The Limits Of Growth Arrives In Polk County (Maybe)

County commissioners seemed finally willing to acknowledge Tuesday that every last acre in unincorporated Polk County’s countryside is not ripe for more intense development.
The discussion occurred in connection with the periodic update of the county’s growth plan that is looking at what the county could look like by 2050.
At one time growth could not occur unless schools, roads and other public facilities were adequate to serve the growing population. This is something called concurrency.
It was once a requirement in the state’s growth-management law, but such provisions were gradually phased out beginning during the administration of former Gov. Rick Scott and a more pro-growth Legislature.
Nevertheless. Polk officials seem inclined to push new development closer to urban areas instead of allowing it to sprawl deeper into rural areas that have no capacity to handle it that could eventually turn Polk County into a megalopolis such as New York City or Los Angeles without some restraint.
That idea has public support. based on feedback (see graphic) at a series of public meetings that have occurred in the past several months as part of the growth plan update process.
People want more land conservation, commissioners were told.
Additionally, there seemed to be some push back to expanding urban road networks and utilities deeper into rural areas because of the expense and the fact that it is impossible to ever catch up in fast-growing areas such as Polk County.
There was also some discussion about how to prevent approving subdivisions that would suffer the kind of flooding that occurred this year in places like Lake Seward and Lake Bonny.
Suggested solutions included deeper analyses of development applications rather than relying on water management districts or the Florida Department of Environenttal Regulation to flag potential problems.
In addition, it might be a good idea to document flooding that occurred on undeveloped tracts following wet periods such as this year’s back-to-back hurricanes to guide reviewers if someone applies for a development permit there.
However, the real test will come when county planners actually draft an updated growth plan and hold public hearings, which will occur in the next year or so.
That’s because there remain differences between the development lobby and the environmental lobby and perhaps other interest groups and the general public about how much growth is too much in some locations.
That tension was evident in recent hearings over how much and how quickly to increase impact fees to pay for some of impacts of new development. Commissioners sided with the development lobby.
It ain’t over yet.

Posted in Group Conservation Issues.