TCPalm Watchdog Reporter Keith Burbank has been back on the Treasure Coast now for more than two years after a 20-year hiatus.
Following nine years as a reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was time to return to family and a safer, cleaner and more peaceful area. Martin County especially reflects those aspects of life, and its emphasis on maintaining the Martin County Difference makes it even more special.
Burbank lived in Martin County in the late 1990s and early 2000s, teaching, writing and working as an economist. The area has grown since then, but it retains the same charm he grew to appreciate back then.
Q: What specifically do you love about the Treasure Coast and why?
I especially love the Treasure Coast because it’s safe, clean and emphasizes preserving natural resources. Residents of Martin County expressed their passion for natural resources by approving a sales tax in 2024 with the revenue dedicated to preserving environmentally sensitive properties in perpetuity. Up to 46,000 acres could be preserved. Martin County already has preserved 70,000 acres.
In 2022, Indian River County voters, too, approved borrowing $50 million to protect environmentally sensitive land, especially along the Indian River Lagoon. The county is imminently completing its purchase of property off Jungle Trail and 15.5 acres on 45th Street known as Osprey Estates, the first two properties bought with that voter-approved money.
Indian River County now will have preserved more than 12,000 acres across 38 properties.
Q: Is there anything you didn’t appreciate, like or realize at first, but grew to love about the area?
I had no idea Martin County already had preserved 70,000 acres before adopting a new sales tax to preserve more land. I knew of the Martin County Difference, which I initially understood was about building heights. Buildings in Martin County generally must be no higher than four stories.
But the Martin County Difference is more than that. It is an effort to limit development to a slower pace and avoid mistakes other counties may have made. I appreciate the effort Martin County is making toward preservation for residents and nature enthusiasts like me and for future generations. I also had no idea Indian River County had a program to buy and conserve land.
Q: Did anything pleasantly surprise you about the area?
The strength of the area’s attitude toward conservation.
Q: Is there anything about the area you would like to see enhanced or changed?
I would like to see the efforts continue.
Keith Burbank is TCPalm’s watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882.
