By Irwin Connelly
The Florida Legislature is once again trying to push through legislation that would take away the rights of area citizens and local government to have any voice in the management of rural and agricultural lands. It is crucial that citizens contact their legislative members and demand that these egregious measures be stopped immediately.
We are living through a time when those who occupy seats of power at all levels of government (national, state and local) are silencing and destroying citizen input and participation in matters of critical importance to our communities.
At the national level an unelected foreigner from South Africa seems to have been given control over the most essential components of our economic and security apparatuses. He and his sponsor in the White House have pushed through foundational changes to our systems of government, with no meaningful legislative discussion or participation. All power seems to be vested in a very few, with access to billions of special interest lobby dollars. The checks and balances put in place by our founding fathers have been made meaningless.
At the local level the City of Flagler Beach a year ago quietly, and without proper public notice, abolished the citizens’ right to a direct voice through the process of referendums on annexation, a matter of great importance to the future of the city.
At the state level our governor and his cronies have repeatedly tried to commandeer management of our invaluable state parks and recreation areas in an effort to give management over those lands to powerful developers and donors who have virtual exclusive access to those in power in Tallahassee.
Now, through two proposed legislative bills, SB 1118 and HB 1209, there is an unprecedented effort to consolidate control over Florida’s agricultural and rural lands in the hands of those same few in power in Tallahassee who do the bidding of the wealthiest of in-state, out-of-state, and even international huge corporate developers.
The proposed laws are designed to silence the voices of Florida citizens and local governments on matters of critical importance to those of us who live in areas which until recently were comprised in substantial part of agricultural and open space rural lands.
We chose to live here in great part because of the absence of high density development and preservation of our open spaces and conservation lands. We gave up the convenience of having huge shopping malls and big box stores and parking lots, instead opting for supporting local merchants and keeping our streets and highways free of the inevitable traffic gridlock we see all around us in ever-growing and uncontrolled so-called “smart growth” developments.
As reported by the civic organization 1000 Friends of Florida, the proposed legislation, which is quickly wending its way through both houses in Tallahassee, will override local planning authority by requiring local governments to automatically approve development in areas considered “agricultural enclaves” and so-called “infill residential development.” Infill residential projects can be up to 100 acres and agricultural enclaves could be thousands of acres in size.
The legislation will expand the types of properties that qualify as agricultural enclaves and require local governments to treat parcels adjacent to an urban service district as if they were inside of the urban service district. It would take away many of local governments’ say-so about restricting residential densities and silence residents’ objections to development in sensitive rural and agricultural areas.
These very issues are facing citizens in Flagler Beach and in the county at this time. If passed, these laws would immediately stop any meaningful participation by citizens or local government in their attempts to secure reasonable limitations on massive developments. All power would be in Tallahassee.
Now is the time for citizens to say enough is enough. You must demand that our state representatives in both houses oppose and do all they can to stop further progress of proposed legislative bills, SB 1118 and HB 1209.
Volusia and Flagler’s Senator Tom Leek is on the Community Affairs Committee that will be voting on this bill Monday (March 17). Please contact him, and our State Representatives Sam Greco ([email protected]) and Bill Partington ([email protected]) now. These bills are being fast-tracked through both houses.
Rep. Sam Greco: [email protected] (850) 717-5019
Rep. Bill Partington: [email protected] — Telephone (850) 717-5028
Sen. Tom Leek (e-mail form at https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S7) — Telephone: (850) 487-5007
Irwin Connelly is a Flagler Beach resident.
Leave a Reply