By Mike Brassfield, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
CLEARWATER — The City Council has given its blessing to Clearwater Christian College's latest plan to fill in some wetlands on its campus to make way for dorms, parking and a chapel.
The proposal is a compromise between the college and local government officials. Clearwater Christian has scaled back its plans and is seeking to fill in fewer wetlands now. It is also no longer seeking to build athletic fields on the northern edge of its campus near a bald eagle nest located in the adjacent Cooper's Point wilderness area.
The City Council was only asked to approve zoning changes that could pave the way for the construction project. The college's plan to build on wetlands must still be approved by agencies such as the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The small private college, which is surrounded by mangrove swamp near the Courtney Campbell Parkway, was originally seeking permission to fill in nearly 8 acres of wetlands. It has now reduced that number to nearly 5 acres, which it describes as "poor quality" wetlands dominated by invasive Brazilian peppers and surrounding an old borrow pit.
Local environmental groups remain vocally opposed to the college's plan, saying there's no reason that Clearwater Christian should be allowed to destroy any wetlands.
But City Council members have been swayed by the college's offer to mitigate the environmental damage by improving the water circulation on 99 acres of stagnant wetlands on the school's property.
"The reason I supported this and continue to support it is, there's a substantial public benefit to this plan," said Councilman Paul Gibson. "That, in my opinion, significantly supersedes the loss of a minuscule amount of wetlands there."
The project goes to the Pinellas County Commission for review next Tuesday.
Mike Brassfield can be reached at brassfield@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4160.