Editor St. Pete Times

April 26, 2007

The citizens of Pinellas County owe a debt of gratitude to the St. Petersburg Times for uncovering the draconian deception proposed by House Bill 7203 (approved unanimously by committee, including Pinellas legislator Peter Nehr). Every voter should be outraged. The bill is designed to eliminate Florida’s growth management legislation in Pinellas County or, as stated in the bill, it “recognizes that some areas of the state should be exempt from unnecessary state oversight”. Unnecessary for whom, the developers?

The proposed bill dispenses with the review by the Department of Community Affairs of comprehensive plan amendments of Pinellas County and its municipalities (as well as other overdeveloped municipalities). This is critical because a city’s comprehensive plan is the detailed blueprint that identifies the type of development (commercial, multi family, single family,etc.) allowed in each area of a municipality. That plan is the key determinant of the future character of all of our communities. Once a developer-friendly city commission establishes a developer-friendly comprehensive plan, the developers can demand the right to build mile-high condos on our beaches or big-box shopping centers in our residential neighborhoods. Until this bill was introduced, citizens at least had the right to challenge a proposed change to a  Comprehensive plan by taking their objections to the Department of  Community Affairs. This bill eliminates that option. According to the proposed bill, once a city or county commission approves the plan amendment, it is law.

We all know from experience that it is a futile effort for voters to write legislators who are influenced by high priced lobbyists. Our voices are far less influential than their money. So what can we average citizens do to stop our communities from being dragged headlong into a morass of asphalt and concrete canyons? First, we can work at the local level. The citizens of St. Pete Beach have approved a charter amendment that requires voter approval of any comprehensive plan amendment. It was not easy. The St. Pete Beach city commission sued to prevent the amendment from getting on the ballot. After spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on high priced Tallahassee lawyers, the city lost the case.

Then, after the court ordered the amendment to be put on the ballot, developers spent over $300,000 in this small beach community to try to stop voter approval. They lost this battle, too. Now, the residents of St. Pete Beach have the right to approve any comprehensive plan amendment. If your community wishes to take similar action, then check out the Citizens for Responsible Growth website, www.citizensforresponsiblegrowth.com.

The citizens in Treasure Island also approved a charter provision requiring a vote on increasing height and density. You can also sign the petitions being circulated by Florida Hometown

Democracy, the developers’ number one priority to stop. Florida Hometown Democracy has proposed an amendment to the Florida Constitution that would require voter approval of all comprehensive plan amendments in every Florida municipality. Florida Hometown Democracy still needs signatures in order to get this constitutional amendment on the November 2008 ballot. If you want to make a difference, go to floridahometowndemocracy.com and sign the petition to give citizens a voice and a choice in the development of our communities. It only took a small group of citizens to start the revolt against overdevelopment in Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach. To paraphrase Edmund Burke “The only thing necessary for developers to succeed is for good citizens to do nothing.”

Kenneth L. Weiss

Treasure Island, FL 3370