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Palm Beach County Green Initiative Update Development
Without Displacement,
Foresight, Winter 2001 To date, the project has produced the Development Without Displacement Community Handbook, a "tool kit" for citizens to promote compatible redevelopment in their neighborhoods. The handbook has been disseminated to key community leaders in the region and is available on line at www.1000friendsofflorida.org (under "Publications"). Now the Joint Center and 1000 Friends are using this tool in working with residents of Limestone Creek and Delray Beach to address specific redevelopment issues facing their communities. For more information, contact Joanne Davis at 561.820.9385 or capercat@bellsouth.net. Treasure Coast Update, Foresight, Fall 2001 As newcomers to Florida's Treasure Coast bring rapid growth to this region, 1000 Friends remains dedicated to helping assure that growth is "smart" as well. In recent months we have stepped up our activities in Martin County and have been actively monitoring proposed changes to the county's land development regulations and comprehensive plan, especially those related to wetlands, uplands, public participation, and economic development. A one-day growth management workshop in March, coordinated by the Martin County Conservation Alliance, brought 150 people together for a "Citizen's Growth Management Forum" to discuss the fiscal and physical impacts of growth, and strategies to better protect the environment. 1000 Friends' Joanne Davis and Terrell Arline were featured speakers. 1000 Friends has also joined the Rivers Coalition, an alliance of organizations that addresses water and land use issues related to the Indian River Lagoon and estuaries. Ongoing efforts by 1000 Friends in Palm Beach County are building on past accomplishments. In addition to providing input to help develop the Sector Plan for agricultural lands in the western part of the county, we continue working with the community of Limestone Creek. We are helping residents there determine an appropriate site, landscaping, and amenities for a new linear park In June, 1000 Friends co-hosted the national Growth Management Leadership Alliance meeting which brought smart growth and social equity leaders from across the nation to Jupiter's new urbanist community of Abacoa. Martin County Residents Strongly Support Managing Growth, Foresight, Fall 2001 In a telephone poll last spring, Martin County residents revealed their views about growth management, environmental protection policies, and life in their community. The result was "overwhelming support for environmental protection and growth management in Martin County,"according to Charles Pattison, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Florida, which commissioned the poll. Interestingly, 81 percent of the respondents felt their county could have both a clean environment and a strong economy, without having to choose one over the other. "We believe this poll reflects the strong public sentiment for continuing the tradition of protecting Martin County's high quality of life through effective planning," said Pattison. Asked about growth management policies, Martin County's citizens had strong ideas about which direction to take. • 97 percent
felt "we should leave behind a clean and healthy environment for our children
and grandchildren." Additionally, by a seven-to-one margin, the respondents supported limits on building new roads into environmentally sensitive areas. More than 80 percent supported strict rules on where to locate new development, limiting the clearing of native vegetation to prevent pollution from runoff, and helping to protect rural areas by encouraging new development on already-developed land. Over half also supported purchasing farmlands to prevent their sale for development. Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike supported maintaining or strengthening the county's growth controls, not relaxing them. Over half the respondents said they believed Martin County is growing too fast, compared with close to 30 percent who were satisfied with the pace of growth. Despite concerns, almost half felt that Martin County is becoming a better place to live. Those polled ranked environmental/growth management groups as the most trustworthy in providing fair and accurate information about growth, development and the environment. The telephone survey, conducted April 13-18, 2001, was designed and directed by deHaven-Smith & Associates. The sample included 303 registered voters in Martin County, which produced a confidence interval of +/-6 percent. Click here for the full survey results. Palm Beach County Green Initiative Publications Available, Foresight, Spring 2001 1000 Friends is pleased to offer two new publications related to the Palm Beach County Green Initiative. A Citizen's Guide to Smarter Growth in Palm Beach County is a reader-friendly handbook that describes how citizens can participate actively in protecting their county's rich natural environment and promoting smart growth planning. To inject levity, editorial cartoonists have donated artwork poking gentle fun at growth and planning issues facing Florida. Smart Growth: Building Better Communities and Protecting the Environment in Palm Beach County is a richly illustrated eight-page tabloid that showcases environmental issues and smart growth success stories in this large and diverse county. It was distributed to approximately 400,000 readers of the Palm Beach Post and Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel in February. Both publications were developed in partnership with The Conservation Fund with a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Advisory Council on Environmental Education. Both are available on-line at www.1000friendsofflorida.org under "Palm Beach County Green Initiative." The Palm Beach County Green Initiative: Promoting Smarter Growth at the Local Level, Foresight, Winter 2000 Sound community planning. An educated citizenry. Strong and effective advocacy for well thought out development. 