The Martin County Commission met Tuesday for the first time since the Jonathan Dickinson golf course proposal made waves.

The commission directed the county administrator to compose a letter to send to the head of the state parks system opposing any park plan amendments that involve golf courses.

WPTV also found out that one member of the commission had been approached about the plan.

Commissioner Harold Jenkins told WPTV’s Jon Shainman that last year, the veterans group Folds of Honor approached him about the golf course concept.

Shainman asked the commissioner if he remembered how many people had come to him. Jenkins recalled two or three, but when pressed about specifics, Jenkins couldn’t recall any names.

He did say there was discussion about a piece of property that the group claimed to have “diminished environmental value.”

“Which definitely rose my eyebrows and I couldn’t wrap my head around how they thought they could get any community support about that and I voiced my opinion about that,” he said.

He expressed his opposition and thought that would be the end of it.

“Hearing from the district commissioner that there was no way they would garner any support for this on any level, I assumed they took me at my word and went away,” he said.

But the plan did not go away.

“Jonathan Dickinson State Park should essentially stay as it is,” said County Administrator Don Donaldson.

Tuesday, the Martin County Commission formally came out against the idea, asking the county administrator to draft a letter in opposition.

“We’ve been receiving emails from residents unsure of whose idea this was and I just wanted to make this crystal clear this had nothing to do with our county commissioners,” said Commissioner Ed Ciampi.

A county spokeswoman said the letter should be complete Wednesday and would address the county’s environmental concerns. Commissioners did say the county has no jurisdiction over what happens in the state parks.

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