Sustainable Land Development Today - January 2008 - (Page 56) WETLANDS Bridging Wetlands Planned development that includes environmental restoration promises to revitalize threatened environment. By Pat Friedlander 520 foot boardwalk on the northern trail crossing tidewater channel from Tampa BAY – 50 foot observation tower in background Bill Robinson will witness the fulfillment of a lifelong goal—to leave a footprint in Manatee County, Florida, his home. Robinson Preserve will be a place where people can connect with nature. By incorporating restorative processes and uniquely designed structural spans, the project will breathe new life into a threatened body of water. 1st bridge on the northern trail –110 foot arched pedestrian bridge Store Front to Chain Stores A success in the business world, Robinson established himself by starting a sporting goods store with his brother and growing the company to 49 locations. It was later sold to Woolworth’s. Today, it is the 700-store chain known as Champs. For two years after the sale, Robinson stayed with the company before once again striking out on his own. Marketing to a new niche, he created an 11-store network of retail landscaping stores, which was sold to John Deere. This time Robinson retained a portion of the business, its nursery operation, which produces trees for Deere’s landscaping division. Over the course of time, Robinson had purchased parcels of land, much of it in the Bradenton-area of Manatee County for growing coconut and other tropical trees. As the operation expanded, he amassed nine parcels where he grew as many as 100,000 trees. Volunteers planting native grasses The public/private partnership that will result in Robinson Preserve was supported by a number of different sources. Florida Communities Trust assisted with land acquisition. Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program offered additional assistance with funding for restoration and construction activities. Funding for educational programming and community volunteer efforts was received from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program Office; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Restoration Center; Gulf of Mexico Foundation; and Tampa Bay Estuary Program. 56 January 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approached him about Palma Sola Bay. The body of water was failing. Roads had cut off its free flow of water from Tampa Bay. Faced with this threat to the local environment, Robinson, an outdoorsman and avid kayaker, saw an opportunity to do something for the people of the county and Mother Nature. He worked with the DEP on a purchase/donation plan with Manatee County. It would allow the DEP to save Palma Sola Bay by digging canals to connect it with Tampa Bay and create water trails that could be used for canoeing and kayaking. The idea sparked discussions within Manatee County government about forming a development partnership. The county offered to purchase an ecologically-sensitive 480 acre tract, which provided Robinson with funds to construct the golf course on the remaining acres, while reducing the number of homes involved in the project. Community Buy-in The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Volunteers ranging in age from first graders to retired seniors have assisted with removing invasive plants and replanting salt marsh habitats. College students have contributed by arranging and facilitating a scientific study of the marine inhabitants in the large lagoon at the preserve. A program was created to further engage the public in the restoration process by inviting them to attend regularly scheduled “sneak peek” tours. Program attendance has been astounding – averaging 75 to 100 people per trip. The tours have been expanded to include An Opportunity In 2000, Robinson decided to create a planned development on the 700 acres which borders Tampa Bay, Perico Bayou and Palma Sola Bay. The project was to include 600 home sites and an 18-hole championship golf course. While seeking the necessary approvals for the project, the Florida
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