Building moratorium again put on the shelf
Now the issue is getting money to buy property
By Alyson Matley
amatley@keynoter.com
As Monroe County Growth Management goes back to the drawing board yet
again with a plan to protect the most sensitive lands of the Keys,
division Director Tim McGarry says the most recent proposal to do so was
"just not ripe yet."
In its second appearance before the County Commission, a proposal to
temporarily halt development on critical habitat was again continued
this week.
Commissioners asked county staff to come up with a list of possible
funding sources to purchase such lands before they would consider
endorsing a moratorium on even the most sensitive lands.
"I will support a moratorium if we can get a reoccurring funding
source," said Commissioner Murray Nelson.
In June, Growth Management offered a plan, endorsed by the Planning
Commission, that would delay building on highly sensitive and moderately
sensitive lands for between 12 and 18 months. That, they said, would
allow the county time to modify its land development regulations to come
into compliance with the Florida Keys Carrying Capacity Study. The study
required changing current land development regulations and permitting
processes to strengthen the protection of sensitive habitat.
The work plan for the study set a July deadline for the county to
begin adopting changes in land-use plan "to ensure that new development
does not exceed the carrying capacity of the county’s natural
environment," according to the study. If the state mandate is not
heeded, the county risks losing some or all of its building permit
allocations.
This past week, staff introduced a proposal that would delay building
permits on only the most sensitive land. The wary commission, however,
asked that staff come up with a list of possible funding sources before
they take any sort of action.
"We need more public input and review," McGarry told the Keynoter.
"We still think it will be the most fair approach. If we don’t get a
moratorium, I would like the [commission] to identify the Tier 1 areas
as conservation natural areas – the primary ones to go after [in land
acquisition]. If the board commits, that will put the state on notice
that we’re serious."
McGarry says the issue of lost building permit allocations is still
up in the air.
"That’s up to the governor and Cabinet. We’ve made a lot of progress
in the program. There are other concerns – further land degradation.
Staff still recommends some sort of moratorium. It would reduce the
pressure on upland habitat, and it would allow time to get the funding
sources together. Regulations don’t protect these lands; we have to buy
them."
McGarry says he’s confident the county will come up with a way to
conserve delicate hammock without risking losing the already limited
number of building allocations granted by the state.
"I
think they will give us the allocations next year," he said, "although
hurricane evacuation is still a problem. Right now we have 158 for
unincorporated Monroe County. Normally we have 197. We lost 20 percent
from a few years ago when we hadn’t made substantial progress. Were
trying to play catch-up. But you can’t sewer all of the Keys in 10
years."
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