A Flash of Green (33 page)

The commissioners muttered to each other. Makelder soothed her. He told her the storm had caused damage in other areas too. Crews were at work. He said Commissioner Bassette would follow her case up personally and inspect the area and see that the necessary work was done.

She thanked them in the same tone of voice she would have used to curse them, and stood up and marched out, followed by her entire group.

“Mr. Chairman,” Burt Lesser said. “My name is Burton Lesser. I am a realtor. I wish to petition the Board of County Commissioners, speaking as president of the Palmland Development Company.”

“Come down front, Burt,” Makelder said.

“Thank you, Gus. I have two of my associates with me, Mr. Gormin and Mr. Shannard. I’m sure you all know them. Mr.
Shannard is secretary of the company, and Mr. Gormin is treasurer. I’ll ask Mr. Shannard to read and present the actual petition. In the meantime, I’d like your permission to set up a couple of exhibits.”

“You have it, Burt,” Makelder said.

Shannard read the petition and presented it to the board. As he read it, the brisk young men set up the exhibits. One was a greatly enlarged aerial photograph of Grassy Bay and the surrounding area. They mounted it over the county map behind the commissioners. There was a glassine overlay over the photograph, with the area to be filled marked in red grease pencil.

The second exhibit was considerably more impressive. It was a detailed table-top miniature of how the entire development would look after it was completed and all the houses had been built. There was a landscaped entrance, a serpentine wall, a tiny sign that read
Palmland Isles
. Bright cars speckled the blue curves of asphalt roads and made a herringbone pattern in the parking area of a shopping center facing Mangrove Road. Indigo canals wound through the filled land, with cruisers at miniature docks. The young men had set it up in an open area near the staff table, on low sawhorses.

“If you would gather around, gentlemen, you can see it better,” Burt Lesser said happily. “The news people too, if there’s no objection. This model was built by Costex Associates of Atlanta. All the engineering on the project has been done by them too. They were very excited by the possibilities here, and think this project will receive national attention and acclaim. Mr. Steve Kerr here, of Costex, was in charge.”

“Can Major Lipe and myself examine it?” Tom Jennings asked.

Makelder looked at the other commissioners and then at Burt. Burt nodded. “Come on right up, Colonel.”

There was general conversation around the display table. Horace Lander said, “Now Leroy, you know dang well there isn’t any zoning that far down Sandy Key to allow any shopping center.”

“Artistic license,” Shannard said, “plus a little plea for future dispensations.”

“Mr. Kerr,” Tom Jennings said sharply. “May I ask a question?”

“Yes sir.”

“This model seems to show a surprising amount of bay area surrounding the fill project. It seems to reach just a little more than half way to the mainland. According to the petition I heard read, Palmland wants the bulkhead line changed to include a little more than eight hundred acres of bay bottom. Is this model scaled to that request?”

“All the roads and canals in the project itself are to scale, sir.”

“Wasn’t my question clear? Is the project scaled to the area?”

“It’s to scale on the photo-map, sir, but not on the table model.”

Everyone turned and looked at the map the young men from Costex had put up. On that the red mushroom outlining the land requested filled the heart of the bay, reaching almost over to the channel markers along the mainland.

“We have some other things we would like to pass out to the commission and to the newspeople,” Burt Lesser said quickly. “I hope you will find them of interest. One is a study of what the project will mean to the area in actual dollars and cents, with a complete breakdown by types of retail and wholesale businesses. Bill, will you see that everyone gets copies, including the Colonel and the Major, of course. This second one shows the specifications as recommended by Costex. Roads, curbing, sea walls, elevations, sewage disposal system, street lighting, hydrants, drainage,
underground conduits for power and phone. Please note, gentlemen, that in every single instance our specifications exceed county minimum standards for Class A Residential. What else do we have, Leroy? Oh, of course. This third study is an advertising and promotion plan, showing the dignified nature of the sales approach we will use. It shows the price range of the lots also. They will sell for a minimum of seven thousand up to a maximum of fifteen thousand five hundred.”

“How many lots, Burt?” Stan Dayson asked.

“Eight hundred.”

