The Scarlet Newsletter

The Campaign Against Urban Sprawl: Declaring War on the American Dream by John Carlisle

Smart Growth and Housing Affordability: Evidence from Statewide Planning Laws by Sam Staley and Leonard C. Gilroy, Project Director: Sam Staley

Regulatory Sprawl: Who Should Decide Where We Live?
On Point, October 5, 1998
by Jesse Walker

Livable Communities" may be anything but by Randal O'Toole

The Sprawling of America: In Defense of the Dynamic City by Samuel R. Staley

The Property Rights Congress of America, Inc. "Understanding and Empowering Your Role
in the Public Land Use System"

Anti-"Sprawl" Policy: Congested Thinking and Dense Logic
On Point, August 9, 1999
by David Riggs, PhD and Daniel Simmons

Report: Urban sprawl fears largely unfounded by Randal O'Toole

Urban Futures - Growth Controls Short paper by Samuel Staley draws a connection between controls on urban development and rising home prices. Includes an extensive bibliography.

The Vanishing Auto Updates A local realtor sent me this terrific collection of data. Smart Growth advocates are cooking the books!

Alachua County Government News

(most recent stories first)

New Majority Delivers

The Gainesville Sun story appearing Dec. 12

County Commissioner Rodney Long responded to the voters Wednesday by joining new Commissioners Cynthia Chestnut and Lee Pinkoson in a 3-2 vote to consider scrapping the clustering requirement for rural development and to allow for 5 acre parcel subdivisions. They will also be considering expanding the Urban Services line to encompass another 1500 acres. It was discovered that the County's miscalculation of future population land needs set them up for a 580 acre shortfall.

The County is still in mediation with PRPV, Inc., the group of landowners who brought the action against the Comprehensive Plan. The changes voted on will be offered in the mediation hearings that are in progress at this time.

Environmentalists, Landowners Square off for Battle

The Gainesville Sun story appearing Dec.3

On one side was PRPV, Inc. (Preserving Rural Property Values), the Gainesville Builders Association, and various developers; on the other side was Sustainable Alachua County, the Sierra Club, and Women for Wise Growth. It was what has become a classic struggle between property owners and their neighbors: how far can a community go to regulate what individuals can do with their land?

The Dec.2nd meeting before the County Commissioners got the two sides no closer together, but it was a good showcase of the arguments both sides have. The landowners had their attorney, Ron Carpenter, who is representing them (PRPV) in a lawsuit against the County's Comprehensive Plan. They also had an environmental consultant and a couple of former employees of Florida's Department of Community Affairs to speak on their behalf. Here is a sampling of quotes and points raised from the anti-Comp Plan side:

• Ron Carpenter, attorney, "This is a Comp Plan solution in search of a problem." He said that under the old plan that no abuse had occurred. Land is not only needed for development, but as collateral. Restricting its viability for development reduces its value.

• Rick Howe, Gainesville Builders Association; the old plan was working. Out of 450 targeted goals of the 1991 plan, 402 were met, 28 were partially met, and only 20 were not met. He also claimed that the county has already purchased land for 8 parks that are still either undeveloped or underdeveloped.

• Tom Beck, planning consultant, formerly of Florida DCA; any piece of property is vulnerable to being regulated as a "strategic ecosystem" because it is defined as such if it is "able to be restored".

• Chip Ramsey, "If you want to save it (sensitive lands), pay for it."

• Howard Wallace, Gainesville Builders Association; Urban Services Boundary artificially increases land prices.

Those in favor of the Comprehensive Plan were represented by environmental groups like The Sierra Club, Sustainable Alachua County, and Women For Wise Growth. The following is a list of quotes from the Pro-Comp Plan side:

• Dr. Kathleen Cantwell, Sierra Club, et al: The legal mediation that is now taking place is outside the arena of "full citizen participation". "We have compromised enough," to get this plan. "We don't need maps. We don't need data. We see (the growth)". "Commissioners Long, Byerly, and Wheat, you voted for this plan". If this is changed by attorneys during mediation, "you will see us in court". "We've lost 90% of our wading birds." "Some of the points made tonight are outrageous".

• Cindy Smith, Sustainable Alachua County, "Unless we limit westward sprawl, no one will move to East Gainesville". "Citizens have worked for 4 years...attended 100 meetings," to get this plan. "Suspend the mediation process". "SAC is prepared to go to court to defend the plan".

• Dwight Adams, Sierra Club, "The 2002 plan is neither extreme nor radical". "Implementing this plan is the most important thing you can do".

• Lee McSherry, "This plan protects our property rights, balanced with the needs of the county".

• Carol Higman, Women For Wise Growth, "This plan supports well-designed growth". Supporting Plan East Gainesville is the answer to more effective growth.

• Gladys Lane, WFWG, "Alachua County has a generous supply of affordable housing".

Commissioner Rodney Long finished the evening by saying that he had no desire to rewrite the Comp Plan. He also chastised the anti-plan group that brought the lawsuit, claiming that they could have had the Florida DCA mediate this process for free. Commissioner Long's discomfort with this conflict is no surprising since many see him as the deciding factor in this battle. The voters elected the new Commissioners, Lee Pinkoson and Cynthia Chestnut, because they strongly opposed the Comprehensive Plan. He and Commissioners Mike Byerly and Penny Wheat will be facing the same voters in 2004.

There will be another meeting Dec. 11, Wed. afternoon at 1 PM at the County Admin. Bldg.

Pinkoson Favorable to Releasing Choose Life Tag Money

Newly elected County Commissioner Lee Pinkoson has responded to requests for his position on the Choose Life Tag money to the local Women's Resource Center. "As far as the issue of choose life or not, the issue here is really what the law says you have to do with the money. If the deal is you are to give the designated money to a group, whether you believe in it or not is inconsequential. The money should be freed up and sent to the group."

