Saying ‘no’ sometimes the best way

Posted on 28 April, 2006, by bcpress

By Michael Rinker
Press Staff

A state expert on growth management told local elected leaders Tuesday night they’ll have to learn to say “no” to development when there’s not enough money available to pay for growth’s impact on roads and schools. “You don’t have to approve more and more and more development in the face of poor planning,” said Mike McDaniel, growth management administrator for the Florida Department of Community Affairs.
“If you don’t get a handle on it now, you’ll watch things slowly unravel, parcel by parcel.... Then the place you all love and are so proud of won’t be that way any more because you let it happen.”
Mr. McDaniel was in town to explain the impact of Senate Bill 360, a wide-ranging law enacted last year that, in general, amended the state’s 20-year-old growth management laws.
Among its other components, the bill requires local governments and school boards to work together to ensure that growth doesn’t overwhelm the school system’s facilities.
It also requires a local government’s comprehensive plan to be “financially feasible,” according to a Senate summary.
In addition, officials must show a schedule of capital improvements that will maintain levels of service. Those improvements also must be financially feasible.
If municipalities fail to submit plans and update them annually, the state can prohibit them from amending their comprehensive plans, which in effect slows down or stops big development.
Mr. McDaniel said it’s at that stage, when developers are seeking changes to a comp plan’s future land use map, that local officials must exercise judgment. (Or, as one workshop attendee put it, “show some backbone.”)
“That’s the time to take a hard line,” Mr. McDaniel said. “That’s the point in time when you figure where the money will come from.
“If you don’t have the money, don’t know where the money will come from, you ought not to be putting more and more development capacity on your future land use map.”
Also, that’s the point where government officials should negotiate with developers about money for infrastructure needs.
Senate Bill 360 was passed, according to Mr. McDaniel, because “the state saw that growth is happening, but management of that growth is uneven in different areas of the state.”
He told those in attendance the law addresses that, but ultimately “it’s up to you to make it real, make it happen.”
Much of his presentation was directed toward the law’s impact on schools, and in fact, the workshop was held in the school board meeting room.
All board members except Paul Raulerson attended, as did Superintendent Paula Barton, finance director Marcelle Richardson and facilities director Denny Wells.
Ms. Barton said that with developments already approved, the schools would be at 125 percent capacity and that the proposed Cedar Creek mega-development could nearly double the number of students in the county.
She suggested the county go into “slow-down mode” until plans are in place to address the growth.
Baker County was represented by commissioners Alex Robinson, Julie Combs, Fred Raulerson and Mark Hartley.
Macclenny manager Gerald Dopson and commissioner Phil Rhoden were there for the city, while Glen St. Mary was represented by mayor Juanice Padgett and councilman Perry Hays.
Mr. McDaniel also said that municipalities, the county and the school board must enter interlocal agreements.
Those agreements should include options for proportionate sharing, which would determine how and when developers can be charged for infrastructure improvements.