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House bill is permit for runaway growth
By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published April 25, 2007
A state House attempt to loosen controls on Florida's development growth has evolved into what must be a practical joke. What else could explain the provision that exempts Pinellas County from state oversight? This is, after all, the county that dumped dirt in the bay to make room for more waterfront houses, pumped so much drinking water from the ground it turned salty, and built so many shopping strips that major traffic arteries become linear parking lots during rush hour. This is the county where the last two beach city commissions to approve taller hotels felt the wrath of angry voters at the polls. Pinellas, a poster child for haphazard development, no longer needs the state to chaperone? This is the worst kind of legislative humor because it is written in the form a bill that could actually become a law. The bill, HB 7203, is a frontal assault on growth management. It relaxes the requirement that roads be improved before new development chokes them; gives developers more time to hold up their end on agreements for large projects; allows a sixfold increase in streamlined permits in Duval County; and designates Pinellas, Broward, Jacksonville, Miami, Tallahassee and Hialeah as "pilot programs" and exempts them from the usual state oversight of local land-use decisions. These pilot counties and cities were chosen because they are mostly developed already, but that's like rewarding failure. And if Pinellas legislators think their county suffers only from mistakes of history, then they are ignoring the growing signs of development revolt among today's voters. This bill has been on the same kind of fast track that it would grant to development and is heading for the House floor after only one committee stop. If House members won't put on the brakes, then the Senate should. This is one exemption Pinellas does not need.
[Last modified April 24, 2007, 21:37:56]
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by tarncy
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04/29/07 12:06 PM
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I quess that some of residents whether have condo than have the hotels expand
their properties to attract the tourist.
Please let the hotels expand their hotels
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by tarncy
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04/29/07 12:02 PM
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I guess that some residents would rather have condos than have the hotels expand their properties to attract the tourists. Please let the hotels expand their hotels
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by Ken
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04/26/07 07:26 AM
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Politics as usual, kowtowing to developers. The public be damned, full development speed ahead. Please remember who served who when the next election comes along - as it will. Altho I'm sure the dev(il)opers will buy their way in again.
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by DrewFinn
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04/25/07 03:54 PM
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Here in "Condo County" (aka Pinellas) the only concern in uncontroled building and developemnet. Our local "Depts Of Greed And Corruption" (aka governments) are only interested in making more money to waste. No water, no roads ? No problem!!!
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by Daniel
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04/25/07 03:43 PM
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Deport all developers !!
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by karen
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04/25/07 02:33 PM
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We have allowed special interests to control this county.
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by Don
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04/25/07 02:02 PM
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History repeats itself!! As a native of St.Petersburg I have lived long enough to remember most of our county comissioners in the late 60's and early 70's being indicted and sentenced to jail for overseeing and benefiting from corrupt zoning.
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by Donald
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04/25/07 01:25 PM
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Again - time to elect "educated" officials that understand fiscal Management, Responsibility, Analysis, Economics, - MBA's, CPA's - etc - not homeowner wives, nickel/dime store owners, etc !
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by Jim
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04/25/07 01:12 PM
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We must do something. We do not need more freeways or housing developments!
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by PJ
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04/25/07 12:09 PM
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We have to move away from this state. Taxes and insurance are killing the middle class. I grew up in fla and hate to say it, but fla sucks.
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by JT
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04/25/07 10:57 AM
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Don't like it don't support those political candidates who support this approach and more importantly support the HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY ORGANIZATION in its effort to get a state law passed requiring a referendum at the local level for more growth etc.
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by Bruce
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04/25/07 08:11 AM
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Are there no lengths to which developers and corrupt politician will go to make money. If the brakes are not put on the kind of development that only benefits the developers local government, then the voters will, as they have in the past elections.
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by JD
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04/25/07 07:01 AM
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Forget the lawyers, first kill all the developers.
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