an anonymous source submitted the following to us and before you get all excited everything here is from the public record, no cloak and dagger was involved.see for yourself here at the martin county, florida website.
we are reproducing the letter below because well we have noticed how things have a way of disappearing from the internet.
we do have to wonder though that since mr hadhazy is in the [illicit] sex biz couldnt he put up a few dollars to help a turtle mate? oh wait thats right sea turtles dont have bank accounts nor credit cards.
oh well we hope that whatever that is his estate sits on a sea wall, levee etc wasnt built by the same people that built the levees around new orleans...hmmm...or do we....
July 2, 2002
Telephone:772-288-5501
Fax:772-288-5467
File:gme02l.242.aw
Allen E. Hadhazy
11338 Yellow Legs Landing
Lake Worth, FL 33467
RE: 737 SE MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, Florida
Dear Property Owner or Coastal Resident:
The 2002 sea turtle nesting season began on March 1. In order to insure that nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings are not detrimentally affected by artificial lights, Martin County is working to identify and correct potentially problematic lights. Lighting evaluations were conducted along the beach from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line south to the St. Lucie Inlet. During these evaluations the following lights on your property were identified as potentially problematic:
1. Wall-mounted light on the northeast corner of the first floor.
2. Ceiling light recessed in the ceiling of the second floor balcony.
Martin County's Sea Turtle Protection Ordinance states that ``Any and all light fixtures shall be designed or positioned such that they do not cause direct or indirect illumination of areas seaward of the primary dune and the source of light is not directly visible from the beach.'' There are a number of ways to modify lights to resolve the harmful effects they may have on nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings (see the enclosed guide). Specific recommendations for the lights listed above are as follows:
A. The wall-mounted light (#1 above) may be shielded from the beach by the adjacent houses and vegetation. However, since this light was not turned on during the evaluations, you should insure that the light source (bulb) is not visible from the beach and does not illuminate the beach. If the light source is visible from the beach or illuminates the beach, then it may be necessary to install a shield or replace the fixture with a downlight.
B. The ceiling light (#2 above) was also off during the evaluations. It is possible (because of the height of the fixture and its proximity to the beach) that the light source may be visible from the beach or that light reflected from the interior surface of the fixture may illuminate the beach. If this fixture is adjustable, you should insure that the bulb is adequately recessed within the fixture. To reduce reflected light, the interior surface may be painted flat black. Alternatively, the light may be shielded.
During nighttime lighting evaluations, interior lights from a number of facilities were observed to brightly illuminate the beach. For this reason, all coastal residents are reminded to draw their drapes at night, move potentially problematic lights away from windows or take other appropriate action to insure interior lights do not illuminate the beach (again, the enclosed guide may be helpful).
In order to protect the large number of hatchlings that will begin emerging from their nests in July, the County is requesting that all coastal residents and property owners make the necessary modifications to their lights as soon as possible. Additional lighting evaluations will be conducted during July to insure that all lights have been appropriately modified. (Note: Some or all of the lights listed above were turned off during the nighttime evaluation. Any lights you intend to leave off during the sea turtle nesting/hatching season will not need modification. However, if you think a light may have to be turned on at any time during the season, March 1 - October 31, then it should be modified to comply with the County's ordinance. Also, because lighting evaluations were made from the beach, some potentially problematic lights that were turned off at the time of the evaluation may not have been identified. You should insure that all of your lights are compliant with the County's ordinance.)
There are many methods of managing lighting on your property to allow for adequate safety and security without causing harm to sea turtles. The above recommendations are not necessarily the only means of correcting the lighting problems on your property. The County has scheduled a public meeting to acquaint coastal residents with alternatives for modifying potentially problematic lights. Please see the attached flyer for meeting information. In addition, the County has contracted with a lighting expert who will be available to provide advice on how to correct your problem lights.
I wish to thank you for your cooperation in protecting Martin County's sea turtles.
Sincerely,
J. Ross Wilcox, Ph.D.
Environmental Planning Administrator
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