Q: Can you shed any light on the latest status of Hallowes Cove, the pristine area of the St. Johns River within the RiverTown development on State Road 13?<\/b><\/p>\n
A: This is the second or third time the subject of a marina at this location has come up. Years ago,the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) for RiverTown was approved with a prohibition of any marina being built here. When Mattamy bought the property, they bought it with this approved DRI. Now it seems they want to build a 250 slip marina on the passive riverfront park at the mouth of Hallowes Cove. <\/span><\/p>\n I certainly haven\u2019t heard an outcry from the community in favor of a marina. The last couple of times this came up, I received feedback from the community that they didn\u2019t want this property disturbed for a marina. I told the developer this and they withdrew the request, but sometimes developers refile to see if the community has had a change of heart.<\/span><\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t come to the Board of County Commissioners yet. It would require a major modification with public hearings, meetings and the permitting process to change this use of land. I like to ask, what\u2019s the benefit? Is it to the community or to the individual requesting the change? So I need to hear from people in the community if they want or don\u2019t want a marina.<\/span><\/p>\n Q: Can you comment on the contract status of County Administrator Michael Wanchick?<\/b><\/p>\n A: I think it is important for people to realize how impactful this position is to their daily lives \u2014 and I think he\u2019s done a good job. The Board of County Commissioners can only hire two positions: the county attorney and the county administrator. Michael Wanchick has asked to be retained in his position for one or two years and then he wants to retire. <\/span><\/p>\n