10 Principles
for Smarter Growth in Florida
Adopted by 1000 Friends
of Florida, Board of Directors
December 8, 1999
Established in 1986, 1000 Friends of
Florida serves as the nonprofit watchdog over this state's growth management
process. Its bipartisan board of directors agrees that Florida's economic
vitality and quality of life is dependent on how wisely we plan for
growth and development. 1000 Friends supports responsible planning to
protect natural areas and historic resources, fight urban sprawl, promote
sensible development patterns, and provide affordable housing. Above
all, 1000 Friends strives to give citizens the tools to keep Florida's
communities livable. As Florida's leaders debate changing the 1985 Growth
Management Act, 1000 Friends hopes that the following 10 Principles
for Smarter Growth in Florida will play an integral role in the dialog.
1. Better implement the laws that
are already on the books. While there is certainly room to refine
Florida's Growth Management Act, attention should also be paid to encouraging
better implementation of the existing laws. For example, the Florida
Department of Community Affairs has approved more than 90 percent of
all comprehensive plan amendments ever requested. A comprehensive evaluation
of how the growth management act has actually been implemented to date
at the state, regional and local levels is in order before we jump to
the conclusion that the law itself is irretrievably broken.
2. Maintain reasonable state oversight
of local planning. Florida cannot afford to return to the days
of 476 local governments individually deciding the collective future
of our state. That is what got us into so much trouble in the first
place. Additionally, the state should provide the financial and technical
resources to local government to do better and more innovative planning,
and help with the costs of infrastructure to support quality planning.
3. Thoughtfully evaluate Florida's
Growth Management Act to refine and improve it. This state's
approach to planning for growth traditionally has been reevaluated every
decade or so. It is certainly appropriate to once again evaluate the
Act. However, this should be a thoughtful and deliberative process that
includes meaningful input from concerned citizens, local governments,
development interests, and others who are concerned about Florida's
future. 1000 Friends strongly opposes a rushed process dominated by
special interest groups. 1000 Friends recommends that the Governor establish
a broad-based and representative panel to reach consensus over the coming
year on how to further refine Florida's growth management system.
4. Improve the ability of citizens
to help enforce their local comprehensive plans. Increased public
participation is essential so that accountability at the local level
becomes a reality. Current conflicts between residents, developers and
local governments are often thrown into lengthy and costly court proceedings.
Shift the resolution of land use conflicts from the local circuit court
to special administrative law courts. This will offer quicker, more
timely and efficient answers to citizen-initiated appeals.
5. Think regionally. Local
decisions often have regional implications. We need to pay better attention
to those decisions that cross political boundaries such as school siting,
annexations, affordable housing, and transportation decisions. We need
to help local governments work more cooperatively with neighboring municipal
and county governments to develop solutions that promote the common
good and protect regional environmental linkages. We need to provide
regional planning councils with more authority to compel better intergovernmental
coordination. We should also promote better coordination between regional
planning councils, water management districts, and regional transportation
office. We must ensure that regional offices have the professional expertise
needed in all substantive areas, including affordable housing. We should
also substantially revise, if not repeal, the Development of Regional
Impact (DRI) program in favor of enforceable sector plans, providing
affordable housing needs continue to be addressed. Sector planning offers
a better approach to design large scale development consistent with
local, regional, and state concerns.
6. Take a hard line on sprawl.
Sprawling development causes higher taxes, traffic congestion, and disinvestment
in established communities. Taxpayers can no longer afford to subsidize
or tolerate this expensive and inefficient form of development. We need
to develop tighter and more realistic urban service areas for our communities.
State infrastructure dollars should be targeted to those communities
that contain sprawl, promote redevelopment, and focus growth into existing
developed areas. We also need to provide state incentives to local governments
that establish land development regulations that encourage walkable,
livable communities. We should also explore other means to promote quality
community design where children can walk to schools and parks, and people
have easier access to work and shopping
7. Encourage better movement of
people and goods, not just cars. Our current transportation
planning system heavily favors the needs of the automobile over those
of people. Fix transportation concurrency so that it better promotes
livable communities. Provide the public with more transportation options.
Build new communities and retrofit established communities to provide
more pedestrian access and internal connectivity.
8. Establish a statewide rural
policy to better help rural communities protect their distinctive lifestyle.
The 1999 Legislature established a State Urban Policy. Florida also
needs a State Rural Policy that promotes economic vitality and lessens
the impacts of sprawl in rural areas, while continuing to respect private
property rights. Rural comprehensive plans that allow the same density
countywide do not work. They should be revised to make long term protection
of agricultural lands feasible.
9. Establish green connectors.
With Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever, this state is the national
leader in funding for the acquisition of environmentally-sensitive land.
However, this acquisition is often undertaken in a piecemeal manner
based on what is easily available instead of what is most needed. Florida
should better coordinate land acquisition and land use planning. As
an example, local governments that adopt comprehensive acquisition plans
that provide for significant open space and establish regional connections
with neighboring communities should receive less state oversight of
their land use decision-making. At the state level, we need to establish
a strategic plan that identifies and prioritizes important environmental
systems to better target state acquisition of key portions of those
systems.
10. Improve the process to evaluate
local comprehensive plans. By law, all local land use plans
must be updated every seven years. The current process, known as the
Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR), allows too much ability to weaken
and undermine the local comprehensive plan. The process should be modified
to ensure that the issues of transportation, land use, environment,
economic development, and housing are addressed every time the local
plan is updated. Other issue areas should be evaluated at the discretion
of the local government.
For more information, call 850.222.6277,
check www.1000friendsofflorida.org, or e-mail cpattison@nettally.com.
