Good move with The Reserve

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Good move with The Reserve

Opinions

Thursday, 23 December 2010 13:14

It was a good move for the Osceola County Commission to put a 590-acre site called The Reserve at the Legacy Resort on the SAVE program’s active acquisition list but it is a shame that it was done at a time when there isn’t much county money available for its purchase.
The property, just north of Shingle Creek Regional Park, if obtained would go a long way in helping to complete the paddling trail in Orange and Osceola counties on what is referred to as the headwaters of the Everglades. Setting this area aside for our recreational enjoyment – and for the enjoyment of future generations – would be the right thing to do.
To that end, we urge the state through the Florida Forever program and local government entities – including the city of Kissimmee, the South Florida Water Management District and perhaps even the Toho Water Authority – to consider a partnership in buying this property.
We editorialized against the county’s purchase of the Tohoqua site on the eastern shore of Lake Tohopekaliga recently, mainly because of the price tag, the amount of wetlands involved and because the commission acted without a recommendation from the county’s Land Conservation Advisory Board. In The Reserve’s case, the site clearly has been recommended wholeheartedly and, unlike Tohoqua, the likelihood of partnerships with other agencies is high, as is the possibility of eventual federal funding coming our way to help maintain the waterway.
While we agree with putting the property on the active acquisition list, we concur with the county manager that before any additional money is spent on pursuing this property, that commissioners first must prioritize the list.
The Reserve site would provide additional access to Shingle Creek and would offer opportunities for passive recreation, such as bird watching, wildlife photography, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, camping and hiking. This site would go a long way in helping to provide recreational opportunities for local residents. And, because of its proximity to the tourist corridor and the developing county visitors center and Osceola County Historical Society museum and pioneer village on U.S. Highway 192 at Shingle Creek, it would help promote tourism in general and eco-tourism in particular.
As Mary Carr, former chair of the advisory board said, anything along Shingle Creek is worth pursuing because this waterway is our “diamond in the rough.”