That the ballot question regarding the Stop the Lens petition was approved unanimously Thursday by City Council was certainly the news warranting the most attention. But a news item which may have gone unnoticed was an explanation by the leader of the Stop the Lens group as to why he’s so motivated to, you know, stop “The Lens.”
The project would affect Bud Risser’s interests, writes Risser’s attorney Thomas W. Reese, a lawyer specializing in environmental and land use issues. Reese sent an 11-page letter to the Southwest Florida Water Management District on Wednesday to urge denial of St. Petersburg’s request to demolish the recently closed pier and build a replacement, reports Waveney Ann Moore of the Tampa Bay Times.
Reese notes that Risser lives in a waterfront home and owns “a remarkable, environmentally sensitive piece of real estate that may be impacted by any construction in this area.”
Kudos to Reese for so nakedly revealing Risser’s true motivation for bankrolling the Stop the Lens campaign. It’s not about the cost of the project or the design of “The Lens” or saving the old pier.
No, Risser is simply engaged in NIMBY politics — his back yard being a waterfront home in Snell Isle. And how dare the city’s progress ruin his view!