1000 Friends of Florida believes these to be key to creating successful communities across the state. That is why 1000 Friends opened an office in Palm Beach County a year ago, launching the three-year Palm Beach County Green Initiative: to show how focused attention on planning, education, and advocacy can provide a model for improving a community's quality of life. Over the last year, with the backing of Executive Director Charles Pattison, Legal Director Terrell Arline, Communications Director Vivian Young, and 1000 Friends' Tallahassee staff, Community Planner Joanne Davis has worked in cooperation with local leaders to bring about positive change in Palm Beach County. Following are a few Initiative highlights. Planning -- 1000 Friends is playing an active role to ensure that planning initiatives underway in the county integrate the principles of smart growth. So when the county released its draft master plan for the 20,000-acre Agricultural Reserve bordering the Everglades, 1000 Friends successfully advocated for several revisions. These changes increase the potential for continued agriculture, reduce the number of houses that can be built, and coordinate planning efforts in this area with the land acquisition program. As chair of the county's Conservation Lands Acquisition Selection Committee, Davis oversaw the public acquisition of close to 2000 acres of farmland in the Ag Reserve. In addition, 1000 Friends successfully nominated Palm Beach County for an American Planning Association Award for its Tiered Growth Plan. This plan establishes—within the comprehensive plan— urban, exurban, rural, and Glades "tiers" to protect the individual character of each part of the county. Over the next 18 months, 1000 Friends will participate in the County's process to develop a sector plan for over 57,000 acres of rural lands. Furthermore, in cooperation with the FAU/FIU Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Problems and the citizens of the Limestone Creek community, 1000 Friends helped develop a "box of tools" for redeveloping this traditional minority neighborhood without displacing current residents. Over the coming year, the partnership will work to begin implementing positive redevelopment. Education -- One of the most effective tools for planning better communities is an engaged citizenry. With funding from the Florida Advisory Council on Environmental Education, and in partnership with The Conservation Fund, 1000 Friends is preparing a series of educational materials geared specifically to the needs and interests of Palm Beach County residents. On a Sunday morning in February, about 400,000 subscribers to the Palm Beach Post and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel will open their morning papers to find an eight-page insert on smart growth in Palm Beach County. Articles will highlight local success stories—from establishing greenways in Limestone Creek to the redevelopment of Mizner Park in Boca Raton. 1000 Friends is also developing A Citizen's Guide to Smarter Growth in Palm Beach County. This user-friendly handbook describes the significance of the local environment, discusses the concept of smart growth, explains tools for promoting smarter growth in Palm Beach County, and outlines how citizens can play a more active role in shaping the future of their communities. Building on this "education blitz," in January and February, the public is invited to the West Palm Beach Downtown Library to hear experts talk about the interrelationships between the environment, the economy, and smarter growth. Speakers will include Dr. Allen Counter, a native of West Palm Beach and member of the Harvard Medical School faculty; Ann S. McLaughlin, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and current Chairman of the Aspen Institute, and Edward McMahon, Director of Land Use Planning at The Conservation Fund. For dates and times, please contact The Conservation Fund at 561.832.7665. Advocacy -- Even with effective plans in place, citizens must be ever vigilant to ensure that new development is compatible with those plans. 1000 Friends continues actively monitoring road and other development projects in Palm Beach County. Although our goal is to bring all parties together to work toward reasonable and responsible solutions, as always, we remain ready to litigate to protect the principles of sound planning. In the spring of 1999, close to 15,000 acres of former MacArthur land were sold for development. 1000 Friends has been monitoring the flood of resulting development requests, and with the FAU/FIU Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Problems will assist in a forum to bring north county public officials together to find ways of dealing with the traffic impacts. Additionally, 1000 Friends has offered to help the Town of Lake Park defend a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) ordinance that would promote mixed-use development compatible with the community's character. We also are tracking the controversial Renaissance Village, proposed for development in northern Palm Beach County. 1000 Friends successfully advocated against a proposed alignment for Hood Road, which would have negatively impacted a publicly owned preserve. Currently, we are helping develop a narrow scenic roadway alternative for the proposed Western Corridor transportation project. 