Islanders react to commissioners denial of Palms of Pine Island project
During last week’s regular meeting of the Lee County Board of Commissioners, more than 100 island residents turned out to oppose the Palms of Pine Island farmworker housing project. After more than 1 1/2 hours of testimony delivered by several Pine Island residents, the commissioners voted unanimously to deny the project.
Representing the Greater Pine Island Civic Association at the meeting was Dr. Phil Buchanan.
“We expected the County Commissioners to uphold the hearing examiner and turn down the application for the farmworker housing. Personally, I was a little surprised that all five commissioners so quickly voted to deny the project with little or no discussion, but it was, after all, an open-and-shut case,” said Buchanan. “The applicant wanted to take farmworkers that already live on the economy of Pine Island and force them to move into segregated company-owned housing, apartments that actually would cost them more than available single family housing. That’s discrimination and the commissioners quickly realized that.”
Bokeelia resident Bill Mantis believes that the project was defeated due to islanders functioning as one group.
“Thanks go to the 100 to 200 Pine Islanders who took the time to travel downtown to attend the county commissioner hearing on the Palms of Pine Island farmworker housing project. The fact that commissioners voted 5-0 to reject the project is testimony to the powerful impact a strong showing of public support can have,” said Mantis. “When the commissioners looked out to the audience and saw a sea of yellow shirts, they knew they were looking at a group of their constituents who are particularly well informed and who are likely to vote in future elections. According to Woody Allen, 90 percent of life is just showing up. Nowhere is that aphorism more true or applicable than when Pine Islanders show up in a bloc to express their unanimous support or opposition to a particular county policy proposal.”
Mantis also suggested that the residents of Pine Island could follow up with e-mail to thank the commissioners for their vote which he feels would “double the impact that our attendance had.”
Not all island residents objected to the project and felt that the rejection could be viewed as discriminatory actions. Among those who approved of the low-cost farmworker housing is Bokeelia resident Wayne Holbrook.
“How sad that those who oppose progress on Pine Island have now adopted racism as a weapon to further their aims. A ghetto, a slum where residents live in dilapidated apartments and fear of crime? I think not,” Holbrook said. “I see reasonably priced housing for those who have jobs, not because they work cheap, but because they work hard.”
At this time it has not yet been determined if the petitioners of the project will take the matter to litigation.