaring
wildlife.
Planned
are live fire ranges with machine guns with up to 50 caliber bullets,
which can travel up to 4.1 miles. One veteran of the First
Iraq
War states he knows from experience that this gunfire can be heard
clearly more than 13 miles away. This range would span nearly all of
rural Venus. What do you think life would be like listening to machine
gun fire, all day, every day. There is a noise ordinance in Highlands
County. It does not apply to aircraft. It only applies at night time.
And the spokesperson for the project says there will be nighttime
training. And the fine? $50.00. This is hardly going to protect Venus
residents from a project where more than $450 million is being
spent.
Currently there is NO development in
Venus. The nearest
town, Lake Placid, is 20 miles away. Large ranches, conservation areas
and
small homesteads are the rule. It is the home of black bears, panthers
and the
swallow-tailed kite. The woods are full of game: deer, turkeys, wild
hogs. The
night skies are so dark astronomers come to Venus to gaze at the night
sky.
Venus is so quiet, you can hear the gentlest of breezes on the trees.
There are
less than 500 mailing addresses in the entire rural area. No town
center. The
post office is 10 miles away on Route 27.