Don’t sacrifice the Florida environment for out-of-control development

In an otherwise polarized election last November, 73% of Orange County voters united by creating new “rural boundaries” by placing more hurdles on the development of rural and agricultural zoned lands within the county. Perhaps only motherhood and apple pie have won the bigger compliments.

The leader behind the successful drive to amend the Orange County Charter was inspired by the rural boundaries of nearby Seminole County, created by county leaders in 1991 and codified by voters in 2004.

Several other counties in Florida – Marion and Palm Beach are two notable examples. We also reserve a large area within our borders for agriculture and conservation rather than development. However, in regular sessions of Florida Legislature this year, the bill will overturn such local decisions. They leave protected areas vulnerable to low-density residential sprawls. This is a financially insolvent development pattern that costs more public services than taxes.

Since 1986, members of nonprofit organizations dedicated to environmentally and financially sustainable development 1,000 friends in Florida, a supported organization, have been strongly opposed to these bills. If they become law, they will wipe out restrictions on the development of massive belts of high-priority natural and agricultural land throughout Florida, causing irreversible damage to our environment, quality of life and the economy.

Senate Bill 1118 and its counterparts, House Bill 1209, reads like a Christmas list of developers. In their gifts, they allow for the development proposal for so-called “agricultural enclaves” – farmland is “administratively approved” regardless of the county’s growth plan, either by development or even undeveloped land designated for future development.

Management approvals override local decision-making and citizen input. There is no public meeting where proposals are presented to local elected officials and their constituents, with opportunities for discussion and public comment.

Another provision in SB 1118/HB 1209 brings to mind the vast majority of requirements adopted by oranges, seminoles and other local governments. Instead of requiring such margins for development approval in environmentally sensitive areas, it requires ultramajority approval for revisions to growth plans that are deemed “more restrictive or burdensome” for development. This has further tilted the arena in growth decisions that are beneficial to developers. Developers almost always enjoy the advantage over their opponents in order to gain approval for proposals in regards to resources to bankroll lawyers and lobbyists.

If the proposed density is the same as the properties of the neighborhood, another provision in the bill would require administrative approval of the infill development proposal for the parcel. Infill development is usually much more preferred than sprawl, but infill proposals that qualify for administrative approval may not be suitable for historic areas or consume limited urban green spaces. These are decisions not directed in Tallahassee, but decisions to be selected so that local leaders are elected after interviews from constituents.

Agriculture 2070, a report released last year by 1,000 friends and the University of Florida Landscape Conservation Planning Center, found that if Florida maintains its Prowlling development pattern, it will lose 3.5 million acres of undeveloped land, including 2.2 million acres of farmland, to accommodate the expected population growth by 2070. That much of its land loss would cost the state billions of dollars on ecosystem services – benefit the economy by supporting cleaner watery environments and agriculture and tourism.

However, the report also found that more than a million endangered acres could be preserved if leaders rule out developments in more priority natural and agricultural areas and instead focused on more compact urban developments to support infrastructure.

Unfortunately, SB 1118 and HB 1209 may be the worst, but there are other bills that remain reasonable control and local surveillance in Florida development. Residents of the state who have experienced unplanned growth outcomes, from chronic traffic congestion to polluted waterways to higher taxes, should urge Tallahassee representatives to oppose other bad bills that will sacrifice Florida’s environment and quality of life to runaway development.

Paul Owens is the president of 1,000 friends in Florida. This opinion article was originally published by the Orlando Sentinel and distributed by the invading sea website (www.theinvadingsea.com). The site posts news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida.