Background:

Suwannee River Water Management District issued a water use permit to Blue Springs Properties in 1997, and then again in 2003. They revoked it during 2007, because of lack of follow through.  In a letter dated August 13, 2007, Suwannee River Water Management had requested Blue Springs to supply them with one or more of the following examples, but not limited to in order to fulfill their permit requirements: 

          “an agreement with a vendor with specific dates,

           a county-approved detailed site plan and approved zoning conformance,

           letter from the county with specific dates,

           a detailed business plans with specific dates,

           evidence of construction.”  

After the revocation, Blue Springs requested an Administrative Hearing (a private meeting with SRWMD) to ask for a continuance as to supply the District with the above mentioned request of information. 

In 2003, Blue Springs attempted to persuade Gilchrist County Commissioners to change their 31 acres from Agriculture (Ag-2) to light industrial use. Gilchrist County refused the change of land use zoning then.  Now, Blue Springs Properties wants Gilchrist County Comm. to allow for a “Special Use Permit” on their Ag-2 land to build a plant.

During the Gilchrist County Planning and Zoning meeting on March 17, 2008 the P&Z Board unanimously voted against the "Special Use Permit" to build a facility.  Over 200 citizens attended this meeting and over 50 voiced their concerns during the meeting.

Blue Springs Properties had another Administrative Hearing with the SRWMD around the time of the Planning and Zoning meeting in March 2008.  At this time the district reduced Blue's allocation to 500,000 gallons daily versus 528,000 they were permitted. (They are still permitted a maximum allocation of 660,000 gallons daily).  They also reduced their campground water use permit from 32,000 gallons to 16,000 gallons daily.   OSFR requested to be present during this meeting with the District, but we were told it was a "private" meeting between the two parties...Blue Springs Properties and the SRWMD... and their lawyers.  So we are not certain why they reduced the allocation.  During this meeting the two parties agreed that the entire 5 member board of the County Commission must be present to vote on this issue. 

NOW...they are all present.  You can find their names and addresses below.  We encourage you to write to your elected officials and tell them how you feel about these kinds of businesses in your neighborhoods.  It does not matter what county you live in.  ALTHOUGH, they really want to hear from the residents of Gilchrist County.  But we will all be affected in our quality of life.  The rivers and roads join us all together and we must preserve them for our future generations. 

Now the County Commission must hear the request through due process and vote to decide the fate of our aquifer, springs and river and or way of life.  

Talking Points:  

1. The Santa Fe River System is designated by the state of Florida as an Outstanding Florida Waterway. 

“Outstanding Florida Waters are rivers, lakes and other bodies of water designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), under authority of Section 403.061 (27), Florida Statutes, as worthy of special protection because of their natural attributes. Outstanding Florida Waters have special restrictions on any new activities that would lower water quality or otherwise degrade the body of water.”   Wikipedia   

2. The water, when bottled in plastic containers (derived from oil), would be transported in large trucks outside this area for corporate profit. Each 16 oz. plastic bottle requires ¼ of its size in oil during manufacture and shipping.

3. CCDA (Coca-Cola/Danone) is less than a mile from Blue on CR 340. CCDA is already permitted to extract up to 1,728,000 gallons daily from the aquifer.

4. Key words: concurrency and safety.  Traffic would increase with an additional 272 truck trips per day and employee vehicles, right next to the bicycle path and on a school bus route. CR 340 already bears additional vehicular traffic, as the area has been popular for suburban and rural residential development, it is a growth corridor for future development and it is used by thousands of tourists every week that frequent Poe Springs, Blue Springs, Ginnie Springs and Rock Bluff on the Suwannee River.  This type of traffic will also be using the Main Streets of High Springs and Ft. White to get to Interstate 75, miles away. 

5. We were recently in a legally designated water use restriction period. Restrictions are to be enforced by the local municipalities, Gilchrist County in this case. Reducing water availability from our public natural resources, during times of drought, is particularly poor management. Many residential wells were compromised, and more will become dry if  drought continues...as predicted.

 6. There are vacant factory jobs available in Bell, High Springs and Alachua, a few miles away. 

7. Bottled Water Plants generate noise and light pollution which is not compatible with rural residential development and recreational land uses.