a citizen's guide to smarter growth in palm beach county

8/9/2019 A Citizen's Guide to Smarter Growth in Palm Beach County

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Challenges andOpportunities

Spreading over 2,000 square miles, Palm Beach County is largerthan the state of Rhode Island. With a population topping one million, it isone of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Although many of those

residents live in one of its 37 municipalities, almost half (48 percent) live in

the countys unincorporated areas.

Palm Beach County also is one of the fastest growing areas in Florida.

More than 350,000 new residents are anticipated by 2020. If current trends

continue, more than 85 percent of these new residents will settle west of I-

95,1 on what is now some of the countys prime rural and agricultural acreage

and wetlands. This growth will continue having significant impacts on our

citizens, the natural environment, and the local economy.

How can Palm Beach County deal with this growth while protecting andrestoring its rich environment, strengthening its economy, and improving the

quality of life for all of its residents?

What seems an insurmountable task is possible. Palm Beach County can

move in a positive direction. This handbook will show how each of us, as

residents of Palm Beach County, can help ensure that this happens.


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From the Atlantic Ocean, across the Intracoastal Water-

way to the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, and on into the

greater Everglades ecosystem, Palm Beach County is

A Rich and Varied

blessed with a rich and beneficial environment, including

areas that are especially environmentally sensitive. The areas

natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and economy are

largely dependent on these abundant resources. South Florida

and the Sahara Desert are at the same latitudethe difference

is that we receive 60 inches of rain each year. Tourism, which

delivers $1.5 billion annually to the local economy, benefits

directly from a healthy environment, one that provides clean

water, pure air, and beautiful beaches and natural areas.

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Environment

A Magical Place

Palm Beach County was once quitedifferent than it is today. The

Everglades encompassed much

more of its area. Early Seminole and

Miccosukee peoples could push their

long dugout canoes across the Everglades

to what is now the Amtrak Station in West

Palm Beach. Continuing their journey on

land, they would cross the Ridge to what

is now Lake Worth.An 1848 account describes the

Everglades as a magical place of pro-

found and wild solitude. It seems that

not much had changed 90 years later in

this WPA Guide to Florida description of

the lush Everglades in Palm Beach

County:

One CountyManyEnvironments

Today, the Everglades is confined to

the western portion of Palm Beach

County. This large county has

several distinct regions, each with its own

unique environmental features.

The Treasure Coast. Closer to the

Gulf Stream than any place on the east

coast of the United States, Palm Beach

County boasts 45 miles of coastline andtwo barrier islands. The Treasure Coast,

considered a world class diving location, is

a haven for tourists, who help support its

many hotels, motels, and restaurants. The

John D. MacArthur State Park on Singer

Island, with almost a mile and a half of

coastal maritime hammock and golden

beach, hints at what the area looked like

before it was settled by Europeans.Between these barrier islands and the

mainland is the Intracoastal Waterway,

running north as far as Maine. Locally, a

major portion of the Intracoastal comprises

the Lake Worth Lagoon, a saltwater estuary

spreading from North Palm Beach to

Lantana that is a valuable recreational and

commercial asset. Northern Palm Beach

County is home to the pristine estuarine

environments of Jupiter Sound and the

Loxahatchee River, both now designated as

state aquatic preserves.

The Ridge.Just a few miles wide,

the Atlantic Coastal Ridge was the

prehistoric shoreline. Higher in elevation

than the rest of the county, the Ridge is

better protected from hurricane storm

surges and has been a perennially

attractive area for development. Henry

Flagler laid his railroad on the Ridge to

keep it out of the swamps and reduce the

Here, far as the eye can see, the

flatlands are carpeted with waving

sawgrass, of the sedge or bullrush

family, with long folded leaves edged

with sharp teeth. Pale green in summer,

brown in the dry season, the grass

thrusts up a tall stalk, topped with

panicles of brownish flowers . . . Small

animals find refuge in the undergrowth

along the roadside; rabbits vanish at

the approach of automobiles, but

bolder field rats stand still and cock

their heads at passers-by, scurrying for

cover only when a car stops. In winter

months mallards, blue bills, canvas

backs, and other migratory waterfowl

flock to the Everglades, a vast film of

water dotted with miragelike ham-

mocks of cypress and palmetto. Duringthe summer rainy season the water

often rises as much as 6 feet, but at

other times its depth is from 3 inches to

3 feet.2


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A Rich and Varied Environment

cost of construction. Cities and towns

such as West Palm Beach, Delray Beach,Lake Park and Lake Worth sprang up

along this new transportation line.

