People Get Ready for Battle 2: Target Store. By Geniusofdespair

Environmental land battles are never over. Target Stores purchased a property on SW 8th Street from Lowe's Store 11/19/2012 for $9,800,000. As you can see they wasted no time hiring lobbyists, the ink was hardly dry on the deed. To be fair to Target, they could build the store on approximately 12 acres they have within the Urban Development Boundary. However, do you really need a gaggle of lobbyists to do what you are allowed to do? Yes, I do know that they are Holland & Knight attorneys. To me, the lobbyists are a bad sign. I hope this doesn't turn into another land use battle, Oscar Musibay of the South Florida Business Journal reflected on just that in a recent article. Musibay contacted Target and they said:

"Target is committed to being a great neighbor..."

Let's hope so, but, Juan Mayol is the lobbyist of choice for land battles outside the UDB line.

Lobbyists hired by Target Corp.

Target land, previous owned by Lowe's Big Box Store. Half the property is outside the UDB line.

The legal battle against the Lowe's store went way beyond the County Commission, that approved the store outside the UDB.  After an extended fight, in 2009 the State Cabinet finally sided with the Dept. of Community Affairs and environmentalists.  Things are different now. The DCA is a shell of what it once was, folded into another department. I don't think it has the will to mount a fight a second time. We don't have a State Cabinet that would take a stand against our County Commission either. With T Party politicians like Rick Scott and Pam Bondi as members of the Cabinet it looks bad for the environment. We don't know yet what Target is planning, it is just the stench of lobbyists in the air that has me worried this morning.