| TRANSPORTATION PLAN FINISHED Florida DOT has finalized the Florida Transportation Plan (FTP), identifying goals and strategies guide decisions and investments over the next 50 years. See: final 2060 FTP: www.2060ftp.org. (Jan 2011) SB 360 declared unconstitutional and ordered expunged from Florida law (Rebecca O'Hara Florida League of Cities, Inc.9-26-2010) "Today, a Leon County circuit court declared unconstitutional Ch. 2009-096, Laws of Florida, otherwise known as SB 360. SB 360 was passed in 2009 and imposed sweeping changes for 246 cities and counties defined in the bill as “Dense Urban Land Areas”. In short, the bill designated such areas as automatically exempt from transportation concurrency requirements. The bill imposed certain obligations upon such cities and counties. After the bill became law a coalition of cities and counties filed suit to have SB 360 declared unconstitutional for two reasons: 1) that the bill violated the “single subject” requirement; and 2) that it violated Article VII, Section 18(a), the unfunded mandates provision. The local governments alleged that SB 360 required them to “spend funds or take an action requiring the expenditure of funds” in violation of Article VII, Section 18(a). The court found the local governments’ single subject claim was rendered moot by operation of the subsequent 2010 legislative session. The court rejected all of the local governments arguments on the mandates count (finding they were inappropriate for disposition on a summary judgment motion because they involved disputed issues of fact) except for one. The court found the provision in SB 360 which mandates local governments to adopt comprehensive plan amendments and strategies to “support and fund mobility” could require “minimum mandated expenditures statewide by 246 local governments” ranging from “$10,150,944 to $25,625,820.” The court found these amounts to be in excess of the Legislature’s standard for determining whether a mandate is “fiscally insignificant” for purposes of Article VII, Section 18(a). The court concluded the Legislature did not meet any other requirements or exemptions set forth in Article VII, Section 18(a). SB 360 was declared unconstitutional in its entirety." Okeechobee County hoping grant will lead to new destination resort By James Kirley (8-17-10 Eco-Voice Digest) http://www.tcpalm. com/news/2010/aug/12/okeechobee-county-hoping- grant-will-lead-to-new/ "Okeechobee County — Local leaders have taken what is being described as a first step in building a destination resort and retail center in the county that economic development officials say could eventually create about 2,000 jobs." PORT MANATEE SELECTED FOR MARINE HIGHWAY INITIATIVE (8-16-10 BIZ941 Daily) "Port Manatee (www.portmanatee.com) is now eligible to compete for federal funding through the Marine Highway program. The U.S. DOT has designated an existing, 926-mile, container-on-barge route between Port Manatee and the Port of Brownville, Texas, as one of eight marine highway projects selected to compete for DOT maritime grants." State Finalizing U.S. Sugar Purchase (8-16-10 Eco-Voice Digest) "26,800 Acres To Be Acquired For $197 Million - $7351 Per Acre" http://sites.google.com/site/donbrowne/news "CLEWISTON, FL. -- The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board today approved unanimously with one abstention a revised strategy to acquire land from the United States Sugar Corporation for Everglades restoration. The amended agreement provides for the initial purchase of approximately 26,800 acres of strategically located land south of Lake Okeechobee, with options to purchase another 153,000 acres should economic conditions allow in the future." Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (from Eco Voice Digest 8-10-10) http://news.caloosahatchee. org/docs/Feasibility_Study_100809_2.htm http://www. evergladesplan.org/pm/studies/swfl.aspx "The Comprehensive Review Study for the Central & Southern Florida (C&SF) Project, known as the Restudy, has important implications for southwest Florida. Among its recommendations to Congress in July 1999, the Restudy recommended a Feasibility Study to identify southwest Florida water resources conditions and to develop potential solutions to any problems that may be identified.The Southwest Florida Study is being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District. The study area includes all of Lee County, most of Collier and Hendry Counties, and portions of Charlotte, Glades, and Monroe Counties. " Links to Everglades Conferences by Bob Mooney from Eco Voice Digest 7-19-10 "These are just some of the Everglades restoration conferences and meetings that occurred during the last decade. There's no comprehensive calendar or clearinghouse of all the activities. These are fact sheets for USGS projects that I (Bob) complied; later ones have not been compiled. Projects by others were never documented in a consistent manner -- scattered throughout many sources. http://131.247.143.93 /publications/ofr/03-54/fsflyers.html I trudged after a lot of past and present information because I thought there should be a clearinghouse, but that's not something anyone else cared about...and still don't. Even all the Everglades restoration projects and activities are not compiled. Bob" http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/geer2008/ http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/geer2008/vids.htm http://sofia.usgs.gov/memorials/geer2008.html http://sofia.usgs.gov/geer/2008/ http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007/ http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/GEER2006/ http://sofia.usgs.gov/geer/2006/ http://sofia.usgs.gov/ncer/ http://sofia.usgs.gov/workshops/lox-nwr-scimtg/index. html http://sofia.usgs.gov/geer/2003/ http://sofia.usgs.gov/workshops/geer-nova02/ http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/everglades/ http://sofia.usgs.gov/workshops/waterquality/ http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/ " BRADENTON INVITES PARTICIPATION IN RIVERFRONT SURVEY (Biz941Daily) "The Bradenton Downtown Development Authority and Realize Bradenton are seeking ideas on improving Bradenton’s riverfront from Mattison’s east to Tarpon Point. To participate, visit http://surveymonkey. com/s/realizebradenton. The results will be made public by the end of July." Onetime landfill site for 'glades restoration (6-22-10) sun- sentinel.com/topic/fl-water-everglades-palm- 20100613,0,4492186.story By Andy Reid, Sun Sentinel "Land west of Boca Raton once pegged for yet another South Florida dumping ground is now on its way to becoming a reservoir that helps boost Everglades water supplies. More than 20 years ago, residents who didn't want a landfill near their neighborhoods convinced Palm Beach County to find a new spot to bury their trash. Then the South Florida Water Management District acquired the land next to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge — the northern reaches of the Everglades — with plans to use it for water storage and treatment. Financial delays put the 1,800-acre restoration project on the shelf, until President Barack Obama's economic stimulus program last year started pumping overdue federal money into Everglades projects." FP&L Mirrors focus sun to heat water for electricity sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-fpl-solar-plant-0521- 20100521,0,1065752.story "Mirrors focus sun to heat water for electricity by By Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel May 21, 2010 "Florida Power & Light Co.'s newest solar-energy plant will have enough mirrors to cover 80 football fields. But those mirrors will focus sunlight onto surfaces that add up to about the size of a single football field. That 80-to-1 concentration of solar power will generate temperatures of more than 700 degrees — hot enough to make electricity for 11,000 homes.The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Indiantown here will rank as the world's second-largest solar plant when it begins pumping out as many as 75 megawatts of electricity late this year. It will also be the only system of its kind in the world." Legoland Impact to follow US 27 Route (by Robert Pitts, Florida Real Estate Journal May 1, 2010) "LEGOLAND's new multimillion dollar theme park is expected to generate a significant impact on development in the US 27 corridor, according to a Polk County tourism official. Mark Jackson, director of Central Florida Tourism & Sports Marketing said the effect may stretch from Lake Wales to as far north as the I-4/US 27 intersection. Merlin Entertainment Group paid an estimated $22.3 million for Winter Haven's Cypress Gardens theme park and reportedly plans to invest $100 million to $200 million to create LEGOLAND Florida, which will be one of the five in the world and only the second in the United States." Mosaic Resort Highlights Land Reclamation Focus(by Robert Pitts, Florida Real Estate Journal May 16, 2010) "Fort Meade- Just because the Mosaic Company is working on a 16,800 acre recreational development just west of here doesn't mean the company is jumping headlong into resort development, company officials said. Rather, the project is an effort to demonstrate the value of land reclamation process and benefits of appropriate development...The 16,800 acre resort project will be south of CR 630 and immediately east of Old HIghway 37. Plans call for 300 hotel rooms or cabin suites, an additional 513 vacation homes, two golf courses and a network of recreational facilities. More than half the land-some 10,000 acres-is likely to remain undeveloped due to environmental sensitivity, according to published reports." 2060 Florida Transportation Plan Regional Workshops (From BikeWalkLee) "The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding a series of 12 regional workshops around the state to obtain public and partner input on the future of transportation in Florida as part of development of the 2060 Florida Transportation Plan (FTP). There is a workshop scheduled in Fort Myers on Tuesday, June 8th from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. at the SWIFT SunGuide Center on 10041 Daniels Parkway (which is inside the I-75 Rest Area off Daniels; enter from Daniels and take a right to the new gray building in the back). The FTP establishes long range goals that will provide a policy framework for expenditure of federal and state transportation funds in Florida. The FDOT is updating this plan to respond to new trends and challenges to meet the future mobility needs of Florida's residents, visitors and businesses. SFWMD Newsletter: Enhancing Water Storage (May 2010) The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has been working with a coalition of other agencies, environmental organizations, ranchers and researchers since 2005, to enhance opportunities for storing excess surface water on private, public and tribal lands. https://my.sfwmd. gov/portal/page/portal/common/newsr/enews/ripple/ code/pages/ripple_index.html#article03 FDEP Model Fertilizer Ordinance book revisions, call for comments and meeting announcement.