Tom Hanson: Judah may compromise opposition to interchange

Ray Judah has an interesting dilemma on his hands with the Coconut Road interchange. And he may have to follow the immortal words of Horace Greeley to solve his problem.

Judah, a Lee County commissioner and Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization member, wants to stand by his morals. He also understands the need for an interchange at Coconut Road off Interstate 75. But he feels that accepting what he considers a “tainted” $10 million in federal funding to study a new Estero exit goes against his principles.

Judah, the vocal leader against this proposal, takes offense to earmarked legislation that benefits special interest groups. He has stood his ground against the Coconut Road proposal primarily because it will cause the landowner to the east of I-75 — which is Edison Farms, formerly known as Agripartners — to profit.

But there may be a middle ground.

The answer: “Go west, young man.”

Why not build an interchange that’s only accessible to the west — that will serve the new Coconut Point Mall, Estero and Bonita Springs — and shuts out the east?

Judah even said at a Leadership Bonita meeting on Jan. 26 that he’d be willing look into such a proposal.

Bonita Springs Councilman Ben Nelson endorses this idea. Nelson, an MPO board member, also believes Judah is the man to make the pitch.

“I think Ray’s got a really good way out of this mess,” Nelson said. “He’s kind of stuck now. He’s in a position that he’s taken a real hard line on this. But I think there’s a way out for him.

“Let’s make the interchange one-sided so it only serves the people that it is intended to serve.”

Yet, much like the settlers, going west might come under attack.

First, this plan doesn’t address the traffic problems to Florida Gulf Coast University or for hurricane evacuations.

John Albion, who chairs the MPO, worries if a study of a westbound-only interchange will satisfy the requirements of the $10 million grant and, more importantly, guarantee the area the promised management transportation center.

Albion said losing the transportation center would be like going from four to two wheels and ditching the motor.

“It’s like saying, ‘I’m going to get you a bicycle but you lose the opportunity to get a car,’¤” Albion said. “It would be a real opportunity lost. With the management transportation center, we would be a leader in road efficiency and that would be a big price to pay.”

What it boils down to is Judah swallowing his pride.

He said there is no personal vendetta against Edison Farms, which financially backed his opponent in the last election. For Judah, it comes down to principle and the other 6,300 earmarks that were never discussed on the floor of Congress.

“I think when you look at the bigger picture of recognizing that this earmarking of appropriation bills is unethical,” he said. “I hope as a nation that we need to bring integrity into the process and not be relying on, ‘I got mine, forget you.’¤”

In the meantime, despite being voted down twice, no one’s forgetting about the Coconut Road interchange.

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E-mail columnist Tom Hanson at tahanson@bonitanews.com