St. Petersburg Times - Crist signs growth overhaul for Florida, acknowledges concerns
June 2, 2009
Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday approved changes to Florida growth laws that supporters say will strengthen the economy and that opponents predict will increase urban sprawl and traffic gridlock.
Click here to read the entire article.
Memorandum - Governor Crist's Bill Actions
June 1, 2009
The Community Renewal Act was taken up as a means to stimulate Florida's economy and create jobs for our people. The Community Renewal Act does the following:
Click here to read the press release.
Coastal Star - "Community Renewal Act"
By Robert Ganger
May 2009
The Senate and House recently passed a new "Community Renewal Act" (Senate Bill 360). As of this writing, it is on the Governor's desk for approval or veto.
Click here to read the entire article.
Coastal Star - Removing Management from Growth Management
By Robert Ganger
March 7, 2009
You may be unaware that a bill is percolating through the Florida legislature that would "streamline" the state's Growth Management Act - the rulebook by which the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has guided growth and development in our state since 1985.
Click here to read the entire article.
AP Article - Bill aims at discouraging Florida urban Sprawl
By Bill Kaczor
February 20, 2009
A Florida planning requirement to provide ample road and other transportation capacity before new development can take place was designed to stop urban sprawl, but it's had the opposite effect.
Click here to read the entire article.
Palm Beach Post - Doing a job on growth controls
By Joel Engelhardt
February 19, 2009
In the name of economic stimulus, the Legislature is about to do what it couldn't do under eight years of Gov. Jeb Bush: Kill growth management.
Click here to read the entire article.
AP Article - Planning Law Hasn't Eased Growing Pains
By Bill Kaczor
December 5, 2008
It seemed like a good idea for controlling urban sprawl: Require ample road capacity be in place before a new neighborhood or commercial development could be built.
The concept known as "transportation concurrency" is part of Florida's landmark growth management act passed in 1985 and then modified in the past 23 years.
But it didn't work... Click here to read the entire article.
1000 Friends of Florida
Florida's widely respected growth management "watchdog", supports many of the concepts underlying the bill, but has serious concerns that Senate Bill 360 would stimulate sprawl in suburban and rural areas.
Click here to learn more.
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