(www.eco- voice.org) 5-21-10 "The Department is beginning to revise the Florida Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) book: “Florida Friendly Landscape Guidance Models for Ordinances, Covenants, and Restrictions”, including updates to the “Model Ordinance for Florida-Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes” referred to in 403.9337 Florida Statutes. The comprehensive FFL book on model ordinances will be revised to include changes to Florida law, incorporate model ordinances for pet waste disposal and irrigation, and present example maintenance contracts. The “Model Ordinance for Florida-Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes” needs to be revised for consistency with SB 494 and SB 2080, to correct errors with Agricultural BMP provisions, and to provide additional points of clarification. Specific to the agricultural BMP provisions, please note that this provision was inadvertently captured in the model fertilizer ordinance. The management practices contained within the “Model Ordinance for Florida- Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes” is directed to urban landscapes and is not applicable to agricultural operations. Revisions to “Model Ordinance for Florida-Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes” must be finalized prior to proceeding with revisions to the comprehensive FFL book; therefore, this will be a phased effort beginning with the model fertilizer ordinance. Once complete, other sections of the FFL book will then be updated. An anticipated schedule is listed below for your planning purposes.
In an effort to expand this opportunity for input and comments, the Department encourages you to notify individuals from local government and environmental interest groups who are willing to assist with this effort. All interested parties may contact michael.thomas@dep. state.fl.us to be added to, or removed from, the email and contact list." Land Deal Likely to Improve Everglades, Ecologists Say May 20, 2010 By Mary Caperton Morton See:http://www. eco-voice.org/node/3735 "The Obama adminstration unveiled a $324 million plan for new bridges to lift sections of a highway that now blocks water flow in the wetlands." The article discusses the 2008 state initiative to purchase 180,000 acres of U. S. Sugar Corporation land south of Lake Okeechobee as part of a $1.75 billion dollar plan. "Two years and a recession later, that original plan has been reduced to $536 million dollars for 73,000 acres." Decision on 'inland port' site delayed May 20, 2010 By Andy Reid, Sun Sentinel http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-05-20/news/fl- inland-port-052010-20100520_1_florida-crystals-cargo- distribution-hub-rail-and-truck-routes "Sugar giant Florida Crystals on Thursday salvaged — at least temporarily — its deal to create a job-producing "inland port" industrial center in western Palm Beach County. The Port of Palm Beach's board delayed a decision until June on whether to scrap plans to build the cargo distribution hub on Florida Crystals' land and move the project to an industrial site near Port St. Lucie. The port board in December selected Florida Crystals over Port St. Lucie to house the proposed inland port." Palm Beach: Proposed "Inland Port" Industrial Distribution Center New proposal would ease environmental concerns By Andy Reid, Sun Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-inland- port-palm-051810-20100518,0,6613205.story "Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday approved moving the site of a proposed "inland port" industrial distribution center to ease environmental concerns while trying to hold onto thousands of potential jobs.Now it's up to the Port of Palm Beach to decide whether to OK the new location in western Palm Beach County or to negotiate with a competing site near Port St. Lucie. The Port of Palm Beach board meets Thursday. Moving the site settles a permitting dispute with environmental groups and the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which objected to the original plan for the cargo distribution hub on 318 acres west of U.S. 27 owned by sugar producer Florida Crystals.The settlement commissioners approved Tuesday calls for moving the proposed inland port about 5 miles north, to 850 acres Florida Crystals owns, situated between Belle Glade and South Bay, and Lake Okeechobee.The new site avoids stretching industrial development into an agricultural area targeted for Everglades restoration. It was supported by the growth watchdog group 1000 Friends of Florida and the DCA.The new location comes with "minimal environmental impacts," said Margaret Morales, of Clean Water Action, who encouraged county commissioners to "seal the deal." But longtime environmental activist Rosa Durando on Tuesday warned that, even with the new location, the project still raises environmental concerns. She questioned whether it would bring the industrial jobs touted for the deal. "This is — no more, no less than — a glorified truck depot," Durando said.Without room to expand along the coast, the Port of Palm Beach is looking inland for land that could become a distribution hub. The "inland port" would rely on rail lines and truck routes to ship cargo to and from coastal ports.The Port of Palm Beach wants to get the new industrial distribution center ready for operations by 2014, when an increase in cargo is expected from improvements to the Panama Canal.The Palm Beach County Commission has been trying to keep the inland port in western Palm Beach County in hopes of providing