Land Use 101 by GeniusofDespair

Every City, County and Town in Florida is required to have a Comprehensive Plan. You can go look at your City’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) at your City Hall. Your Planning Dept. put it together with public input (but no one knows about them so there is never any public input in them). The State Department of Community Affairs reviews the plans and has cities/municipalities make changes to make them better. It is the master plan for land use in your city.

Why do Cities have to do Comprehensive Plans? The plans are suppose to govern Growth; they are a growth management tool. I have read many plans and, God, some sound great! Mass transit is called for -- not happening, affordable housing is required -- not happening, more parks -- not happening, waterfront access for the public -- not happening, water dependent uses encouraged on our rivers -- not happening etc. If the cities and county actually followed their plans, we wouldn't be in such a pickle.

One of the reasons the plans aren't followed is: The Department of Community Affairs (State Department) hasn't been able to clamp down. The Department has no teeth. But, you should go down and look at your cities comp plan, because you can force the stupid Department of Community Affairs to do its job. Cities aren't keen on residents seeing these plans. They give you a run around but they will produce it eventually if you persist. Every resident should see their comp plan. Knowledge is power. That is the first think I told Hialeah activists trying to save the Race Track. I am sure Hialeah is short on park space but they have to look at the plan to find out.

The second bad thing about comp plans, they are always being changed. I believe that if comp plans are constantly changed, they are useless and we might as well do away with them. That is what the Florida Hometown Democracy effort is about. They want to Amendment the State Charter. Instead of these useless Commissioners voting on comp plan changes at the drop of a hat: You would vote on the changes that they approve — to ratify them. Yes, the people would make the Final decision! Yes, the people would make the decision!

Because most Cities and Commissioners allow changes -- because they love those developers -- developers apply constantly to have them changed. Do you ever see those little maps in the newspaper? They are comp plan changes. Comprehensive Plans are reviewed every 7 years so they can change when they need to. But the sense of entitlement on the part of developers has made comp plans a joke. As Hometown Democracy says: The power to decide land use changes has always belonged to the voters - and it's time to take that power back! Check out Florida Hometown Democracy – I have collected over 100 petitions from friends. I downloaded one and went to Kinkos and ran off 100.