Mayor lashes county

In October, the Dunnellon City Council made it known it was not happy with the county’s plans for a so-called Drainage Retention Area along County Road 484.
Three-and-half months later, Mayor Fred Ward continued to express his displeasure about the project, which is nearing completion, and the county’s decision not to seek input from city officials.
“I’m not very happy about it,” he explained. “It’s atrocious.”
Mayor Ward told fellow council members he’s spoken with two people who have homes along the area, which sits almost directly across the entrance from Blue Cove. He said both citizens, women who are in their 80s said they’re concerned with the lack of privacy and security the trees, that were once there, provided.
“Any fool can walk across there,” he said, noting he walked it himself.
Councilman Dennis Evans said any property owner has the right to do what it wants with its property.
Mayor Ward disagreed.
“That doesn’t hold water,” he said. “It’s not zoned for a DRA; it’s zoned for residential or a traditional neighborhood. We had nothing to say about it. We knew nothing about it. I don’t have to be happy or happy with the results.”
Mayor Ward asked the Council to take a stance together to make sure the county addresses the problem.
“We can make them mitigate the problem or at least find a resolution,” he explained. “It’s criminal what they did. We don’t like it. They ran roughshod over us. They didn’t consider the impact of residents.”
Vice Mayor Fred Starke chimed in.
“They came in here and played games with us,” he said.
Evans suggested it would perhaps be easier to formulate a complaint and try to get it fixed.
Ward, still angered by the county’s actions, said the area is a terrible welcome sight to Dunnellon.
“There was no consideration to the people around it,” he concluded.