jobs for the towns beside Lake Okeechobee, where unemployment hovers near 40 percent.During the search for an inland port location a site in St. Lucie County came in second to Florida Crystals' original location. Backers of the Treasure Coast Intermodal Campus near Port St. Lucie contend that if Florida Crystals can't deliver that site, then the inland port project should go there.Port of Palm Beach Director Manny Almira has said that the port board can consider going with an alternative location on Florida Crystals land." HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION BEGINS TOM BENNETT PARK (posted by www.BIZ941 Daily) "Holland Construction has begun work on the 180-acre Tom Bennett Park in Manatee County just northwest of the S.R. 64 and I-75 interchange. Phase I will provide nature trails, a canoe/kayak launch, a fishing pier, volleyball courts, playgrounds, a soccer field and more to be completed in 9-10 months. Future phases will include an amphitheater and an Olympic-size swimming pool." t. MOTE REPORTING ON BEACH CONDITIONS AND OIL SPILL (5-3-2010) The Mote Marine Laboratory Beach Conditions Report has been expanded to include impacts from the April 22 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The report covers 33 beaches along Florida's Gulf Coast from the Panhandle south to Collier County. Reports are updated twice daily at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with information from lifeguards, parks personnel and beach patrol officers, who upload from PDAs to www.mote.org/beaches. The public can receive reports about particular beaches via e-mail or by calling 941-BEACHES. FGCU Innovation Hub See http://www.fgcuinnovationhub.com/siteoverview. htm for information on the new 241 acre Florida Gulf Coast University Research and Development Park. "$193 million in funds will benefit fire stations, libraries, hospitals, road work" "Building and upgrading essential infrastructure in rural communities in 32 states will be paid for in part by Recovery Act funds. In addition to infrastructure repair, the funds - in the form of both grants and loans - also will finance community centers, public safety buildings and health care facilities. The $193 million in funding is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Community Facilities Program and will be matched by $68.5 million from other sources." See recent report section at http://www.spartnerships. com/ for more information. "GOOD NEWS FOR NSP: REDEFINING 'FORECLOSED' AND 'ABANDONED' On April 2, 2010, HUD announced changes to the definition of "foreclosed" and "abandoned" under NSP to help accelerate the purchase and rehab of foreclosed and abandoned properties. HUD will change how it defines foreclosed and abandoned to include properties in mortgage default and uninhabitable homes with lingering code violations. These expanded definitions, effective immediately, will increase the reach of NSP by allowing more properties to qualify. This will help state and local grantees to meet a Congressional requirement that they obligate all of their NSP1 funding by September of this year." Florida's Economy (Feb 2010) According to the Florida Real Estate Journal," Florida’s economy should start to see the leading edge of a recovery this year, but a return to pre-recession growth levels won’t begin in earnest until 2011 and will likely take two years after that, according to a new University of Central Florida report. The Florida & Metro Forecast 2010-2013 was produced by economist Sean Snaith and UCF’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness. The full report can be found online at www.bus.ucf.edu/hitec/ Red Sox (Feb 2010) Lee County Commissioners approve Notice of Proposed Change for new Red Sox Sports Facility at the February 15 zoning hearing. 8 NEW REGIONAL MICROSITES (Feb 2010) See http://www.eflorida.com/FloridasRegionsSubpage.aspx? id=54 EAST COUNTY EMPLOYMENT CENTER PLAN (Feb 2010) Sarasota county commissioners voted last week to work with five private property owners on a smart growth master plan for 300 acres east of I-75 along Fruitville Road. The Stakeholders design charette will be held in May or June. ALGENOL BIO FUELS (Feb 2010) Lee County Board of County Commissioners authorized $10 million to support the Alegenol Bio Fuels new facility in Lee County. Algenol's goal is to make $1.00/gallon ethanol by combining specialized hybrid algae, sunlight, CO2 from industrial sources, saltwater and marginal or desert land. See http://www.algenolbiofuels.com SOUTH FLORIDA'S INLAND PORT http://www.ftc.state.fl.us/PDF/Presentations/ South_Florida_Inland_Port_Feasibility_Study_(10-9-07). SJO LAND CONSULTANTS LLC IS Twittering in the new year! See www.twitter.com/SJOLandConsult TRACKING STIMULUS MONEY (Dec 2009) See http://flarecovery.com FEMA Maps New Flood Insurance Rate Maps were adopted in August 2008 for unincorporated Lee County. There have been some changes to several floodways as a result of private Letters of Map Revision. See http://leegis.leegov. com/LeeSpInS/ to find out flood information on your property. Complete Streets (Nov 2009) Lee County approved a Complete Streets resolution promoting the inclusion of pedestrian walkways and bike paths in public rights-of-way and private developments. The Resolution was drafted and supported by the Lee County Smart Growth committee which included a 10-point plan suggesting how the initiative could be implemented by updating the county’ s land use and transportation programs. 2010 Legislature
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