The law does state that, "Each county shall distribute the funds to nongovernmental, not-for-profit agencies within the county, which agencies' services are limited to counseling and meeting the physical needs of pregnant women who are committed to placing their children for adoption. Funds may not be distributed to any agency that  is involved or associated with abortion activities, including counseling for or referrals to abortion clinics, providing medical abortion-related procedures, or pro-abortion advertising, and funds may not be distributed to any agency that charges women for services received." -from subsection 4 of Florida Statute 320.08056.

Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut was a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1999. She voted against the tag's creation, according to the Christian Coalition of Florida. At this time, she has not commented on this issue, either by email or when she was asked about it on the Bob Rose Show Wednesday, November 13.

DM

Advisory Board Vacancies 

The Alachua County Commission is receiving applications for the following vacancies:

•   Board of Adjustment: One

•   Children’s Services Council: Five citizens-at-large

•   Codes Enforcement Board: One citizen-at large 

•   Community Development Block Grant Committee: Two

•   Community Treasures Committee: One Gainesville Community Ministries representative, one Martin Luther King Commission representative, one League of Women Voters representative, one United Way representative, one citizen-at large, one Retired Senior Volunteer Program representative, one youth representative, one civic club representative, one 100 Black Men of Greater Gainesville representative

•   Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board: Three

•   Health Care Board: One community advocacy group representative

•   Original Florida Tourism Task Force: One citizen-at-large (alternate)

•   Retired Senior Volunteer Program Advisory Council: One

•   Tourist Development Council: One owner/operator    

Applications are available under the County government section of www.co.alachua.fl.us  They also may be picked up at the Customer Service Center on the First Floor of the County Administration Building, 12 S.E. First St., Gainesville. For more information, call 374-5210.

 Updated November 20, 2002

Gainesville City Government News

New single-member district map

City Commission Races Beginning to Take Shape

Sun Story on Jan 5

It is no surprise that Chuck Chestnut will be running for re-election this April. But we are still waiting to see who will surface as his opponent in the District 1 race for the Gainesville City Commission. In the spring of 2000, Chestnut emerged from a field of 5 to face Sherwin L. Henry in a runoff, which he won 1,357-1,034. The vote totals show how few people vote in these district races, which means that a strong get-out-the-vote effort could pull an upset.

The Gainesville Sun reported that a former County Commission candidate, Germaine Ferguson, is considering running for the District1 seat as well. Both Chestnut and Ferguson are Democrats, although Ferguson is considering changing to the Republican Party.

In the newly created District 4 seat, so far we have Craig Lowe and George Bradley Guy. Both are Democrats, and Lowe is on the Democratic Executive Committee.

In the two at-large seats, we see that Bob Casey, a former State House member, is listed as the only candidate for one of those seats. But he has had a change of heart and will not be running after all. This seat is the one held by current Commissioner Warren Nielsen.

The real battle appears to be for the newly created at-large seat. Rick Bryant, a Democrat, who failed to make the run-off for District 2 last year, is going to try again. Republican Adam Guillette, who failed to make the run-off in the 2000 mayoral race, is the boy-wonder at the age of 21, and local Green Party activist Rob Brinkman rounds out the field.

These races are billed as non-partisan, but party affiliation is usually featured in news accounts.

Hi-rises May Come to Gainesville

Sun Story on Jan. 3
(Artist's conception below, as seen in  the Gainesville Sun)

A project that may take several years to complete will be discussed Thursday, Jan. 9 at City Hall at a hearing of the Development Review Board. Although an estimate is not in yet, it is reported to cost "several hundred million dollars". The development, so far called only Midtown, will feature three buildings (one of them pictured above) that will be over 280 feet tall each. One will be a 300 bed hotel, and the other two will be mixed use- student housing, offices, retail, restaurants.

Stay tuned for more news and take the poll below...

City Commission Responds to Voters

Recent City Commission meetings have dealt with the aftermath of the November 5 elections and their local referendums that were on the ballot. One of those was the proposed Fire Merger. It was a non-binding referendum, but it got just over 70% of the vote. Tony Domenech, one the fire merger's opponents, said he was willing to revisit the issue since it was approved by so many voters. He came out against the merger when he discovered that there were a lot of upfront costs to doing it, and there were no guarantees that it would actually save local governments money. This reporter had asked local fire fighters why there was a large price tag on the front end and was told, off the record, that some of the chiefs were against it and that some of those front end costs were intentional impediments. TSNL will continue to investigate this issue as it progresses.

Another result of the elections was the creation of a new charter office for equal opportunity. It will cost the city $130,000 this year and elevate a position from one that is under the city manager to one at the same level as the city manager or city attorney. It passed with 53% of the vote and was heavily promoted by County Commissioner Rodney Long. He believes it will bring Gainesville into a new era of equal opportunity for minorities, but opponents saw it as pricey window dressing that would make no difference at all. This City Commission, in response to the voters, will begin a nationwide search for what may be the first charter level city equal opportunity officer in the country.

There will also be 2 new city commission seats created in the coming year. The new district has been created, and this spring there will be two new seats up for grabs as well as an at-large seat, belonging to Warren Nielsen at this time, and the District 1 seat, filled by Chuck Chestnut. That means the city will have to come up with another $130,000 for this expansion of government from 5 commission seats to 7. So, this March there will be two at-large seats and the District 1 seat and the newly created |District 4 seat on the ballot. 55% of the 28,000 city voters cast ballots for this change. This is many times more people who actually vote in city commission elections like we just had last spring.

DM