Fly Creek Erosion and Hidden Development Threats

The creek behind Publix has severe erosion problems, in some areas the banks have collapsed over 20 feet down into the creek, depositing tons of dirt and eroded clay. These failed banks have caused trees to collapse into the creek resulting in log jams that back up the flow of water. Until now no one has documented this; Kant and Arthur Corte are ignoring previous damage to Fly Creek from construction of the shopping center while proposing the addition of a project 5 times larger than the Publix shopping center. Let’s not forget about the fire station, now we know what the city has denied for years. This fire station is for the developer’s benefit, including the reduction of insurance rates, and our tax dollars will be paying for that. No Consideration appears to have been given to the danger of having Fire trucks and Emergency Vehicles pulling out on Parker road, where an already dangerous traffic flow has caused numerous accidents and deaths. The city has denied, for years any plan to connect Rock Creek to Parker Road, this project will guarantee that HUNDREDS of cars will short cut through rock Creek, just look at the plat proposal. For forty years the owners of the triangle property were denied every proposed project that they submitted to the city, including a Performing Arts Center. Out of disgust they finally settled with the city, resulting in the city having to purchase the property, as a condition of the suit. This settlement was done in secret, no public participation was involved, it cost us 12 million dollars. Now the city is willing to change zoning to accommodate Mayor Kant’s favorite developer, a complete reversal to a policy that existed for 40 years. Mr Corte the land owner of the proposed new PUD development, and who does not reside in Fairhope, was the root of the problem, swaying the Publix development from the triangle to his property. Our Mayor helped him with that dirty deal and now will help him with this dirty deal. In 2011 a complaint was filed against Mayor Kant and Senator Pittman for grant fraud related to BP funds. It is a fact that a grand jury convened and city employees had to testify. BP as well as the special prosecutor in the Alabama Attorney’s Generals office has these cases currently. Mayor Kant and the good Senator will tell you that the Alabama Ethics Commission exonerated them from any wrong doing, this is totally false. The Ethics Commission refused to look into it, however, the FBI and BP fraud division did. With any justice Mr. Kant and Mr. Pittman could be up for indictment in 2015. In March of 2013 the Mayor commissioned a 30 thousand dollar study by Thompson Engineering, for the Fly Creek Watershed Restoration Project. This cut and paste document could have been prepared by any high school student. The Study never identified the major problems with the watershed, such as the lower section of Fly Creek being full of red clay from the Publix project. The purpose of the study was to apply for upcoming BP grants, you know like the one they are being investigated for, for grant fraud. The city has now applied for Restore Act money under the alluring title: Mobile Bay Preservation and Restoration; Lower Fly Creek Reach (?) Project. This is to include sediment removal from fly creek, the same damn sediment deposited by a private developer, Regency Center/Mr. Corte. The grant also “proposes long term protection from development, adverse storm water impacts, turbidity and sedimentation”. This $14,700,000 project is to “protect from development”, hello out there, 275 apartments plus 15 townhomes, clubhouse, pool, and parking all located on 40 acres, within the fly creek watershed AND sharing the same detention pond as the shopping center. The development alone will probably disqualify the city from the grant, and trust me I will inform the US Treasury Dept of all the details.