On September 4, 2018 at 11:51 a.m. Mr. Joseph Paladin, at a Special Call meeting of the Indian River County Commissioners regarding the County’s offer to purchase the 37 acre Dodgertown Golf Course, during public comment, said: “I think sometimes there are things more important than development, and that’s coming from a developer.”
Then at 9:22 p.m., approximately nine and one-half hours later, on the same day, Mr. Paladin, standing aside Commissioner O’Bryan and County Administrator Jason Brown at a Vero Beach City Council meeting to present the County’s offer to purchase the property (not a public comment from Mr. Paladin) said: “There are a lot of things that can happen to this piece of property if the County buys the whole piece. There’s other things the County can be involved in as far as future development, as far as future business, as far as future revenue. That’s always out there.”
By standing with Mr. O’Bryan and Mr. Brown was he speaking on behalf of the County Commissioners? Mr. Paladin flip-flopped in nine and one-half hours.
Commissioner O’Bryan spoke after Mr. Palladin at 9:45 p.m.
Commissioner O’Bryan indicated that “the commitment will be made” that the 37 acres would “be kept in open space for passive recreational use…would not be developed.” It would be “open space, open water and paths of recreational trails.”
Later in the meeting he indicated “at some point building another hotel on the property would make a lot of sense, particularly if major league baseball comes in.”
“We have time…we don’t have to decide what to do with it tomorrow. If we do the full purchase we have greater flexibility down the road and a lot more options available to us…a tourist tax and sales tax would give us more flexibility for future uses.”
Then at a September 11 County Commission Meeting Commissioner Tim Zork said: “I have had probably had six people say its great you’re going to keep it as green space and I said that’s not technically correct.”
Who’s on first at the Dodgertown Golf Course?
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