Growth Management Action Alert from 1000 Friends of Florida

A pretty important growth management bill appears to be making headway in the Legislature. Even though Bush vetoed a similar bill last year, there's no guarantee he'll do it again -- without pressure. 1000 Friends of Florida describes the impact of the bill on their site, linked above:

Under the proposed Act, vacant, undeveloped areas up to 5,120 acres (parcels bigger than many Florida towns) surrounded on 75 percent of their borders by lands designated for industrial, commercial, or residential uses are deemed "agricultural enclaves." Landowners can compel local governments to designate these "enclaves" for more intensive uses similar to the adjoining lands, regardless of what is called for in the legally adopted local comprehensive plan.

Further wresting away local control, if the local government does not take action within six months, comprehensive plan amendments and developments of regional impacts pertaining to development within these agricultural enclaves would be automatically approved. The Act would also give landowners additional rights to sue if local government changed the zoning on agricultural lands.

1000 Friends of Florida, Florida League of Cities, Florida Audubon, and others are asking voters to call their legislators and the governor's office to oppose the "Agriculture and Economic Development Act" (Senate Bill 716 and House Bill 5621).