1000 Friends was party to an out-of-court settlement requiring the City of West Palm Beach to separate zoning hearings and comprehensive plan amendments, to improve opportunities for citizen input. Currently, we are monitoring and may get involved in litigation over the development of the Lane Boathouse property, which lies over state sovereign lands on Jupiter Island, and a proposed home that would impact environmentally sensitive resources on Little Munyon Island. In neighboring Martin County, 1000 Friends remains active as well, having filed an amicus brief supporting the county's refusal to amend its comprehensive plan to allow a new development, working with the City of Stuart and county to develop a joint process to coordinate future annexations of land, and attempting to help the county resolve a challenge to its wetland protection ordinance without litigation. *** Gratified by the number of successes in just one year, 1000 Friends hopes to introduce the Palm Beach model in other parts of the state to promote healthier, more vital communities. Palm Beach County Green Initiative Update, Foresight, Spring 2000 By Joanne Davis, Community Planner Through the Palm Beach County Green Initiative, 1000 Friends of Florida is committed to improve the quality of life in the county and adjoining areas through focusing on planning, education, and advocacy. Over the last few months, a number of key planning issues have kept us busy! Palm Beach County
is selecting a planning team to work on the sector plan for an approximately
57,000 acre area in the central western part of the county. This land is home
to thousands of acres of citrus groves and The Acreage, a sprawling rural community.
1000 Friends has reviewed the planning applicants' qualifications to evaluate
their understanding of and support for smart growth principles. Due to the area's
close proximity to several large, publicly owned natural areas, familiarity
with water issues is also essential. We anticipate hot debates as the sector
plan evolves. 1000 Friends is monitoring the effort to identify secure, long-term funding source for Everglades restoration. Faced with the plan from the governor's office for $125 million per year in restoration costs to be borne by the South Florida Water Management District, local environmental groups and policymakers are viewing the governor's plan as challenging for the district to bear out of its revenue base without impacting existing programs such as canal and pump maintenance, flood protection, and education programs. A proposal from the legislature is expected this session to address the funding issue. Meanwhile, environmental groups insist that the funding issue must be addressed this year to begin work on the restoration. Department of Community Affairs Secretary Steve Seibert heard south Florida loudly and firmly embrace stronger growth management oversight at the state level during public workshops in the area. About 300 citizens spoke at the meeting held in Palm Beach County, many of whom stated they did not trust local government to provide strict enough guidelines for growth, and encouraged the state to strengthen, not weaken the role of regional planning councils and state oversight of the process. 1000 Friends continues to hear this message across the state. 1000 Friends of Florida Opens Palm Beach County Office, Foresight, Winter 1999 1000 Friends of Florida is pleased to announce that Ms. Joanne Davis has been hired to open 1000 Friends' field office and launch the organization's Palm Beach County Green Initiative. This new initiative focuses on better coordinating planning, education and advocacy efforts to more effectively protect the environment and improve the quality of life in this rapidly growing part of the state. Ms. Davis will also focus on similar issues in Martin County. Funding for this work is being provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Raymond John Wean Foundation, and special contributions from Martin and Palm Beach County members of 1000 Friends. Says 1000 Friends Executive Director Charles Pattison, "Ms. Davis's professional background and personal enthusiasm for environmental and quality of life issues in Palm Beach and Martin Counties make her the ideal choice as our Community Planner." According to 1000 Friends Chairman Nathaniel P. Reed, Palm Beach County is on the front line of growth and development. "By hiring Ms. Davis and launching this comprehensive initiative, 1000 Friends is showing its commitment to deal with this pressure head on." Dr. John M. DeGrove, the organization's president, agrees. "We need to show how we can reasonably accommodate this growth without sacrificing the livable communities and rich natural resources that make this region unique." It is hoped this approach will prove to be a successful model that can be replicated in other parts of the state. Ms. Davis joins 1000 Friends of Florida after extensive work in the environmental and planning fields including land acquisition, permitting, and landscape design. She currently chairs the Palm Beach County Conservation Land Acquisition Selection Committee and the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Acquisition Selection Committee which oversee the allocation of $150 million recently approved by voters for land acquisition. Says Ms. Davis, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work for a group that has always promoted the idea that growth can be accommodated when it's done at the right time, in the right way, and at the right place." She can be reached at (561) 582-8128. Overwhelming Support for Land Acquisition in Palm Beach County, Foresight Summer 1999
By
a two to one margin, Palm Beach County voters overwhelmingly supported the
Conservation and Open Space Bond Referendum in March. This will provide $150
million to buy environmentally sensitive and agricultural lands in Palm Beach
County, and can be used as match for state and federal land acquisition dollars.
