By Michael Eng | Managing Editor
Plant City will plant as many as 20 trees in Midtown to augment cleanup efforts on the contaminated site.
City Manager Greg Horwedel detailed the plans during the City Commission’s meeting Oct. 8. Called phytoremediation, the process will include planting 12 to 20 trees along to western boundary of the former Gro More site and in the area of the proposed Midtown Village Green. Through natural attenuation, the trees will aid in cleaning the site’s groundwater, which is impacted with ammonia, nitrates, manganese, sulfates and iron.
Horwedel said the planting likely would occur next April, after commissioners approve plans for Village Green. He also hopes to put out a formal request for developer proposals for Midtown next year.
The phytoremediation process follows the clean-up work already completed on the site. Tanktek Inc., of Tampa, and EnviroTek completed Sept. 26 the excavation and removal of on-site soils contaminated with arsenic and benzo(a)pyrene. In total, 2,442.41 tons of soil was removed and transported to Republic Landfill in Bartow. Following the removal, the companies added 3,536 cubic yards of backfill.
CITY OKS EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDINGS
City commissioners also authorized pre-suit negotiations — and the use of eminent domain, if necessary — to acquire easements necessary to begin using sanitary force main and reclaimed water lines that go through land owned by Warren Land LLC.
In December 2007, the city entered into an agreement with County Line Farms LLC to construct the lines to serve the southeast quadrant of Plant City. Following the agreement, County Line Farms acquired permission from Warren to construct the water lines on its property.
Furthermore, Warren requested — and received — a lift station on its property during construction, said Cary Gaylord, of Gaylord, Merlin, Ludovici and Diaz — the firm representing the city in the case — representatives from Warren have not responded to repeated requests to grant the easements to the city.
Now that work is completed, Warren must grant the city the rights to the easements before it can begin using the new lines. But so far, Warren has been unresponsive, Gaylord said.
Warren never signed an agreement to grant the easements.
“We do have a carefully documented chain of emails and letters,” he said. “And all parties were in agreement.”
Commissioner Dan Raulerson asked Gaylord for a reason why Warren — after the work has been completed — has not cooperated.
“It’s impossible to speculate,” Gaylord said. “In all my years of practicing, I have never seen anything like it.
“We’ll do (this) as easily and congenially as it can be done,” he said.
Warren did not have representatives present at the meeting.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
IN OTHER NEWS
• City commissioners approved a rezone of seven parcels totaling 2.04 acres on the southeast corner of South Alexander and West Grant streets from R-1A (Single-Family) to C-1A (Neighborhood Business). The new designation allows for a variety of commercial and personal-services uses.
• Students in Tomlin Middle School’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program attended the Oct. 8 meeting as part of their civics class. Teacher Steven Johnson said his students are showing great interest in the political system.
• Bruton Memorial Library Director Anne Haywood was chosen as the chairwoman of the Florida Library Association’s Conference Committee. The conference will be held in May 2013 in Orlando.
• The city commission honored Plant City Police Department officer Paul Tester and dispatcher B.J. Forte, who recently were awarded the department’s Life Saving Medal.
