Another day, another development proposal. That’s how it goes in Florida, the land of government of, by and for the developer.
Despite fifty years of watching the state relentlessly paved over and understanding the way and why it happens, I am still stunned when I drive by a lot quickly scraped clean of every living thing, a carcass of dirt prepared to be sprawled.
What does this obliteration signify about our government? Amongst other things, this obliteration demonstrates that nature has no value to the people in charge. What matters is keeping the developer machine happy.
Paving over Florida, lot by lot, occurred and continues to occur because of deliberate choices by thousands of elected officials over the decades. These elected officials voted to change land use laws to give developers what they ask for, one land use change at a time. No one put a gun to their heads to force these land use changes. Elected officials vote to approve the changes.
Florida land use is largely regulated via comprehensive plans and zoning maps. When a landowner wants a zoning change or a comprehensive plan change, the owner must go before either the city or county commission (depending on whether the land is in the county or the city).
Why? Because that zoning and comprehensive plan designation are laws. Only elected officials can change a law. You are not entitled to a land use change—there is no legal requirement/obligation to grant a change.If, following public hearings, the commission votes to approve the change, it is because a majority of the commission decided that changing the law serves the public interest.
What is the public interest?All local laws are grounded in the “police powers” bestowed upon local government. These powers extend to protecting the “health, welfare and safety” of the public. You could call the police powers the “common good” or the “public interest”: aka the well-being of the general public.
The public interest means all of those things that make a community a good, safe, healthy place to live. Examples: picking up garbage. Ensuring clean water. Police protection. Public safety. It should mean enforcing land use regulations that reflect a public consensus on the character of the community and quality of life for the citizens of that community.
Florida is a classic case of captured government — government of, by and for the developer.The development machine controls the local commissions and who goes to Tallahassee. The growth machine must control local politics because land use is politics. Scratch a politician and see if a developer is underneath. Chances are good that the politician or family member is in the biz one way or another. Look who is making campaign donations. I’ll give it to developers — they put their money where their mouth is.
How does your elected official vote on requests for land use changes? These votes are the most important votes the commissions make because they determine the fate of the community.
Local politics is about land use — not national politics. It’s exhausting to hear voters bitch about how their neighborhood has been destroyed by runaway growth, and yet these voters have no idea of how their local council members are voting.
You must pay attention! You must learn to spot the lies and throw sunlight on them. Maybe, if you hate what’s happened on your elected officials’ watch, you need to become a one issue voter.
Lesley Blackner is a longtime environmental attorney who represents citizen groups. She is based in Tallahassee.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida is being reshaped by developers — and voters let it happen
Reporting by Lesley Blackner, Guest columnist / Florida Today
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