Oak and pine forests once predomi-

nated along the Ridge, with scatterings of

upland tropical hardwood hammocks.

Most of these woodlands have been lost

as the area has become increasingly

urban in nature. Barely one percent of

the much endangered scrub habitatremains. There are generally fewer parks

and conservation areas in this zone,

except for in the northern portion of the

county.

Single-family and high rise resi-

dences and commercial and industrial

buildings in close proximity keep this

area mixed in uses. The Ridge remains

attractive for new development, as it iswell drained and has sewer and water

lines, roads, and other needed infrastruc-

ture in place.

The Loxahatchee Region.The

water that flows from the tap of nearly

every home in northern Palm Beach

County has its origins in the watershed

feeding the Loxahatchee River, whose

name is derived from a Seminole Indianphrase meaning river of turtles.

Designated an Outstanding Florida

Waterway, an Aquatic Preserve, a

Manatee Protection Area, and its

northern part a Wild and Scenic River, it

is one of the last remaining free-flowing

subtropical rivers in the nation. It is also

one of the most natural riverine ecosys-

tems left in southern Florida. Its

500,000-acre watershed, between the

Ridge to the east and the Everglades to

the west, contains uplands, wetlands, and

Wetlands are areas

covered with shallow,

often fluctuating levels

of water and contain a

variety of aquatic

plants and animal

species. Uplands are

predominantly dry

landscapes

characterized by

higher elevations and

plant species such as

pine trees and oak

trees, often with an

understory of saw

palmetto.


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marshes, and is home to many endan-

gered plants, birds, fish, and mammals.

Since World War II, development

both urban and agriculturalhas frag-

mented this natural environment, which

is part of the greater Everglades ecosys-

tem. Construction of canals and drainage

systems has lowered groundwater tablesand diverted the flow of surface waters,

disturbing the systems ability to maintain

the rivers natural quality. Much of Palm

Beach Countys sprawling suburban

growth is taking place in this region,

converting valuable farmland and natural

areas into residential, commercial, and

industrial developments.3

The Everglades. In her 1947 book,

Marjorie Stoneman Douglas eloquently

coined the phrase river of grass to

describe the Everglades. This rich and

vast ecosystem historically began

gathering water from just south of the

Orlando area, which flowed along the

Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee

and toward the coastal estuaries of Palm

Beach County. During the summer rainy

season, like a sheet of water flowing

through a mosaic of ponds and treeislands, the Everglades moves smoothly

overland to Florida Bay. During the winter

and spring dry seasons, birds flock to

nesting grounds now available at the

edges of tree islands and prairies.

While it no longer extends as far

eastward, at 4,000 square miles the

Everglades is still this nations largest

wetland and the only subtropical wilder-

ness. The Everglades National Park only

encompasses a small portion of this vast

natural system. Florida panthers,

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The Everglades System andPalm Beach County

ATLA

NTIC

COASTAL

RIDGE

There are no

other Everglades

in the world.

They are, they

have always

been, one of the

unique regions

of the earth,

remote, never

wholly known . . . .

The miracle of

light pours over

the green and

brown expanse

of saw grass and

of water, shining

and slow-moving

below, the grass

and water that is

the central fact

of the Everglades

of Florida. It is a

river of grass.

Marjorie Stoneman

Douglas, The Everglades:

River of Grass

Historic Everglades Flow

Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA)

Water Conservation Areas (WCAs)Palm Beach County Boundary

Everglades National Park Boundary


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American alligators, Everglades kites,

and 67 other endangered or threatenedspecies live among its verdant mosaic of

forests, rivers, swamps, and marshes. The

Everglades is one of just three places in

the world designated as an International

Bioreserve, a World Heritage Site, and a

Wetland of International Importance.4

Although it has been seriously injured by

years of damaging activities, residents

throughout South Florida, including thoseof Palm Beach County, still depend on

this rich ecosystem for drinking water,

flood control, and many other economic

benefits.

