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> Bad Growth Management HB7203 and HB985 Transportation bills
Sprawl:
Bad Growth Management HB7203 and HB985 Transportation bills
Our Position: oppose
Bill Number: HB7203& SB800: HB985 & SB1928
Sponsor:
Legislative Session: 2007
GOVERNOR SIGNED HB985 & HB7203 BILLS INTO LAW.
HB985 ordered enrolled 5/4/07 and HB7203 ordered enrolled 5/4/07
5/4/07:Ordered enrolled: HB7203/SB800 Growth management. At the 11th hour, the Senate added Affordable Housing language in recognition of Representative Mike Davis, who is always working hard for affordable housing; pilot projects exempting out several local governments from DCA oversite; if a developer can show that they will meet concurrency for schools in 5 years, the one year is no longer applicable; if an airport wants to expand it's facilities, they don't have to worry about the increased traffic on the roads, and therefore, they don't have to expand the roads. Another bill that continues to cut away at growth management laws.
5/4/07: Ordered enrolled: Transportation and MPOs: SB985/SB1928
HB985 Privatizes toll roads; Rural areas are in danger with such proposals as the Heartland Turnpike in Central Florida . Eliminates current requirements that proposed new turnpike segments prove "financial feasibility." When the proposed new Heartland Turnpike was analyzed in February under the existing financial feasibility requirements, most of the Heartland routes did NOT meet the financial feasibility test; encourages a link between future real estate growth and funding of roads and toll roads; throws careful planning and growth management laws out the window.
We oppose the bills and spending measures in their current form cumulatively would increase growth at the very time we need to reduce loss of wildlife habitat, wetlands, farmlands, and natural areas. Additional $565 million for road building to what is already allocated in the existing budget.
Transportation TRAIN is most stapled piece of environmental legislation AGAIN
For the last several years, the largest and latest bill to come together was the train of transportation bills: HB 985 totaled 139 pages, was related to at least 14 other bills this session, and was comprised of 57 different sections; during the last 2 weeks of session, legislators filed more than 46 amendments to the bill. (In all there were nearly 120 amendments filed to HB 985 and companion SB 1928).
5/2/07: Growth Management SB800/HB7203. This legislation showed up no more than two weeks ago and is moving towards final passage. Today, 5/2/07, just this morning, the Senate took up their Senate bill on Growth Management, SB800 and amended it to HB7203. SB800, was the DCA's bill, but, there were amendments that were adopted that placed the bad components of the House bill 7203 onto the Senate version. So, they made both bills identical and laid SB800 on the table. Now HB7203 will roll over to third reading, be voted on by the Senate and sent to the House between now and Sine-Die, for the House to vote again and send it to the Governor. Contact your Senator and tell them to vote against this bad bill, don't let the Senate pass this bill onto the House.
Thank Senators Rich, Dockery, Margolis, Storms, for speaking against the bill.
1.The alternative state review process pilot project language which would have no DCA overview for Pinallas and Broward Counties, and Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and Hialieah, shall follow an alternative state review process. Municipalities within the pilot counties may elect, by super majority vote fo the governing body, not to participate in the pilot program.
2. Revises formula for calculating proportionate share, no backlog charge.
3. Moves development agreement from 10 to 20 years.
4. Includes language for transportation concurrency backlogs.
5. Florida Quality Developments, local government may amend port master plan.
4/26/07: Also, proposals contained in House Bill 985 and Senate Bill 1928 increase bonding authority for turnpikes from $4.5 billion to $9-10 billion. Increasing this road building monies will fuel road building, causing more sprawl, traffic congestion, air pollution, wasted energy.
Rural areas are in danger with such proposals as the Heartland Turnpike in Central Florida . SB 1928 and HB 985 eliminate current requirements that proposed new turnpike segments prove "financial feasibility." When this proposed new Heartland Turnpike was analyzed in February under the existing financial feasibility requirements, most of the Heartland routes did NOT meet this test.
But urban areas are not exempt either, SB 506 and HB 251 make it easier to fund road construction, and would create the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority which would also be granted broad bonding authority, thus creating the same growth problems created by the turnpike bonding. These Authorities have tended to abuse power. For example, the people in Northwest Florida have just been victimized by a runaway authority, the Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority, which is proposing to build a network of roads through pine forests, and creating expressways to a proposed unneeded new airport in Bay County . We call upon the Legislature to immediately dismantle and defund that Authority, whose sole purpose appears to be to create new roads through many environmentally sensitive areas to benefit major developers and landowners such as the St. Joe Company.
Of particular note regarding St. Joe, SB 2804 contains language which would make it even easier for the state, should the federal government not have or provide the resources, to pick up the funding for the unnecessary airport project, which the voters in Bay County rejected, and would drain away resources needed elsewhere in the state. We need to also have them delete this funding for the airport project.
Specifically on Growth Mismanagement, In the House, HB 7203 weakens concurrency requirements, weakens DRI's, makes major metro areas exempt from state review, and makes small scale comprehensive plan amendments worse. The Senate Bill, SB 800, is not any better as it also weakens concurrency requirements and Developments of Regional Impact criteria.
Status
GOVERNOR SIGNED HB985 & HB7203 BILLS INTO LAW.
5/4/07: ordered enrolled: HB7203/(SB800) Growth management
5/4/07: ordered enrolled: SB985/(SB1928) Transportation MPOs with mining aggregate study task force.
Click here to read HB7203
Click here to read SB800
Click here to read HB985
Click here to read SB1928
Background
Transportation bill 5407
Senate backs lease plan for existing toll roads
Sarasota Herald Tribune, 5/4/2007
View article on Sarasota Herald Tribune
By LLOYD DUNKELBERGER
TALLAHASSEE -- The Senate on Thursday endorsed the leasing of existing toll roads, opening the door for private companies to take over some of Florida's best-known transportation landmarks, including the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Alligator Alley.
