Lakeland Chamber Says CSX Proposal Needs More Study

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 7:06 PM EST Lakeland Chamber says CSX proposal needs more study Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Michael Hinman If CSX Corp. wants to build a integrated logistics center near Winter Haven, it first should make sure every impact to surrounding communities is studied and mitigated. That was the gist of a resolution passed Wednesday by the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. It is asking the state government to fund and undertake a comprehensive feasibility study to "evaluate and determine the most efficient and cost-effective manner to meet Florida's current and future needs for the movement of freight and passenger rail, along with vehicular traffic, prior to committing to this project." Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) has plans to build a 5 million-square-foot ILC on more than 1,200 acres in southern Winter Haven executives say could boost the state's economy by more than $10 billion while creating more than 8,000 jobs. The proposal, however, has not been met well with Lakeland business owners, particularly those in the downtown district where CSX tracks would potentially experience higher traffic and create tie-ups that could discourage shoppers from going there, opponents say. "The chamber, city of Lakeland and Lakeland CSX task force have been working over the past several months to thoroughly analyze the impact that the proposed CSX ILC and Central Florida Commuter Rail projects will have on Lakeland and other communities throughout our region," said Tim Campbell, chairman of the chamber's board of directors, in a release. "As a result, we feel that it is essential that the Florida Department of Transportation fund and conduct a complete study and statewide analysis of freight rail corridors to identify alternatives for the routing of freight trains away from existing urban areas and areas that will serve the growing residential needs in the state of Florida." Gary Sease, a Florida spokesman for CSX, said the company has commissioned a number of studies, some of which were required in the development of regional impact evaluation process. The company is also exploring instituting a "quiet zone" in downtown Lakeland which would limit additional warning noise such whistles and horns at certain times of day. These efforts show CSX's willingness to address community concerns over impacts that an additional four trains a day would have on the downtown area, Sease said. Chamber officials said that its 2,100 member are concerned not just about business impacts, but also possible impacts to the economy, environment, safety, and transportation. At the same time, the chamber said it doesn't believe that all the studies necessary to put together such a project have been completed, and that the FDOT should hold off on appropriating nearly $491 million to the project until such studies are completed. Among the other proposals offered by the chamber include FDOT finding alternatives for the "Super Freight Rail Highway" that would route freight trains away from existing urban areas; the impacts of the deep seaport operations along Tampa Bay and the Gulf coast; and providing full cost figures needed to help mitigate increased train traffic in urban areas. All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.