Lake Okeechobee, once an integral

part of the Everglades and one of the

more productive sources for bass and

panfish, is the second largest freshwater

lake in the nation. Comprising 730 squaremiles, it was part of the overall Ever-

glades sheet flow. A natural lake, its

wide, gently sloping banks were so thick

with sawgrass that early surveyors had

difficulty defining its boundaries. After

the hurricane of 1928, which pushed the

lake waters into populated areas of South

Bay killing thousands, and prompted

further by the desire to drain land foragricultural production, the Hoover Dike

was constructed along the southern edge

of the lake to prevent flooding while

promoting year-round crop production.

A Valuable EcosystemNatures Free Services

Aside from the obvious economic

and social values derived from

using our natural areas for work

and play, these areas also play a vital role

in our daily lives. A well-functioning

ecosystem supports not only plants and

wildlife but human health: The trees

clean and help cool our air, the plants

play a role in making rain, and their rootshelp filter harmful contaminants out of

our drinking water. It has been deter-

mined that one acre of wetland provides

thousands of dollars in water cleansing

benefits.5

This environment supports bees,

bats, and other pollinators necessary for

the production of fruits and vegetables.

Open lands, especially wetlands, canprovide much-needed flood control by

providing natural water storage. They

also support groundwater recharge, which

collects valuable rainwater during rainy

periods that can be made available for

use as drinking water.Natural areas also

ensure continued biodiversitythe

natural interrelationships between varied

plant and animal communities.6 PalmBeach County is fortunate to encompass

such a wealth of natural resources.


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S

Human Impacts

ince the end of the 1800s, a growing population in Palm

Beach County has contributed to increasingly serious

impacts on the land and natural environment. A series of

massive engineering projects aimed at taming swamps opened up

more land for development and agriculture. The use of pesticides

and other agricultural practices have had serious environmental

consequences. Finally, development has irreversibly changed the

face of the landjust think of the traffic jams, strip malls, and

monotonous developments that have sprung up since World War II.

It took many years to get to this place, and there are no quick

fixes to remedy all the problems caused by these impacts. But what

is being done now? And what more can we do?

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on the Land

More Than a Century of

Engineering

Flood Control Takes its Toll. The

Everglades once covered most of

Palm Beach County between the

Atlantic Coastal Ridge and Lake

Okeechobee. Today, much of this acreage

has fallen to the bulldozer and dragline,

part of the systematic taming. From the

1880s through the early 1970s, massivehydrologic engineering projects were

undertaken to alter the Everglades natural

drainage regime. In the 1930s, the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers began walling in

Lake Okeechobee behind the 143-mile-

long, 34-foot-tall Hoover Dike. Over the

years, the Kissimmee River was

channelized, reducing its 103 meandering

miles to a 53-mile, 300-foot-wide canal.Nearly 900,000 acres of Everglades were

cut out as Water Conservation Areas. These

were laced with a network of canals and

levees to provide flood control and water

for agriculture and drinking.7 As a result,

the water table dropped six feet, perma-

nently changing the face of South Florida.

This water management infrastructure

dramatically altered the quantity, timing,and distribution of fresh water throughout

the system, with canals catching millions

of gallons of fresh water each day and

draining much of it into Lake Worth. We

have only now begun to realize that this

drainage system, originally designed to

make land available for development and

agriculture, may ultimately harm the very

people it was intended to benefit.Restoring the Everglades. The

restoration of the Everglades has been in

the news. Billions of federal, state, local,

and private dollars are being allocated to

correct past engineering mistakes. We have

begun the long process of returning part of

this great resource to a more natural state.

It is hoped that the implementation of the

Comprehensive Everglades Restoration

Plan, which will cost close to $8 billion,

will improve the functioning of more than

2.4 million acres of the Everglades eco-

system. Other goals are to restore water

quality in Lake Okeechobee and to provide

benefits to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucieestuaries, as well as to the Florida Bay,

Biscayne Bay, and other water bodies that

rely on the natural hydrology of this region.

Under the plan, more than 1.5 billion

gallons of water per day from the Ever-

glades will be retained in storage areas, to

be released when needed for environmen-

tal, agricultural, and public water supply

purposes. This water, currently beingdumped into the ocean along Floridas

southeast and southwest coasts, will be

stored in water preserve areas and other

reservoirs and cleaned in wetlands-based

stormwater treatment areas. The South

Florida Water Management District and

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are also

planning to store water underground, using

an aquifer storage recovery system thatwould pump water from storage areas or

the surficial aquifer to wells in the upper

Floridian aquifer for later recovery.

