Current Government & Regulatory Initiatives

The Coalition is currently active with State, County and local elected officials and planners to insist that relevant growth management rules and regulations meet the unique needs of our coastal communities. Our focus remains the ten-mile stretch of Barrier Island land from Delray Beach to Manalapan.

Background

This Barrier Island segment is the permanent or seasonal home to approximately 7500 residents. "Delapan" has for the most part retained its Old Florida scale and tropical charm, as other oceanfront communities to the north and south succumbed to high rise development and increased population densities. The 1200+ members of the Florida Coalition represent a cross section of "Delapan" residents who overwhelmingly wish to preserve the natural environment, non-urban character, and healthy economic value of their neighborhoods.

The task begins with a simple premise. We don't need to grow to get better. As land becomes available for redevelopment, we should insist on quality rather than quantity. Fortunately, State and County policies favor a no-growth future on the Barrier Island.

State and County growth management policy calls for moving populations away from current or potential Coastal High Hazard Areas, primarily in response to storm-related safety and cost issues, infrastructure needs, and protection of the fragile coastal environment. Future statewide population growth will be directed to the mainland, ideally along transportation corridors or where urban infrastructures have capacity to expand. No one is literally calling for population redistribution; rather it is state policy to protect valuable coastal resources through conservation and stabilized densities.

As a practical matter, population density is controlled by land use planning and zoning regulations. The few high rise residential structures that currently exist at the southern end of "Delapan" are vestiges of an earlier era, when land use codes may have been more liberal. For the most part, all jurisdictions limit building heights to four stories or less, and most acreage is zoned for low-to-medium density.

The recent example of the new Sea Horse site plan is an example of a development project that might not have been approved as designed anywhere on the "Delapan" Barrier Island, except in the small unincorporated County Pocket between Gulf Stream and Boynton Beach (St. Andrews Club). The County contends that the developer's vested land use rights trumped its own coastal population density policies. Current codes allowed the new Sea Horse to happen. The answer is to change the codes.

Coalition Actions

State Law and Policies: We will support the Florida Department of Community Affairs in their efforts to define Coastal Communities as having special growth management requirements. When Senate Bill 360 reappears in a new form, we will insist that rules intended to promote growth in urban areas west of the intracoastal are NOT applicable to the Barrier Island.

County Planning & Zoning: We began discussions with the County immediately after the Sea Horse site plan approval. Our objective is to "tweak" the codes while preserving property rights for land owners in County pockets and enclaves. This can be done through the County's Comprehensive Plan amendment process. Managed growth, Land Use & Development Regulations and Public Involvement have been cited as major issues to be addressed in the Comp Plan. The public is also invited to participate and the Coalition will represent the interests of "Delapan" constituents. Click here to review the County process and meeting schedule.

Local Overlay Planning: State and County policies encourage independent jurisdictions to coordinate future land use planning on issues such as shared infrastructures, public safety, education, environmental protection and the like. With the support of District 4 Commissioner Abrams and key members of the County planning staff, the Coalition has volunteered to facilitate a planning process that would focus on the tools used to contain future population growth on the Barrier Island, and the implications on practical subjects ranging from EMS response to rising sea levels. Ideally, a set of compatible land use and building codes covering Delray Beach, Gulf Stream, Boynton Beach (St. Andrews Club), Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge, Manalapan and the County Pockets would constitute the beginning of a long range Master Plan for how we preserve our collective future. Stay tuned and involved.