1000 Friends of Florida worked in coalition with the National Audubon Society,
The Nature Conservancy, and the Conservation Fund to urge the voters to support
this important initiative, which will be an important component of the County's
growth management efforts.
1000 Friends Comes to Palm Beach County, Foresight, Winter 1998 By Terrell K. Arline, Legal Director With a tidal wave of growth moving steadily into Florida, its southern counties continue to face some of the toughest pressures in the state. In 1998, the situation in Palm Beach County, where development threatens vital agricultural, wetland, and open space areas, drew 1000 Friends' special attention. Development has been pushing westward in the county, beyond existing urbanized areas, into the Agricultural (AG) Reserve, a 20,000-acre area historically farmed for winter vegetables that lies between the Florida Turnpike and the Everglades. In north central Palm Beach County, developers have been eyeing the wetlands located between the Turnpike and the J. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. There, in an old platted subdivision called The Acreage, thousands of new homes have been built in recent years. It is expected that development pressure will continue in this wet, poorly drained rural area. These are some
of the pressures that prompted 1000 Friends of Florida to take an active role
in Palm Beach County, to ensure that its inevitable growth will be smart, carefully
planned, and well managed for future generations of residents. By using available
planning tools to guide and manage growth here, we hope to set an example that
can serve other Florida counties. The TDR program
requires unfailing monitoring, however. When several large landowners in the
AG Reserve wanted to "buy" and transfer 3000 of the South Florida
Water Management District's TDR units to develop their land for housing, 1000
Friends successfully lobbied the Water Management District's Governing Board
to reject the offer. The proposal ran counter to the protection of agriculture
and would have directly involved the Water Management District in development
of this area. In coming years, 1000 Friends will work with the District to ensure
that sale of its TDRs is in keeping with the substance and spirit of the county's
comprehensive plan. State Road 7, portions of which run through the AG Reserve, was recently widened from two to six lanes. Shopping centers and new residential developments were quick to spring up along this formerly bucolic farm road. The Florida Department of Transportation plans to further extend the road north through a wetland area to connect to State Road 710, which links Riviera Beach with Indiantown. Also in the works is a new county road that would provide better access to The Acreage and could open several citrus groves to development. This construction will only increase pressure to develop in The Acreage, on wetlands around the West Palm Beach Water Catchment Area, and on the rural lands in the northern part of the county. Without innovative land use planning and the full involvement of the South Florida Water Management District, the Loxahatchee Slough and other natural wetland resources such as the Lake Worth Estuary will suffer from the increased drainage needed for so many new homes. Already 1000 Friends'
push for better coordination of federal, state and local efforts to manage land
use, transportation, and the environment in Palm Beach County are paying off.
At an interagency meeting called by the county engineer, 1000 Friends discussed
the serious, growth-inducing effects of new roads and raised concerns about
their secondary impacts. We have encouraged the county to coordinate transportation
and land use planning with adjacent municipalities and the Water Management
District, and remain prepared to be a "watchdog" over the process.