It is important to understand that this

plan, however broad and expensive,

represents an experimental approach. Even

if it is successful, because of irreversible

past changes, the Everglades will be smaller

and function differently than in pre-drainage days.8 By reversing some of the

damage, however, we hope that the Ever-

glades may continue to thrive and provide

its life-sustaining bounty.


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Agricultural and

Environmentally SensitiveLands

Agriculture and the Economy.

While Palm Beach County may

be better known for urban areas

and resorts, with more than 600,000 acres

of working farmland, it ranks fifth in the

nation and first in the state in agriculture

production.9 These areas, in the centraland western portions of the county,

contribute significantly to its economy.

They balance the urbanized east coast and

serve as an important buffer to the

Everglades.

Valued at approximately $1.2 billion

annually11 percent of the nations sugar

is produced here10 agriculture in the

county ranks behind tourism but ahead ofconstruction. The agricultural lands are

located in one of three frost free zones in

the nation and are a major provider of

winter vegetables, fruits and indoor plants.

As Palm Beach County continues its

phenomenal growth, it is of vital concernto protect these areas from encroaching

development. It is equally important to

continue to protect environmentally

sensitive lands from the negative impacts

of agriculture.

Agriculture and the Everglades.

Much of the countys most productive

farmland is situated in what was once the

Everglades. The Agricultural (Ag)Reserve, a 20,000-acre parcel between

the Florida Turnpike and todays Ever-

glades, has been used for agricultural

purposes, including row crops, dairies,

and plant nurseries, as well as equestrian

activities. There is also the Everglades

Agricultural Area (EAA). Once wild and

natural, this 718,400-acre expanse

(including roughly 615,000 acres in PalmBeach County) was extensively drained in

the early 1900s to promote agricultural

development and encourage urban

settlement to the east. Situated to the

Human Impacts on the Land

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south of Lake Okeechobee, the EAA is

served by 15 canals and 25 control

structures that are managed by the South

Florida Water Management District. Today,

sugarcane covers 575,000 acres of EAA

land.11

Prior to the construction of the Hoover

Dike, seasonal runoff from Lake

Okeechobee enriched the sediment and

helped build up a layer of muck soils, a

natural supplement beneficial to sugar andtruck farmers. When the dike ended this

seasonal runoff, farmers began using

fertilizers to compensate. The agricultural

runoff poured phosphorus-laden fertilizer

as well as pesticides, cow manure, and

other waste into the system, upsetting its

delicate natural balance. Mercury and

other harmful contaminants have also

contributed to the decline of thesewaters.12 Resulting fish kills have harmed

both the environment and the areas

important recreational fishing and tourism

industries. Plant life in Lake Okeechobee

has been decimated in the past decade

alone, affecting both underwater and marsh

plants, and destroying important fish

breeding areas.13 In addition, cancer-

causing agents have been found in thedrinking water of communities surrounding

the lake.

These are some of the ways that

human impacts have reduced the size of

the ecosystem, disrupted the natural water

flow, and introduced high levels of harmful

substances.14 In an effort to reduce the

pollution, sugar cane growers in the EAA

were recently required to employ bestmanagement practices. By changing the

way nutrients are managed on their farms,

sugar farmers have reduced the level of

phosphorus coming out of the EAA by 38

Floridians just arent

putting together the

fact that Floridas

population growth

and subsequentdevelopment are an

important cause of

environmental

problems in Florida.

1998Report prepared for the

Florida Advisory Council on

Environmental Education19


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Human Impacts on the Land



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to 68 percent.15 While this is an important

start, more steps are needed to lessen the

impact of agriculture on the environment.

DevelopmentPressures andProblems

Reporting the Bad News. In

its1998 report, The Dark Side of

the American Dream, the Sierra

Club found West Palm Beach to be the

nations fourth most sprawl-threatened

medium-sized city (population 500,000 to

1 million). The report noted that Palm

Beach Countys urban area grew by 65

percent during the 1980s, and by 75

percent between1990 and 1996, while its

density dropped by 25 percent over the

same period. Also during those years,

thousands of acres to the west of the city,many of them wetlands, were annexed and

developed into gated communities.16

A report by the Surface Transporta-

tion Policy Project identified West Palm

Beach-Boca Raton as the seventh most

dangerous large metropolitan area in the

country for pedestrians. They cited the

areas sprawling development, dominated

by subdivisions, office parks, and high-speed roads that are designed for fast

automobile traffic.17

A 1997 American Farmland Trust

report identified the Florida Everglades

and associated areas as the sixth most

threatened prime quality farmland region

in the nation, due to the impacts of

sprawling urban development. This figure

was based on the market value of agricul-tural production, development pressure,

and land quality.18

Among the remaining rural and

agricultural lands in Palm Beach County

being threatened by development are the

farmlands on the eastern border of the

Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.This area comprises a critical component of

the overall management system of the

Florida Everglades. The challenge is to

preserve these important agricultural lands,

while working to establish more environ-

mentally sensitive farming practices.

