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Twelve days ago, Franklin County officials had great news: A state agency had awarded money that would allow the county to buy land to build the first public boat ramp on St. George Island and to reroute the perennially storm-damaged road at Alligator Point.

Today, the news is only half-good: The boat ramp is still alive. But the road rerouting at Alligator Point is in jeopardy because the owner of the campground the county intended to buy has decided to sell the land to a private developer. It is unknown whether the prospective new owner, who reportedly intends to build individual homes on the land, will allow the county to reroute the road through his property.

"I don't know what we're going to do," said Franklin County Planner Allen Pierce. "We are out of the loop (at Alligator Point) right now."

Franklin County had two of the 48 projects statewide that were awarded land-purchase money on Oct. 3 by the Florida Communities Trust. Part of the state Department of Community Affairs, FCT was created in 1990 to help cities and counties buy private land - ranging from environmentally sensitive woodlands to urban neighborhoods - for public-access projects.

Franklin County was awarded $4 million to buy 20 acres of waterfront on Apalachicola Bay at St. George Island to build a public boat ramp, parking lot and picnic area.

Franklin County also was awarded $2.6 million to buy the 26-acre KOA campground at Alligator Point and reroute County Road 370 through the campground. The campground is located at a bend in Alligator Point where the road has frequently washed out during hurricanes and storms. The road was once separated from the ocean at that bend by a beach, sand dunes and pine trees. Today, only a sliver of beach - and a controversial sea wall and rock revetment - separates the road from the ocean.

The boat ramp at St. George Island is planned for a long-existing boat basin on Apalachicola Bay, running west from the bridge and directly in front of Harry A's, a popular island bar. The basin was a ferry landing before the bridge was built in 1965.

The project would provide the first public-access boat ramp on the resort island. At least two previous plans to build a public boat ramp elsewhere on the island were stopped by environmental and development issues.

The beach and road in front of the Alligator Point campground have been a source of controversy since 1972, when they were devastated by Hurricane Agnes. In 1972, officials put a 650-foot-long pile of rock and asphalt in front of the campground in hopes of containing erosion. In 1994, a sea wall and rock revetment of granite boulders were added.

Despite those "armoring" efforts - or because of them, say critics - the erosion in front of and east of the campground has continued, leaving the road only a few feet from the water. Almost yearly, the county has to repair the road after it has been damaged by storms.

In 2001, the county announced it wanted to reroute the road away from the beach through the campground and an adjacent neighborhood. But the effort was stymied by residents' opposition and a lack of funding.

The FCT award was expected to remove all objections, as it would have allowed the county to buy the campground, reroute the road through that property, remove the sea wall and rock revetment and allow the beach to return to a natural state.

But the campground is no longer for sale. Although owners Elliott and Dianne Smith signed a letter three months ago for Franklin County's FCT application indicating they would be a "willing seller" to the county, they have since agreed to sell the property to a private developer.

Elliott Smith would not divulge the name of the prospective owner, except to say he is a "local resident" who wants to build single-family homes. Smith also would not reveal the amount of purchase, except to say, "Don't you think 26 acres from the ocean to the bay is worth more than $2.6 million?"

'I'm not mad at anyone' But he expressed confidence the new owner would work with the county to allow the road rerouting.

"I think whatever the next guy decides in regard to development, he will be sensitive to the community," said Elliott Smith, who bought the campground in 1998. "I'm not mad at anyone, and I don't want to be looked at as doing anything to harm the community. "But I'm a businessman, and business is business."

Pierce said the new owner may be cooperative with the county - if he wants to build single-family homes, which would require a zoning change. "That property is zoned for a campground," Pierce said. "If it is developed as anything else, (the owner) will need something out of us."

The county is negotiating to buy five undeveloped beachfront lots east of the rock revetment, in case the land is needed for extension of the rock revetment or road construction. Pierce said the county is offering less than $1,000 per lot in part because "they are unbuildable by any standard." Each of the five has eroded to a small sliver of land.

Bill Wargo, one of the five beachfront-lot owners, has already refused the offer. Wargo, a retired state Department of Education official and Alligator Point resident, has been a longtime critic of Franklin County officials. He has brandished numerous scientific reports that say rock revetments exacerbate erosion.

"It makes me extremely angry that the only way they know how to deal with the issue is to buy out the property," Wargo said. "The most environmentally friendly thing they could do is remove the rocks and let the beach heal itself."



