Fla. Senate Bill 360: What does it mean for the future of Florida?
This past Monday (6/1/09) Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed Senate Bill 360. The Bill which has been widely criticized as a disaster for the environment amends the growth management statutes and eliminates the provisions calling for review of Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) and the transportation and sewer concurrency requirements in addition to the requirement that developers pay for road improvements. Governor Crist has been criticized as selling the environment to developers in hopes of securing financing for his Senate campaign. Much of the criticism focuses on environmental concerns which are of little consequence. Critics claim that the state will lose valuable wetlands; however, last time I checked wetlands were controlled by Federal legislation and any development that will destroy or adversely affect a wetland must first be cleared by the Army Corp of Engineers.
While the Bill may slightly increase urban sprawl it will affect only those areas which are already experiencing growth, the density requirement of 1000 people per square mile is far from the density required for sustainable development but it is important to note that the Bill is intended to jump start the construction industry within Florida. The Bill also aims to provide incentives for "green" building. While there is currently a substantial built housing inventory in the state it is my hope that this Bill will help clear the hurdles and red tape encountered by higher density mixed use and sustainable communities and will ultimately encourage responsible development within the state.