“If you average out at ten thousand, Burt, that would mean … eight million bucks.”

“Our expenses are going to be very heavy, Stan. They have to be, to make this a project the whole west coast will be proud of. If it was going to be anything less than perfect, I wouldn’t want anything to do with it. I might add that there has been a considerable investment in time, thought and money to bring the project up to this point of initial presentation. Beginning tomorrow this model of Palmland Isles will be on display in the Cable Bank and Trust Company, on the main floor. And right now I’d like to ask Mr. Martin Cable to say a few words to you about one aspect of this thing which may be bothering you.”

Chairman Makelder looked up from his examination of the model just in time to look directly into the automatic flash gun wielded by Stu Kennicott. Makelder scowled and said, “Boys, let’s all sit where we belong and listen to Mr. Cable.”

Martin sat at the small desk, arranged his notes and cleared his throat. “One of the matters which should legitimately concern any government body which must pass on any phase of approval of such a project is the question of financing. I am not here to make a firm commitment to you gentlemen or to Palmland Development.
I can merely say this. All of Palmland’s plans and estimates have been examined by the loan committee of the Cable Bank and Trust Company. In the event—and let me stress this phrase—in the event all proper permissions are obtained by Palmland, and in the event there is no basic change in their plans of operation, the bank will be prepared to look favorably upon offering the financial assistance which will be needed to make this dream a reality. I … ah … speaking now as an individual, wish to add that my personal interest in this venture is attested to by my having made available to Palmland the necessary access land through approving an option, acting in my office as executor of my mother’s estate. That land is the portion on the map behind you cross-hatched in green. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Martin,” Gus Makelder said. “Any comment?”

“I just happen to have a little something to say,” Elmo drawled. “I just want to say I’m getting right confused here. Leroy certainly must know the public law on this thing. I’m not saying it’s a good project or a bad project. But I do know we’re sitting here, the five of us, getting buttered like breakfast hot cakes. Steve Merry, you being the county attorney, maybe you can straighten me out. We can’t vote on a damn thing, can we? This Palmland is supposed to present a petition and then we set a date for a public hearing. Isn’t the proper place for all this butter job the public hearing instead of now?”

Steve Merry adjusted his glasses and said, “Commissioner Bliss, I think these gentlemen were just explaining to the commission as a courtesy what they’re planning.…”

“Steve, boy, I don’t want you telling me what you think they’re trying to do. I’ve got me a pretty good idea of what they’re trying to do. I want to know the law.”

“Properly, I suppose, this presentation should be made at the public hearing.”

“Where the folks on the other side of this question have a chance to make their objections?”

“Yes sir.”

“So what they’re doing is trying to get us all on their side before the other side has a chance?”

“I … I guess it could be interpreted that way.”

“Thank you, Steve. Gus, it looks to me as if we should just accept the petition and set a date for the hearing. I see no reason why the minutes should make any mention of all this other entertainment Burt and Bill and Leroy have given us.”

“Do you so move?” Gus asked.

“I so move,” Elmo said.

“Second,” DeRose Bassette said.

“Moved and seconded we accept the Palmland Development Company petition and proceed to set a date for the public hearing.”

“Mr. Chairman,” Burt said, “before you set the date, I’d just like to say that our timing on this whole thing is running very very close and we would appreciate your setting it for as soon as possible.”

“How soon can we do it according to law, Steve?” Gus asked.

Steve Merry bit his lip for a moment. “Two weeks has to elapse from the time of publication in the paper until the hearing itself. I could probably get the legal notification to the paper sometime tomorrow afternoon. That would put it in the paper Wednesday morning, the twelfth. The public hearing could be set for Wednesday, the twenty-sixth.”

“That’s real nice for Palmland, but how about the opposition? Gus, would it be out of order to ask Colonel Tom Jennings how this strikes him?”

“Colonel?” Gus said.

“Speaking as the President of Save Our Bays, Incorporated, I
would respectfully request the Commission to give us a month to prepare our case against this bay-fill project. We did not even hear about it until last week.”