	Tallahassee Democrat on Line Local & State Posted on Wed, Oct. 15, 2003 Alligator Point project in jeopardy Road is vulnerable to storms By Gerald Ensley DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER Twelve days ago, Franklin County officials had great news: A state agency had awarded money that would allow the county to buy land to build the first public boat ramp on St. George Island and to reroute the perennially storm-damaged road at Alligator Point. Today, the news is only half-good: The boat ramp is still alive. But the road rerouting at Alligator Point is in jeopardy because the owner of the campground the county intended to buy has decided to sell the land to a private developer. It is unknown whether the prospective new owner, who reportedly intends to build individual homes on the land, will allow the county to reroute the road through his property. "I don't know what we're going to do," said Franklin County Planner Allen Pierce. "We are out of the loop (at Alligator Point) right now." Franklin County had two of the 48 projects statewide that were awarded land-purchase money on Oct. 3 by the Florida Communities Trust. Part of the state Department of Community Affairs, FCT was created in 1990 to help cities and counties buy private land - ranging from environmentally sensitive woodlands to urban neighborhoods - for public-access projects. Franklin County was awarded $4 million to buy 20 acres of waterfront on Apalachicola Bay at St. George Island to build a public boat ramp, parking lot and picnic area. Franklin County also was awarded $2.6 million to buy the 26-acre KOA campground at Alligator Point and reroute County Road 370 through the campground. The campground is located at a bend in Alligator Point where the road has frequently washed out during hurricanes and storms. The road was once separated from the ocean at that bend by a beach, sand dunes and pine trees. Today, only a sliver of beach - and a controversial sea wall and rock revetment - separates the road from the ocean. The boat ramp at St. George Island is planned for a long-existing boat basin on Apalachicola Bay, running west from the bridge and directly in front of Harry A's, a popular island bar. The basin was a ferry landing before the bridge was built in 1965. Two previous ramp plans The project would provide the first public-access boat ramp on the resort island. At least two previous plans to build a public boat ramp elsewhere on the island were stopped by environmental and development issues. The beach and road in front of the Alligator Point campground have been a source of controversy since 1972, when they were devastated by Hurricane Agnes. In 1972, officials put a 650-foot-long pile of rock and asphalt in front of the campground in hopes of containing erosion. In 1994, a sea wall and rock revetment of granite boulders were added. Despite those "armoring" efforts - or because of them, say critics - the erosion in front of and east of the campground has continued, leaving the road only a few feet from the water. Almost yearly, the county has to repair the road after it has been damaged by storms. In 2001, the county announced it wanted to reroute the road away from the beach through the campground and an adjacent neighborhood. But the effort was stymied by residents' opposition and a lack of funding. The FCT award was expected to remove all objections, as it would have allowed the county to buy the campground, reroute the road through that property, remove the sea wall and rock revetment and allow the beach to return to a natural state. But the campground is no longer for sale. Although owners Elliott and Dianne Smith signed a letter three months ago for Franklin County's FCT application indicating they would be a "willing seller" to the county, they have since agreed to sell the property to a private developer. Elliott Smith would not divulge the name of the prospective owner, except to say he is a "local resident" who wants to build single-family homes. Smith also would not reveal the amount of purchase, except to say, "Don't you think 26 acres from the ocean to the bay is worth more than $2.6 million?" 'I'm not mad at anyone' But he expressed confidence the new owner would work with the county to allow the road rerouting. "I think whatever the next guy decides in regard to development, he will be sensitive to the community," said Elliott Smith, who bought the campground in 1998. "I'm not mad at anyone, and I don't want to be looked at as doing anything to harm the community. "But I'm a businessman, and business is business." Pierce said the new owner may be cooperative with the county - if he wants to build single-family homes, which would require a zoning change. "That property is zoned for a campground," Pierce said. "If it is developed as anything else, (the owner) will need something out of us." The county is negotiating to buy five undeveloped beachfront lots east of the rock revetment, in case the land is needed for extension of the rock revetment or road construction. Pierce said the county is offering less than $1,000 per lot in part because "they are unbuildable by any standard." Each of the five has eroded to a small sliver of land. Bill Wargo, one of the five beachfront-lot owners, has already refused the offer. Wargo, a retired state Department of Education official and Alligator Point resident, has been a longtime critic of Franklin County officials. He has brandished numerous scientific reports that say rock revetments exacerbate erosion. "It makes me extremely angry that the only way they know how to deal with the issue is to buy out the property," Wargo said. "The most environmentally friendly thing they could do is remove the rocks and let the beach heal itself."