| Florida's statewide growth management law | | | | growth requiring a change to the Comprehensive |
| requires input from professional planners, two | | | | Plan. Developers could have no confidence that a |
| public hearings, a review and an appeals process | | | | well conceived and desirable project would be |
| at the state level and numerous opportunities for | | | | approved by voters. If such intelligent growth is |
| citizens to participate in and challenge any changes | | | | stifled, builders will take the path of least |
| to the Comprehensive Plan. Passage of the | | | | resistance by creating the urban sprawl already |
| Hometown Democracy amendment would replace | | | | allowed under current land use regulations. |
| this comprehensive process with ballot box | | | | One of the arguments put forth by Hometown |
| planning. | | | | Democracy proponents is that our elected officials |
| Each and every change to the Comprehensive | | | | have let us down. I disagree with this, but let's |
| Plan, no matter how minor, would require a vote. | | | | assume it's true. These officials were elected by |
| Reportedly, there was a yearly average of over | | | | the same voters who would make the growth |
| 10,000 plan changes in Florida over the past four | | | | management decisions. If you believe that we |
| years. Broward County would have required | | | | can't elect competent officials, how can you |
| votes on 686 items per year. | | | | believe that we would make great planners? |
| Comprehensive Plans are living documents, | | | | Who would pay for the voting? We, the |
| requiring modifications as situations change. They | | | | taxpayers would pay. Who would most likely win |
| often come into play when property is annexed | | | | in any contested decision? Probably the side with |
| and when new roads or schools are planned. They | | | | the biggest advertising budget. Our forefathers |
| allow planners to intelligently create things like | | | | created a Representative Republic, not a |
| planned communities. In most of rural Flagler | | | | democracy, because they could foresee the |
| County current planning regulations allow for only | | | | resulting chaos of a pure democracy. |
| one residential unit for each five acres, promoting | | | | Do not be fooled. Do not sign their petition. The |
| urban sprawl. ANY change to this, such as | | | | Florida Legislature recently enacted tough laws to |
| approval for a planned community, with clustered | | | | more carefully manage growth by ensuring that |
| housing, green space, and amenities would require | | | | roads and schools are in place to meet the needs |
| a vote. | | | | of growth - before new developments can be |
| The extended time delay for approval, the added | | | | built. We should give these laws a chance to work |
| cost to "sell" a project and the uncertainty of | | | | before resorting to extreme measures. |
| outcome will combine to essentially stop any | | | | |