Callahan preparing for impact of future growth

With growth predicted for Callahan, town officials and school representatives want to be prepared for the impact. 

Nassau County School Board members and Superintendent Dr. Kathy Burns held a joint workshop with Mayor Marty Fontes, Town Clerk Stephanie Knagge and the Callahan Town Council March 5 to discuss the possible impacts of an influx of people. 

The mayor asserted that jobs will eventually arrive at Crawford Diamond Industrial Park. 

Burns asked, “Do you all have confirmations on Crawford Diamond? I mean, are there absolutely solid commitments from them?”

“We are expecting,” Fontes said. “We’re working with FPL.” 

She replied, “I knew that, but …”

Fontes broke in, “We’re working on providing water and sewer lines down to Crawford Diamond. That includes everything on (U.S.) 301 down to Crawford Diamond, or any commercial growth or residential growth that we could possibly service.” 

Callahan was awarded $5 million from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to start the project. 

“What our grant says is to provide water and sewer lines for West Nassau up to Crawford Diamond, so it doesn’t say it is specific for Crawford Diamond – it’s for West Nassau,” Fontes said. “What’s going to be tapping into those lines? We don’t know; There is at least one company on the verge of signing – maybe this month. It’s working with the landowner of Crawford Diamond and FPL. So it’s been interesting. And it’s going to be even more interesting. Crawford Diamond ... it’s been a long haul. But, you go to the meetings, some of them have been very scary about how many jobs they want to bring.”

He said the goal is to obtain a clean manufacturer so that there won’t be as many wastewater issues or environmental problems. 

“Employees are going to have good jobs and they’re going to have to be skilled,” Fontes said.  

Later, Councilwoman Shirley Graham questioned whether his prediction about the industrial park would occur. 

“We have been hearing for many years that somebody is coming; it’s gonna be big, and here we sit,” she said. 

Fontes said, “OK, I have been told that we’re probably 85 percent with a manufacturing company – maybe even this month – for 360 jobs.”

“I won’t believe it unless we have a contract,” Graham replied. 

“I know what you’re saying,” Fontes said. “One of the problems with Crawford Diamond, and this is a big problem with Rayonier, is that they had a field, not even a cleaned out field, and it’s bringing people there from all over the world.”

He continued, “They’re taking these people through a field with no infrastructure. Even if these 360-job people decide ‘no’, FPL has done infrastructure and building the field up. We’re going to have water and sewer down there and there’s going to be infrastructure. FPL will have electricity there. So now they can see that there is stuff there for when they’re ready to build. FPL has put money into it. And that’s what it needed to begin with.”

Fontes added, “Rayonier thought they had a field and they could sell it – not to what they were aiming at. This a huge beauty contest throughout the country to bring these businesses. The meetings, I’d say, for a small town, even half of these people all over the world – it’s been a total shift on what needs to be done and it’s being done. Nothing moves quickly with these big companies and I understand there’s skepticism, because I was also for nine years. But I am a lot more optimistic than I have been in the past. And even if this company doesn’t come, we’re going to have water and sewer down there. And even if Crawford Diamond doesn’t develop ... there’s going to be a lot of other things dropping in out there as growth comes.” 

With the existing infrastructure, Fontes expressed optimism that manufacturers will arrive. 

“I think FPL is not going to rest until they get it and a lot of people that they’re talking to are the people that supply them,” he said, adding that his update may not be enough to soothe the wound until an agreement is signed. 

“I’m the same way. I keep on waiting.”

“Give me a piece of paper that says – I mean, that’s me,” Graham replied. 

The panel also discussed the feasibility of a public swimming pool.  

“I’ll just say this, I do talk about it with every group we meet with and any potential builders and developers that we get to cross paths with,” Burns said. “We meet with the county every year at least once and we bring it up to them as well. We know there’s a need, but neither one of us can do that at this time.” 

“It’s a definite need,” Fontes said. “I’d like to have private financing – a Y or Boys Club or Girls Club, but right now they all need money also. It’s a tough row to hoe.” 

Fontes sought the school board’s maintenance of re-tention ponds at Callahan Elementary and West Nassau High School. 

“We, as a town, realized that we are not quite capable of doing retention ponds ourselves,” the mayor said. “We have contracted with a service to do our retention ponds. They’re not very expensive. It’s probably cheaper for us than having our guys touch them. I know especially the one behind the football field at West Nassau is pretty nasty and that one might be able to be filled in.”

That may be a recurring task the school board can assume. 

“We haven’t had any major construction going on in the last year at these schools,” Burns said. 

“In the near future, we’re going to have a lot of major construction on the West Side,” Fontes said. “We’re getting a lot of phone calls – a lot of interest.”

He and Burns discussed contractor Ken Greene’s plans to possibly build at least three subdivisions, totaling up to 700 homes along Lem Turner Road. 

Greene had planned to have an RV park on a 265-acre property. The site is already home to an 18-hole golf course. Greene’s initial proposal included turning part of the property into a preserve and keeping half the golf course. The Nassau County Commission denied the request in November. The property’s future land use provides for 450 homes. 

Green told the Record Thursday that he will most likely close the golf course next month. He said that he would be willing to donate 28 acres for an elementary or intermediate school on the site, provided the school bears his name. 

Fontes said Greene has discussed the possibility of tying into the town’s water and sewer system at the contractor’s expense. 

School Board Member Gail Cook asked about the town’s ability to accommodate more water and sewer customers. The town is under capacity currently, but the wastewater side will need a new trench added in the next five years, according to the mayor.   

“Each resident doesn’t impact much on water and sewer,” he said. Commercial and manufacturing sites have a higher impact. 

Contractor Brenton Fran-
klin is building a 72-unit apartment complex on Ewing Park Road. The council approved the site plan in November. 

“They’re just about ready to start the infrastructure on it, so I imagine it will be a year or a year-and-a-half before the apartments are built,” Fontes said. 

The apartments are for moderate-income residents. 

Burns asked, “Is it considered affordable housing?”

Fontes said the complex would not have HUD housing and that rental units would probably cost between $900 and $1,200 per month. 

Burns said that she’s always looking for options for teachers to purchase affordable housing. 

During the workshop, Burns asked for a volunteer to consider serving on a Land Growth Committee. The member will represent the town’s interests and voice concerns about concurrency. Town Ordinance No. 2008-09, enacted a decade ago, will be updated to align with current conditions. 

Fontes will appoint a volunteer.