State delays meetings on Florida park developments after backlash

Pushback grows against state park development plans

Evan Axelbank reports

TAMPA, Fla. - The heat is on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection after a developer pulled out of a plan to build a golf course at a state park.

However, the DeSantis administration is still planning changes at eight other state parks, as part of what it calls its "Great Outdoors Initiative.

The Florida DEP says its plan will expand public access and recreational opportunities at state parks. Weekend protesters at Honeymoon Island say it's named that for a reason.

"The reason we come out here is it is incredibly beautiful, peaceful," said one protestor.

Documents show that at Honeymoon Island, the DEP is considering pickleball courts near the parking and beach access areas.

At the Hillsborough River, they're considering pickleball and disc golf.

In St. Augustine, there is a plan for a 350-room hotel at Anastasia State Park.

And at John Dickinson State Park north of Jupiter, a golf course had been planned, until this weekend, when the developers caught a whiff of the backlash, even from Republicans ordinarily aligned with the governor, like Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

"I think it would be a real tragedy to go in and put lodges and golf courses, pickleball courts," he said.

Citing overwhelming interest with the 2024-25 great outdoors initiative, the DEP said in a Tweet it is looking for new venues to accommodate public meetings.

After scheduling them for this week, they postponed them until at least Sept. 2.

They also launched a web page encouraging feedback.

Democrats wonder if there are ulterior motivations.

"We can all assume that that profit is a goal," said State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando). "No one goes into building a golf course or a hotel or pickleball without thinking about how they're going to make money off it."

The public meetings had originally just been scheduled for an hour each on Tuesday afternoon.

But with such interest, and with such a chord struck, the state is likely looking for bigger venues with more time reserved.

Conservationist Jane Goodall is slated to hold events in Tampa Bay in three weeks, and her representatives, who didn't take a position on the plans themselves, were asked today about bipartisan allies over the park proposals.

"That kind of togetherness is what moves the needle forward," said Anna Rathmann of the Jane Goodall Institute. "An opportunity to work together, even if it's from unlikely partnerships. It's a really great thing."

The state has not yet made any official announcements on when the new meetings will be held beyond saying they're targeting next week.

They have stressed that these proposals would be carried out with "minimal impact to precious habitats."

And they insist there is increased demand for these types of attractions.

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