Palm Beach County
is currently pursuing the adoption of a Sector Plan for some 55,000 acres of
rural land in and around The Acreage. Taking advantage of recent legislative
proposals to sponsor innovative land use planning, this plan could produce a
better land use pattern than the ad hoc, parcel by parcel, unintegrated development
process that currently exists. 1000 Friends will push for coordination with
the Water Management District's water use plans for the area, wetland overlays,
and phased, mixed use, "traditional neighborhood development," prior
to any approval of new development. But first, the county must justify the need
for and suitability of this area for future development. In a move to protect
an established wetland, 1000 Friends successfully lobbied the Water Management
District to modify a conceptual permit for a project located next to a large,
publicly owned environmentally sensitive area. Based upon our fears that the
drainage system for the project would lower water levels in the adjacent public
wetlands, the developer, Lennar Homes, agreed to move its borrow pits away from
the wetlands and to install a seepage barrier in the bottom of these pits. Martin County Supports Land Conservation and River Restoration, Foresight, Winter 1998
On November 3rd, the Martin County electorate approved a one-cent sales tax referendum which will generate $44 million of local funds and an additional $150 million in state and federal funds for land conservation and river restoration in Martin County. The three-part referendum will allow the acquisition of 60,000 to 80,000 acres of conservation lands, the purchase of lands identified through the Army Corps of Engineers' Restudy of the Everglades, and stormwater management projects in the City of Stuart. Doug Coward, formerly the Community Planner for 1000 Friends of Florida, called the referendum "vitally important for preserving Martin County's quality of life, leveraging substantial state and federal funds, securing major greenway linkages, and aggressively pursuing short- and long-term river restoration projects." It is also precedent-setting, he said, "because Martin County is the first local government in Florida to commit funds to acquire lands identified in the Corps Restudy." Passage of the referendum is the result of a concerted effort. The Martin County Board of County Commissioners should be credited with modifying the original greenways proposal to incorporate important river restoration projects. A broad-based coalition of environmental, business, and nonprofit groups spearheaded a successful campaign to inform the voters of the referendum's many benefits. Community leaders, including Max Quackenbos, Sue Yorke, Mel Sherman, and Tim Kinane, worked tirelessly to promote this proposal. Assistance came from Nathaniel Reed, 1000 Friends of Florida, The Nature Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, The Pegasus Foundation, the St. Lucie River Initiative, the Economic Council, the Conservation Alliance, and many others. Congratulations to Martin County for its leadership and continued commitment to the environment! Effective Advocacy Promotes Growth Management and the Environment, Foresight, Fall 1998 In Palm Beach County, 1000 Friends of Florida weighed in against a proposed comprehensive plan amendment for an industrial park outside the county's Urban Service Line. Concerned that this might promote urban sprawl, 1000 Friends also felt the amendment should not be approved until the county has considered a Sector Plan, which would include the area proposed for the industrial park. With the assistance of local member Sylvia J. Cohen, 1000 Friends made a presentation to the County Commission, which voted not to adopt the amendment. Also, in Palm Beach County, 1000 Friends advised a citizens' group opposed to the extension of Roebuck Road, west across the Florida Turnpike and through their neighborhood to the future right of way of State Road 7. From our standpoint, the road would promote premature western urbanization and cause impacts to wetlands and water resources. With guidance from 1000 Friends, CARE (Coalition Against Roebuck Road Extension), headed by Jim Green, convinced the County Commission to remove the road from the comprehensive plan, effectively stopping the project. Loxahatchee Greenways Project Report Available, Foresight, Winter 1997 Named "Lowchowhatchee," or "River of Turtles" by the Seminole Indians, the Loxahatchee River has its beginnings in the ridges and uplands of western Palm Beach and Martin counties. As the rain falls in this subtropical region, it moves through a mosaic of wetlands, coming together to form marshy inlets and creeks, and ultimately, a meandering river. The area that drains into the river, its watershed, covers an enormous expanse of approximately 500,000 acres, and provides precious habitat for a wide variety of plants, birds and animals. Recognizing the value of this special resource, The Conservation Fund, 1000 Friends of Florida, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation have worked in concert with local leaders to lay the foundation for a regional network of greenways. Now available is the report, Loxahatchee Greenways Project: Building a Life-Sustaining Vision for the Future, which highlights the region’s resources and how they can be better protected. Check out 1000 Friends’ web page at www.1000friendsofflorida.org under publications.
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