The bill (HB 985), which was approved 37-2 by the Senate but heads back to the House, could also lead to toll increases across the state.
The measure would let the Department of Transportation lease existing toll facilities, excluding the Florida Turnpike, which runs from Wildwood to Miami, as well as auxiliary turnpike facilities such as the Polk Parkway near Lakeland and the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County.
It also allows toll hikes on the roadways, including the turnpike, by letting the toll authorities raise their rates as much as once a year based on the consumer price index. For the Sunshine Skyway, it means its $1 per car charge that hasn't changed in decades could begin rising if the House backs the bill and Gov. Charlie Crist signs it.
The transportation package included other key provisions:
It would increase the Florida Turnpike's bonding capacity to $10 billion, resulting in another $900 million in turnpike construction projects.
It would require local governments to consult with the DOT if they make a land-use planning decision that could affect rock mining. The measure is a modification of an earlier plan that would have pre-empted local government decisions on rock mines.
However, at the same time they were passing the transportation package, Senate leaders said their effort to win approval for another $500 million in road projects won't happen in this session. They said they would renew the request in the special session on property taxes that begins June 12.
Senate Transportation Chairman Carey Baker, R-Eustis, said the Senate was reluctant to lease out existing toll roads. But he said the Senate made that concession in negotiations with the House, where leaders had argued that leasing should be an option in trying to generate more money for the state road system.
The bill also promotes the use of private companies to build new toll roads, although they would eventually be owned by the state.
Baker said other protections were put into the bill, including having the lease plans to come before the Legislature as part of the DOT's five-year work program before the lease takes effect. Additionally, the private companies that want to lease old toll roads or build new ones will have to complete two independent studies, and the lease plans will also have to be approved by the Legislative Budget Commission.
Last modified: May 04. 2007 4:26AM
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News Release
From: Florida Chapter Sierra Club
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
APRIL 26, 2007 John Hedrick (850)339-5462
FLORIDA IN FOR AN ORGY OF GROWTH SHOULD TRANSPORTATION AND “GROWTH MIS-MANAGEMENT” MEASURES PASS
The Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club called on the Florida Legislature to reject harmful transportation and growth management measures, and their related budgets today.
"Should all of these bills and spending measures pass in their current forms, the cumulative result will be an increased orgy of growth at the very time the people of Florida are saying that we need to slow down and move in a different direction," said John Hedrick, Chair of Florida Sierra's Sprawl/Growth Management Committee.
Hedrick pointed out that Senate wants to add another $565 million for road building to what is already allocated in the existing budget. Also, proposals contained in House Bill 985 and Senate Bill 1928 increase bonding authority for turnpikes from $4.5 billion to $9-10 billion. “This kind of road spending will spawn an unprecedented wave of road building, causing more sprawl, traffic congestion, air pollution, wasted energy and other undesirable effects,” Hedrick said. He added that this boost in road building will undermine growth management, wildlife and habitat protection, and environmental preservation. “With this switch, transportation and roadway planning is setting the direction for future growth and development patterns, rather than the citizenry determining this themselves, as part of the local and regional planning processes," he said.
"This comes during the same Legislative Session that the Legislature so far is unwilling to follow Governor Crist's recommendation to add just an additional $100 million to Forever Florida to raise the environmental land purchase program from $300 to $400 million annually." said Hedrick.
Rural areas are in danger with such proposals as the Heartland Turnpike in Central Florida , Hedrick pointed out. SB 1928 and HB 985 eliminate current requirements that proposed new turnpike segments prove "financial feasibility." When this proposed new Heartland Turnpike was analyzed in February under the existing financial feasibility requirements, most of the Heartland routes did NOT meet this test.
But urban areas are not exempt either, Hedrick said. SB 506 and HB 251 make it easier to fund road construction, and would create the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority which would also be granted broad bonding authority, thus creating the same growth problems created by the turnpike bonding.
Where they have been in power, these Authorities have tended to abuse that power, Hedrick said. "For example, the people in Northwest Florida have just been victimized by a runaway authority, the Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority, which is proposing to build a network of roads through pine forests, and creating expressways to a proposed unneeded new airport in Bay County . We call upon the Legislature to immediately dismantle and defund that Authority, whose sole purpose appears to be to create new roads through many environmentally sensitive areas to benefit major developers and landowners such as the St. Joe Company", said Hedrick.
Of particular note regarding St. Joe, SB 1928 contains language which would make it even easier for the state, should the federal government not have or provide the resources, to pick up the funding for the unnecessary airport project, which the voters in Bay County rejected, and would drain away resources needed elsewhere in the state. “The funding for this airport project needs to be deleted as well," Hedrick said.
"Specifically on Growth Mismanagement, In the House, HB 7203 weakens concurrency requirements, weakens DRI's, makes major metro areas exempt from state review, and makes small scale comprehensive plan amendments worse. The Senate Bill, SB 800, is not any better as it also weakens concurrency requirements and Developments of Regional Impact criteria."
"We find it remarkable that the Legislature is rushing to pave over Florida at a time when the citizens of Florida are rushing to sign the Florida Hometown Democracy (FHD) constitutional amendment petition, which will give them the right to control growth through referenda on land use changes. They are fed up with their legislators and local officials enabling massive new growth at the cost of their tax dollars and quality of life," said Hedrick.
Over 300,000 signatures have been gathered so far on FHD, not all of which have been submitted yet for verification, said Hedrick.
"If the legislators want to show they care about what all the citizens, not just the developers, want for their future, they will turn down all of these proposals. Florida should become a place that people are proud to call home, not a land where the roar of the bulldozer becomes our newest state song," concluded Hedrick.
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