Growth report is seriously flawed

By Charles Pattison
March 4, 2001

Silence seems to be the overwhelming reaction to the report issued by Florida's Growth Management Study Commission. This commission, appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush, was given seven months to develop bold new approaches to better deal with Florida's crowded schools, congested roads, out-of-control development, dwindling natural areas, shortage of affordable housing and declining quality of life. Its report has been presented to the governor and Legislature for consideration this session.

Unfortunately, while the commission had some positive concepts, it did not sufficiently or appropriately flesh them out. No one, from builders to environmentalists to "smart growth" advocates, appears to be clamoring for the adoption of this full report, for a variety of reasons. The silence is deafening.

For example, overcrowded schools are a problem in virtually every community in Florida. The commission attempted to tackle this, linking local government approval of new subdivisions to the availability of adequate classroom space to handle the additional students. But a last-minute amendment would make portable facilities, long-distance busing and double sessions "appropriate" options to reduce school overcrowding. Most Floridians would not find the status quo an acceptable solution.

The commission also called for "full cost accounting" for development. This means that as a development is planned, the costs associated with that development are assessed, and it is decided up front who will pay for them, the developer or the taxpayer. The commission included only such costs as roads and schools, but not less tangible costs. For example, what's an acre of panther habitat or wetlands worth? How do you measure the community benefits of providing affordable housing? As recommended, we'll never know, because factors like these aren't to be included.

Citizen involvement has been a cornerstone of Florida's current system of managing growth. And the citizens are exhausted. The people of Florida need more help - not less - to shape livable, quality communities. Once more, the commission had some positive recommendations, including discouraging developers from filing suits against private citizens, and calling for clearer notice of planning changes and earlier citizen involvement. But then the commission pulled the state out as the mediator on planning challenges, turning that responsibility over to 11 underfunded regional planning councils without providing any extra dollars or training for their new responsibilities.

The bottom line is that citizens would be asked to shoulder even larger burdens, with fewer resources and less legal authority than before. Throughout the 1990s, new residents came to Florida at a rate of 834 a day-three new residents every five minutes! This growth rate, combined with poor patterns of development over the past 40 years, has had a negative impact on each and every one of us.

Florida does need innovative solutions to deal with this growth. We need to learn from Florida's past mistakes. If we want to promote urban infill development, protect rural areas and reduce sprawl we need to provide meaningful, funded incentives. We also need to maintain some level of meaningful state oversight to provide checks and balances.

Unfortunately, local governments have proven time and time again that they do not have the political stamina to address such issues as urban sprawl, affordable housing and other regional considerations. And we need a consistent and fair process that gives some level of certainty to both the development community and private citizens that new growth will occur in an orderly and well-planned fashion.

We can learn from other states. For example, in Maryland, state infrastructure dollars are allocated only in those areas that the local communities have deemed appropriate for more growth. And to limit urban sprawl, 80 percent of that state's school construction dollars are spent in already developed parts of the state.

We also need the proper forum, with all the interest groups at the table, and the time necessary to meet on five or six important issues, to reach the consensus we all know is possible. A good starting place is with full cost accounting and school overcrowding. This time, we must do it right. We have to avoid Paul Simon's lament: "People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening." Success on these two important issues will lay the foundation for the kind of fair, comprehensive adjustment to growth management that Florida deserves.