“Move we set the date for the twenty-sixth of this month,” Horace Lander said. Bassette seconded him. Bassette, Lander and Dayson voted for it, Bliss against. Lander suggested that the availability of the Palm City Municipal Auditorium be checked. A secretary left the room to phone and came back and said it was available. The time was set for 8
P.M.
The commission meeting was adjourned, and the young men shrouded their display table and tenderly carried it away.

J. J. Borklund walked into the corridor with Jimmy. He said, “All I want from you today is more glowing copy than I can possibly use on this thing. Puff it all the way, James. Fatten it with interviews. Pie is raining out of the sky. Hosanna!”

“Then tomorrow you want a
really
glowing account?”

“That’s the pattern, James. You anticipate me.”

“And they’ll come in for at least two hundred full pages the first year?”

“At the very least.”

As Borklund walked away Elmo came up to Jimmy and said, “See me in fifteen minutes in Lupen’s office.” Jimmy nodded and Elmo hurried up the hall to catch up with Gus Makelder.

Jimmy stopped at a drinking fountain. When he straightened up he saw Tom Jennings and Major Lipe approaching him.

“They seem to be traveling first class,” Jimmy said.

Jennings made a rueful grimace. “Rough. Very rough indeed. As a colleague of mine named Custer once said, where are all these Indians coming from?”

“I have a feeling there’ll be more.”

“And our recruiting is terribly discouraging,” Major Lipe said. “I’ve just been reporting to the colonel. It looks as if I’m not even
going to be given a chance to talk to some of the groups I’m supposed to contact. And I haven’t found a single recreational club which will back us unanimously. You know, I can’t even line up a decent committee to help me? I don’t see how they could have done such a tremendous propaganda job without our hearing about it. Jackie tells me she’s having the same problem. And Wally is going out of his mind trying to find reputable people to write the commissioners. It isn’t
anything
like it was last time.”

“You heard we lost Dial Sinnat?” Jennings said.

“Kat told me.”

Jennings sighed and smiled. “We’ll still make a good presentation at the public hearing. And losing this battle does not mean losing the war. That’s our advantage, you see. They have to win every battle. All we have to do is win one. They won’t be able to endure delay. Their money structure will collapse. And, best of all, Jimmy, we’re right and they’re wrong.”

They walked toward the exit, erect and in step, chins up, arms swinging in unison.

When it was time, Jimmy got into the creaking elevator and rode up to the tower office of Calvin Lupen, the ancient man who held the job of courthouse custodian, and who had been on sick leave for almost a year. His office was a ten-by-ten cube with one narrow window. The scarred desk was thick with dust. One wall was papered with yellowing Playmates of the Month, many of them with anatomical oddities added with pen and pencil.

Elmo sat at Cal’s desk, his feet on the low windowsill. He was staring at the wall of nudes.

“One thing I never noticed before, Jimmy. All different shapes and sizes of girls, but every smile is alike. Look at them.”

Wing had closed the door. He blew dust off a chair and sat and looked at the girls. “I think you’re right.”

“How did I do down there? How did I sound?”

“Eminently fair, Mr. Commissioner.”

“I didn’t want to overdo it. That damn Gormin looked like he was going to crack up. Leroy is the only solid one in the group. And maybe Doc Aigan. Buck has got hisself so pussy-happy over that Prindergast piece, he’s no damn good to anybody. I wish to hell his wife would come home and bust up that romance. Burt Lesser phoned me at home last night and talked like a crazy man.”

“About Sinnat?”

“Hell, yes. The Halley woman chewed him out. Oh, you were there, weren’t you?”

“What did you tell Burt?”

“What could I tell him? I said that if he thought I was the kind of man who’d use underhand methods on Dial Sinnat, then in the interest of harmony, maybe he’d better let me buy a hundred percent of his interest after my term runs out on the commission. That slowed him way down. He’s scared of that mean-mouth wife of his. She’d never let him forget I edged him out of his only chance to make any real money. He likes being president. I said if some nut was going around scaring people, it wasn’t my fault or his. He finally apologized. But I haven’t given up the idea of squeezing him out, that is, if he keeps getting in my hair. Worked out just fine with Di Sinnat, didn’t it though?”