Reports such as these confirm that

the kind of development taking place in

Palm Beach Countycalled sprawlis a

significant cause of problems.

Sprawl, and the Case for Stopping

It.Ironically, as we prepare to invest

billions of dollars in the Everglades

restoration and take steps to improve

agricultural practices, continued sprawl

threatens to further degrade this national

treasure. Besides degrading pristinenatural areas, fragmenting natural habitats,

and reducing the areas biodiversity, our

sprawling pattern of growth has caused a

declining quality of life.

There are many reasons for Palm

Beach County to better manage its growth

and development. Simply put, growth

management is essential if we are to

create more vibrant and livable communi-ties, better protect environmentally

sensitive natural areas and agricultural

lands, and improve our quality of life.


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A

Growth and

s sprawling development creeps westward in Palm Beach

County, poorer residents in declining urban areas tend to

be left behind. Forced to spend taxpayer dollars building

new roads, schools, and other needed infrastructure in growing sub-

urbs, local governments focus less on the needs of older, established

inner city areas. But not just the poor are affected. This type of devel-

opment reduces the quality of life of all county residents by wasting

land, money, and natural resources.

If Palm Beach County is to continue to prosper, we need to grow

smarter while we also restore our environment and protect our agri-

cultural lands.



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Growing PainsRemembering the Good

Old Days

To understand where we are going,

we need to look at where we have

been. We can reflect on the history

and changing patterns of land develop-

ment in the county. Before occupying the

open lands bordering the Everglades, most

people lived in coastal cities, like Delray

Beach, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach,

Lake Park, and Palm Beach.These communities had several com-

mon characteristics. They were built on

the Atlantic Coastal Ridge (except for

Palm Beach, located on a barrier island),

with streets laid out in a grid. Narrow,

tree-lined streets with sidewalks criss-

crossed to homes, retail areas, schools,

post offices, banks, and other nearby pub-

lic places. Each had a full complement ofpublic services, including police and fire

stations, and central water and sewer.

While each of these cities (again, ex-

cept for Palm Beach) has undergone a pe-

riod of decline, today their downtowns and

many older neighborhoods are being revi-

talized. Historic buildings are being

spruced up, new businesses are moving in,

and people are once again enjoying thebenefits of their dense, mixed-use urban

environments.

Traditional NeighborhoodDevelopmentsCompact andFunctional

It is instructive to compare the scale

and design of such early communitieswith those being built today. Palm

Beach, with more than 9,800 permanent

residents13,000 during the winter

seasonis just over 2,500 acres. Lake

Parks 6,800 residents live on a mere

1,500 acres,20 and the core areas of

Delray Beach, Lake Worth, and West Palm

Beach have similar compact densities.

These relatively small, compact,

walkable communities are what planners

now call Traditional Neighborhood Devel-

opments, or TNDs. Before development in

the county started sprawling west, there

were many of these well-planned commu-

nities dotting the east coast, just off U.S.1. They had a high quality of life, with

good schools and public services, side-

walks, and community gathering places.

These Atlantic Coastal Ridge towns were

left behind, however, as their more afflu-

ent citizensand virtually all new area

residents since the 1970ssettled in the

sprawling, single-family residential devel-

opments located west of the AtlanticCoastal Ridge in the central Palm Beach

County wetlands.

The Far-Reaching Effects ofSprawl

Sprawling development virtually

devastated the old traditional

downtowns as retail chain storessprang up along every major road, drawing

their business away. Decades-old local

businesses failed one by one as the first

ring of new malls sucked away their

customers. Later these too would fail with

the second and third rings of retail and

strip shopping centers that accompanied

the westward sprawl.

