A voice on development - Amendment 4 gives voters input on growth

FloridaToday.com

July 1, 2010

A voice on development - Amendment 4 gives voters input on growth

BY LESLEY BLACKNER

Clarence Anthony’s recent FLORIDA TODAY guest column bashing Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 shows how scared big business and its politician friends are by the possibility that voters might get some oversight over their sweetheart deals.

The very people who crashed Florida’s economy with overdevelopment and real estate speculation are spending huge money (more than $6 million so far) to try to deny us our right to vote.

What does Amendment 4 do? It gives citizens a seat at the table - a vote - over whether their community’s master plan (local comprehensive land-use plan) will be changed.

Since voters have to pay taxes to extend the schools, police, fire, water, sewer and roads to all these new developments that politicians keep approving, we should get to vote on it. Is a new development affordable for our community? We should get a vote since we are the ones who must pay for the services and infrastructure.

Here’s how it will work: Local city or county commissions will study, hold public hearings and vote on proposed changes to the local comprehensive land-use plan just like they do now. The new step is that once a commission approves a plan change, voters will get to approve or veto it at the next regularly scheduled Election Day. That’s it. No special elections required.

Amendment 4 is simply an add-on to the existing process that will give citizens some common-sense oversight on future development. Amendment 4 applies only to changes to the overall master growth plan. It doesn’t require votes on minor changes like rezonings, variances or individual development approvals.

In other words, you won’t vote on every little thing.

Brevard County voters would get to vote on projects like Farmton, the mega-development in the swamp, straddling Brevard and Volusia counties, recently approved by the Brevard County Commission.

The commission approved 25,000 new houses and millions of square feet of commercial space. The commission did not even question whether Brevard needs more development and did not connect the dots regarding what Farmton will cost taxpayers in new infrastructure and services.

The commission ignored the reality that there is tons of approved development - both residential and commercial - on the books that could be built now. Instead, commissioners rubberstamped Farmton’s request to increase the residential and commercial density of the swamp tenfold.

It’s a sad fact that too many commissioners just can’t seem to say no to irresponsible overdevelopment that has stuck taxpayers with the housing meltdown, crazy traffic, lost green space and rising taxes.

It is clear that the status quo works for politicians and real estate speculators, but it doesn’t work for the people. In response, fed-up Floridians got together and started Florida Hometown Democracy, the nonpartisan group that put Amendment 4 on the statewide ballot.

In November, voting yes on Amendment 4 will give Floridians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the grip that real estate speculators have over local politicians. The tidal wave of disinformation is starting. Get the facts now to immunize yourself at www.floridahometowndemocracy.com.

Blackner is the president of Florida Hometown Democracy, the sponsor of Amendment 4. She lives in Palm Beach.