Description

After extensive investigation it has been determined that this shopping center owned by Budd Jr & III LLC is an abomination! This shopping center and surrounding area has been reported nearly 40 times on click fix over the years by local residents who just want a clean neighborhood!

Investigation on massive litter that was entering the Withlacoochee River for over 12 years! Has led to the upstream identification of hot spots. Those hot spots have led up stream to Sugar Creek then up stream of One Mile branch that eventually led up to this shopping center and surrounding area as a major contributor to trash being dumped into the Withlacoochee River. The numerous archived reports show the exact levels and type of trash along with reported locations of “trash in the ditch” provide a valuable treasure trove of historical documentation on to how this shopping center and surrounding area has been contributing to polluting the rivers!

The drainage ditches in this area and especially this shopping center dump directly into the “headwater” of One-Mile Branch. This shopping center has dumpsters that are located directly on top of this drainage ditch. The parking lots of this shopping center that mates with the ditch suffers from severe erosion, which is further proof that Stormwater runoff is heavy in this area and has been taking the overflow of trash directly into One-Mile Branch! These dumpsters should at a minimum be moved away from this drainage ditch!

The accumulation of this litter can be seen on any given day over the years, including right now just steps from the Valdosta Fire Station #2. The area looks like a large ditch but is actually the headwaters of the very One-Mile branch that winds through Drexel Park and along VSU and into Sugar Creek before dumping into the Withlacoochee River and taking the trash from this neighborhood and surrounding area with it! The 1st major clog of all this trash is in One-Mile Branch. Then when enough Stormwater accumulates from a good rain event, the 2nd major clog is the City’s Stormwater retention pond and the “walled” canal area by the old Michael’s Deli at North Ashley Street. As it rains and Stormwater accumulates, the trash is pushed on to a 3rd clog at Sugar Creek from One-Mile Branch and then of course with more Stormwater Runoff, it’s pushed on into the Withlacoochee River! This cycle has been repeated daily for decades with now action from City Departments on this issue.

This shopping center and surrounding area is in dire need of education and outreach on what happens to this trash in their ditches l. Also so does the City Marshalls! There have been at least 2 reports of massive litter in this area that were reported in February of 2022 that took the City Marshalls a whole month to actually go look at the report. Once in finally in the area a month later, the City Marshalls closed the 2 reports saying there is no violation. This is because during the time it took the Marshalls to actually go see, Stormwater Runoff had already pushed the litter down the drainage ditches and into One-Mille Branch.

Looking at the 40 or so archived click fixes, it is visible that the City Marshalls have come to this shopping center and surrounding area numerous times and has discussed, issued citations, and were able to get some areas cleaned up.

This area is in dire need of outreach and education and perhaps something more localized for the residents to dispose of trash properly. “We cannot solve our problems by continuing to use the same thinking as when we created them” remember Einstein?

I am asking the City to connect the dots in this issue in this area and specifically this shopping center. Connect the dots that have finally been laid out after decades of trash flowing into the former Sugar Creek logjam to the years of local residents here reporting and fighting for a cleaner neighborhood. These issues until now were independent and separated. But after further investigation and following the trail upstream they have finally been connected!

To the residents that have been struggling in this neighborhood for years to get it cleaned up, you never knew this but a few miles away this trash that you’ve been cleaning up on your own and reporting for years has actually been making its way directly into the river. It goes in to One-Mile Branch, then Sugar Creek, then the Withlacoochee River, then rhe Suwannee River, then the Gulf of Mexico….and it started its journey at the Stormwater runoff drainage ditches at Lakeland Ave and E Park Avenue area and this shopping center! Thank you for your efforts and please keep it up.

City Marshalls, I can see from the archived reports that you are probably exhausted from coming to this area repeatedly for the same issues! Your counterparts in other City departments can and should help you out, by using a different approach on Public Works, Stormwater Management, Community Engagement, even VLPRA which is right in the middle of all of this!

Oh and property owner Budd Jr & III LLC, do better! Your property is in shambles with crumbling infrastructure. But based on other properties owned by “Budd Jr & III LLC” and related surrounding property owner “Budd Commercial Real Estate” it’s clear you have no moral compass but in this case maybe actually contribute to the betterment of your community?