(The following story by Tom Palmer appeared on the Lakeland Ledger website on October 16.)
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — CSX officials plan to submit an application for approval of their Winter Haven freight terminal in mid-December, a consultant for the railroad said Monday.
The announcement came during the first of two pre-application meetings for the controversial project.
The application for approval of a development of regional impact will go to the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, which will review the 318-acre project and make recommendations to the Winter Haven City Commission, which has the authority to grant final approval.
Pat Steed, the council’s executive director, said the agency is opening a Web site — csxdri@cfrpc.org — to take comments on the project and will post documents related to the project on the council’s main Web site, which is www.cfrpc.org.