Here's a response to a reader's comment on yesterday's post, "Florida's Growth Machine: blame the birds." A cranky reader writes: "Boo hoo. The legislature gives cities the power to promote mobility any way they want, and NIMBYs complain. Why? Because NIMBYs are dumb. They prefer sloganeering like "Hold the Line" to actually doing planning. Oh, and under the new SB 360, existing city comprehensive plans and zoning, with all their concurrency requirements (which drove up urban land costs and only exacerbated sprawl) and their thoroughly outdated and discredited planning concepts REMAIN IN FORCE unless affirmatively changed. Which raises a larger point (Hometown Democracy, I'm looking in your direction): WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT EXISTING COMP PLANS AND ZONING? Why would any progressive thinker want to keep existing land use patterns and make it harder to change them? 20th Century land use has been proven wrong." My response: this idea that citizens can be substantively involved and "actually" do planning is not borne out by history. Every citizens' effort to be "included" in planning has come down to third class citizen status. South Dade Watershed Study? Thousands of hours, put on a shelf. The Ag Retention Study? Buried by land speculators. The South Miami Charette, or, the Key Biscayne Master Plan. The governors' repetitive blue ribbon panels on growth? Let's study this some more and do what the speculators want. (Please click, "read more")
In Florida, anything that has "planning" in its title ends with what developers want. The record of design charettes involving the public in South Florida? Eastward Ho? Only if you give Doral, Homestead, Sweetwater, Westchester, Hialeah and MIami Lakes first. What the developers want is what local zoning councils and elected bodies deliver.
There really is no distinguishing, in Florida, developers from the majority of zoning councils and elected bodies. None. Nada. Niente. Ask Natacha Seijas who she really works for. She won't tell you the truth: she works for "the little people".
As to the comment about Florida Hometown Democracy: "what's so great about existing comp plans and zoning?" (FHD proposed that changes to local comp plans will have to be approved by direct vote.) FHD is a very good change to the Florida Constitution, if it ever makes it to the ballot. Why? Because developers will see, finally, that their strategy implemented through lobbyists and trade associations-- instead of championing every crappy development proposal that comes down the pike--is going to have to find a way to persuade the public of a long-term vision: not short-term profit. Wow, now there's a novel idea.
A very good example of how this WON'T work in the future is the Sergio Pino master plan for Tamiami Airport, heading west and south toward Krome Gold and Parkland. Mind-numbing to watch speculators dress their multi-thousand unit projects as "green" outside and hollow inside.
Here is what is so hard for Associated Industries, the Florida Home Builders Association, and the Florida of Chamber of Commerce to understand: they brought Florida Hometown Democracy on themselves.
Nothing could argue for FHD better than turning the Florida legislature into their own private fortress, guarded by Hopping Green et al. Evidence: recent measures in the legislature supported by Gov. Crist (The Growth Anywhere Act), and the incessant fiddling with citizen standing and other anti-democratic measures designed to thwart the public in zoning issues. To the writer, above, who claims that local jurisdictions still have to follow state mandates: just wait and see how long that lasts.
The creepiness was on full display, yesterday, when Barney Bishop, the CEO of Associated Industries whined about the decision by the Florida Supreme Court to nullify his syndicate's effort to revoke FHD petition signatures, "Bishop said his organization may ask the Legislature for a constitutional amendment permitting signature revocations and overriding the Supreme Court ruling. He also said opponents may try to use the courts to stop the measure. "Tell 'em to be prepared," Bishop said. "What's good for the goose is good for the gander. This ain't over." Good for the goose, Barney? You guys cooked the Florida goose. It used to be golden and you burnt it to a crisp.
The real NIMBY's are builders and developers and lobbyists like Barney Bishop who don't want anyone in their backyard messing with the formula of low cost, suburban sprawl. They want their trade luncheons, award ceremonies and fish rodeos in the Bahamas to be lush and filled with tuna, the way it was in the boom. Ain't gonna happen. First of all, no demand for what they are pushing. Second, the formula that put millions in their pockets is now backed by the US taxpayer-- a formula that only works with derivative mortgages and insurance--is busted.
The taxpayers and voters mopping up after the looters have wrecked the temple are not happy.
If you don't think citizens are angry enough to vote for Florida Hometown Democracy today, just wait until it becomes clear that billions bailing out crap debt instruments that ungird so much of crap development is primed to be unleashed again because of short-sighted, self-defeating attacks. You can't fight audacity of hope with poverty of imagination.
I'm reminded of the story how one of Florida's top lobbyists, in the midst of the housing bubble, showed up to a trade show with a smile a mile wide and T-shirt printed, "Pave Everything". It made everyone laugh. Not so funny, anymore.
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