New College of Florida removes trees, plants from Uplands to build sports fields
New College of Florida is removing cabbage palms and other plants on the school's campus near the Uplands neighborhood to build beach volleyball courts and a multi-use field, drawing criticism from some of the school's alumni on social media.
The cleared land will make way for "establishing a new grass field and sand volleyball courts" near the Uplands, which the college said would be completed by the start of the Fall semester. The college is removing invasive species to protect existing mangroves and will move healthy cabbage palms to the Caples area of campus, according to an NCF press release sent Thursday.
"All of these projects have included consultations with environmental and biological experts to ensure the environmental footprint of New College is enhanced," the statement read.
The land, which sits just north of the school's College Hall on the west bayfront campus, has historically sat as a nature preserve with the land being largely untouched. A residential neighborhood sits directly east of the land, where homeowners have had unobstructed access to the water for years.
Several New College alumni, parents and activists posted online Thursday and Friday writing that the college lacked the permits and authority to take such action on the Uplands land — a fact refuted by New College leadership.
New College did not need to receive local permits to remove trees from its campus, New College spokesperson Nathan March said Friday. NCF leadership maintained that, as the campus is state-owned, land maintenance falls under state jurisdiction.
March likened the work on the Uplands land to that of adding batting cages to the land near the school's library, adding that since there isn't construction happening, they have flexibility with obtaining permits.
Modifications of any kind to the Uplands land could contradict language in the current NCF master plan, which is expected to be revised at a future board of trustees meeting. Master Plan policy 8.2.2. states "the Uplands Bayfront Preserve shall be restricted to passive recreational/open space uses only," according to documents obtained by the Herald-Tribune.
Other policies establish that the college should consult the State Division of Historical Resources before taking action on any land that could be eligible as a historical place. The bayfront land sits as part of the Ringling Estate, including two of the school's buildings that sit further south of the Uplands.
New College's leadership is expected to present a revised campus Master Plan at an upcoming board of trustees meeting for approval. The new plan will likely include revisions to the designation for the Uplands land, earmarking it for use as recreational space and, potentially, housing and campus building.
One such building that could sit on the land is New College's upcoming Freedom Institute, an estimated 75,000-square-foot building that will serve as a think tank “to engage the college’s students, the greater Florida community and the world to promote freedom of inquiry and champion tolerance of civil discourse among those of opposing views.”
Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College of Florida removes trees in Uplands to build sports fields
