Comprehensive PlanningEffective long range comprehensive planning is essential to achieve Florida’s bright future The better Florida becomes the more likely that our children will want to stay here to raise their families and that people throughout the country and the world will want to migrate here. Urban boundaries must expand over time. New communities need to be strategically planned outside of the urban core and of critical environmental areas to accommodate future growth. Urban growth boundaries that artificially limit the supply drive up housing prices which force many working class families out of home ownership. Urban growth boundaries encourage low density ringing of urban areas and effectively prohibit planning outside the boundary which ultimately contributes to more sprawl when the urban growth boundaries are eventually expanded. Local governments should continue to have the primary responsibility for comprehensive planning and development permitting in Florida. Comprehensive planning provides a positive, effective and efficient way to address and resolve potential land use conflicts and extra jurisdictional impacts of all development early in the planning process and ensures that appropriate development approvals in compliance with the plan will not be delayed or denied. The concept of development funding its impacts is one which AFCD members have embraced for decades. However, this premise should be consistent with state and federal laws such that development is not exacted to fund improvements which have nothing to do with the impacts of a project. And where impact fees are collected they should be utilized exclusively to offset the impacts which serve as the basis for the fees. Capital improvement elements that are financially feasible will:
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and regulatory controls are necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Florida's citizens and its natural resources. Florida’s continued growth is certain.Our Sponsors
