(The following story by Jeremy Maready appeared on The Lakeland Ledger website on October 23.)
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Is the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce taking a stand against the proposed CSX Integrated Logistics Center in Winter Haven? It might appear that way from a recent edition of its monthly newsletter. But the group’s president says otherwise.
“We are not opposed to the ILC project,” said Kathleen Munson, president of the Chamber who wrote the article. “This just outlined the impact it will have on Lakeland, the communities and surrounding county.”
For several months representatives from the chamber, city, Lakeland Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) and Downtown Lakeland Partnership (DLP) have been meeting to discuss the impacts the facility will have on Lakeland.
“While the ILC project will have a positive economic impact on Winter Haven and the entire county, Lakeland and other county municipalities will see a major negative impact from the increase in freight traffic and congestion of our roads,” Munson wrote in the newsletter.
In discussions with chamber officials, it appears board members have not opposed Munson’s newsletter article.
“We understand their position,” said Ron Morrow, a CSX spokesman. “We intend to work on this problem. But we can’t solve it overnight.”
Munson further outlined in the report that the combination of CSX’s ILC and a commuter rail realignment project will significantly increase freight train traffic through Lakeland from 16 trains per day up to 20 trains per day.
“With the increase in freight shipments of goods and services, Lakeland will also see train lengths increase from the average of 7,500 feet to the optimal 9,000 feet, which will also add to traffic congestion along the area’s grade crossings,” Munson wrote in the article.
“That is possible, but it is not imminent,” Morrow said of the increased train lengths. “We are in the middle of going through the DRI (Development of Regional Impact) and getting into the specific numbers. We are working on the problem.”
The chamber has proposed a short term plan for the development of Quiet Zones through the downtown residential corridor and, in the long term, the possibility of rerouting some of the train traffic in the area.
And as the project’s DRI review continues, Munson also wants to focus on Polk County’s roads.
“This isn’t all about Lakeland,” Munson said in an interview. “It spills over to other communities. We want to ensure CSX, FDOT and the state really make sure we have the resources to fund the mitigating solutions this DRI process will identify.”
To help address the concerns and represent the chamber’s interest, Tampa lawyer Ron Weaver has been hired. His fee is being split among the chamber, city, LDDA, DLP and the Lakeland Association of Realtors.
“We want to get a handle on what is and is not being proposed,” Weaver said of his role in the DRI review. “We want to determine the real long-term mitigations on Lakeland interests.”
The only group in Lakeland to officially oppose the CSX project has been the DLP, which held an anti-CSX rally in August in downtown Lakeland. At the event, about 75 people signed a petition against the proposed rail center.