give county direction on growth
permalink | categories: county, development, hc bocc, politics, transportationby Mariella @ 10:53 am
The county is asking for our input on our Comprehensive Plan. Again. It feels like Groundhog Day all over again: the county asked for our input, tossed out our input, and now they’re asking for our input again. But look closer at who’s listening to us and who’s not:
Our county planners in the Planning Commission asked for our input and collected 3,000 comments during years of meetings, then wrote a major Plan update. Then, our County Commissioners, influenced by developers, trashed that update without a proper public hearing. The commissioners directed the planners to take more input from “the development community” and redo the update. The planners are inviting everyone to comment.
They are holding two series of meetings on our blueprint for growth for the unincorporated area. (The cities have their own plans.) One series is for “stakeholders,” one is for the rest of us.
“Stakeholders” is a code-word for special interests, but they can’t hang a sign on the front doors of County Center saying “Developers Only,” so a handful of us citizen activists have been crashing the “stakeholders” meetings. The first meeting had only 4 citizens to balance 27 building industry lawyers and lobbyists. You are welcome at these meetings, too — well, you’re welcome by the county planners, if not the “stakeholders” — but be warned: these meetings are choked with developers’ lawyers combing through the Plan line-by-line, haggling over every other word.
I recommend you come to one of the meetings for the rest of us. Tell our planners how you want them to manage growth. Here are a few ideas:
- Strengthen rules meant to keep development from overcrowding our roads and schools.
- Growth must pay its own way, not suck our wallets & watersheds dry.
- New development should benefit — or at least not harm — current residents. If it would lower our quality of life, just say “No!”
- Do not allow urban sprawl into the rural area.
- Protect our environment and natural resources.
- Require better wetland buffers as proposed by EPC.
- Save our agricultural lands for agriculture.
- Implement the Livable Roadways Guidelines and take Hillsborough out of the top ranking of bicycle/pedestrian fatalities.
- Put the Livable Communities Element back in the Plan.
Tell us your ideas so we can all emphasize the best ones. Of course, I don’t want to tell you what to think, just want your opinion to be heard.
Open house meetings will be on the following Thursdays, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
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June 28: Gaither High School
16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33618
July 12: HCC Brandon Campus
10414 E. Columbus Drive, Tampa, FL 33619
July 19: South Shore Regional Library
15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin, FL 33573
July 26: Alonso High School
8402 Montague Street, Tampa, FL 33635
For information contact the Planning Commission: 813.272.5940 or lacollaa@plancom.org.
Our planners will report all the comments — from the developers and the citizens — to the commissioners. Let them also report that we have not given up; that the developers cannot wear us down by dragging out the process; that we are watching our commissioners and we will vote them OUT if they do not incorporate our wishes in our plan for our county.
Tags: county, development, hc bocc, politics, transportation
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June 27th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Cha! They want our input like they want Drano in their coffee. Their actions stink of corruption and if there is a higher authority with some intergrity (not paid off by developers) then it’s time for an investigation and some orange jumpsuits. Perhaps we can find a striped one for the bee fellow.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:20 am
The ideas listed by Mariella are SO obvious.. It’s hard to see how any reasonable person could argue against ANY of them!!
The Commissioners seem bound and determined to pave over the entire county; as if GROWTH is some SACRED AND ULTIMATE GOAL…..and nothing else matters!! Our quality of life is of no concern! Our need for open space, an unspoiled environment, drivable roads, ample water, good schools,….etc. etc…..would seem to be worth more than cramming as many people as possible into our county. This place could look LA if the Commissioners have their way!
June 30th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
When it comes to managing growth, we must recognize that there are three camps of “Stakeholders”, citizens, property owners and developers. Each has their own motivation for promoting or resisting growh in Hillsborough County.
In an ideal world, all three would be recognized equally and our county government would behave accordingly. However, they do not. What are these three motivations among the stakeholders?
The citizens recognize the need for growth and jobs but also want to preserve their environment and the quality of life in the community. They have nothing to gain beyond an improved life style.
The owner with developable property wants to receive the highest value for their land and is inclined to sell to the highest bidder. Even if the owner places value on the environment and quality of life, they are unable to control the nature of the project and the resulting impact on the community.Their gain is the substantial amount of money developers are willing to pay for land in Hillsborough County.
With few exceptions, the #3 Stakeholder (the developer) opposes restraints placed on the project because of envirnmental considerations and is less concerned by the impact on the quality of life in the community. After all, once their project is completed, they move on to other locations and do not remain in the community.
It is clear to me that more consideration is being given by our BOCC to developers than to the two other stakeholders. Why is this the case? What motivates our BOCC to behave in this manner?
I feel there is two factors at play here - MONEY AND SPECIAL INTERESTS! One might add, election or re-election support. However, many candidates I’ve talked to over the years have told me, “Ron, give me the money and I’ll get the votes”! A visit to the county elections supervisor website will show you the amount and source of these campaign donations.
It is much easier to identify the problem than to come up with the solution. Do you have any comments or suggestions? If so, I would be delighted to hear from you.