Due in large part to this flight of de-velopment and dollars, the social fabric

began to unravel in Palm Beach Countys

coastal communities. Older schools were

ignored as the school board struggled to


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build facilities to accommodate the new

communities. Water and sewer services in

the coastal communities were tapped toserve the new growth areas, but the capital

cost of extending the lines was averaged,

so everyones rates rose. As people left and

businesses failed in the older urbanized

areas, land values fell, the tax base fell,

and the rental properties of absentee land-

lords declined.

Development TodayFewerPeople on More Land

Traditional communities are more

compact and dense, and have a

mixture of uses. This creates a

close-knit town fabric with shops, offices

and open spaces within a walkable

distance from home. New development inwestern Palm Beach County is more

homogeneous than in the older coastal

communities. It is also much less dense.

Not only are fewer people living on more

land, but they are separated from places

they need to go every day, dumping more

cars on to the roadways. For example,during the height of the winter season, the

Town of Palm Beach is almost three times

as dense as the Village of Wellington,

which has more than 17,000 acres and a

population of about 30,000, but no shops

or offices. Places yet to build out, such as

the Acreage, promise to be even larger

and less dense.

Still we continue the westward

expansion, building sprawling, low-

density, isolating, residential-only

developments. With no services close by,

the residents have no choice but to get in

their car to buy a loaf of bread or go to

school or work. These communities have

lost that old-fashioned walkability. For

children, this often means that, unless

there is someone to drive them to after-

school activities, they stay at home

indoors, often unsupervised, playing video

games, watching TV, surfing the Internet.

Growth and Growing Pains

Credit:Palm

BeachC

ountyDepartmentofPlanning,ZoningandBuild

ing

Palm Beach County: Expected Growth

0

Pro

jected

Year

Popu

lation

in

Thousands

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020


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The Financial Costs of Sprawl in

Palm Beach CountyIn the late 1990s as a part of a project known as Eastward

Ho!, a detailed study outlined the projected impacts of

sprawl in South Florida, including Palm Beach County.22

According to the study, if current development patterns

continue, by 2020, more than half of the countys growth

would occur in the outlying rural areas. Additionally, local

governments would be pressured to expand services to new

areas rather than repairing and renewing existing

infrastructure.

The study also outlined an alternative development

scenario that would encourage more significant growth and

development back to the more urbanized east coast

(excluding coastal high hazard areas), relieving

development pressures in rural and agricultural lands to the

west. According to this study, following this alternative

development pattern would save the county an estimated

$14 to $22 million annually because of reduced road, sewer

and water infrastructure needs, save 8,096 acres ofagricultural and environmentally sensitive lands, and

consume 5,613 fewer developable acres of land.

Growth and Growing Pains


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High Costs of SprawlEveryone Pays

Since the 1950s, Palm Beach County

has grown faster than many

counties in the nation. In 1998 alone,

more than 10,600 new residential units were

built, worth more than $1.1 billion.21 The

entire community pays for this growth by

subsidizing new roads, sewer systems,

schools, and other facilities. Apart from the

rising tax bill, there are many indirect costs.

Growing Smarter in the Next20 Years

Its a fact: Palm Beach County will

continue to grow, no matter what we

do. The question is, how can we

accommodate this growth without further

harming our environment, reducing our

quality of life, losing the very character of

South Florida, and taxing ourselves beyond

our means? Smart Growth can provide

some answers.

As we sit stalled in

traffic, send our

children to

overcrowded schools,

watch the clearing of a

favorite piece of open

land, or face the

increasing levels of

pollutants in our

drinking water, we are

paying indirect costs

for unmanaged

growth.


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S

Smart Growth:New Directions

mart Growth is a term that is capturing the nations

attention. Republican and Democratic governors from

Minnesota to Maryland are singing its praises.

Organizations ranging from the National Association of Home

Builders to the National Governors Association are investigating its

advantages. Communities from Miami to Seattle are attempting to

follow its precepts.

Palm Beach County must learn from the past to brighten its

future. By looking back on how we developed our land and taking

stock of our successes and mistakes, we can put an end to

development practices that are not sustainable. If we have the will,

we can change our ways.

Reprintedwithpermission

oftheartist.


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21

in Planning

Growing SmarterGood for

People, Good for theEnvironment

But what exactly is smart growth?

A community that grows smart

protects its environment,

strengthens its economy, and improves the

quality of life for all of its residents. In

Palm Beach County, it could mean

borrowing some ideas from our earliest

communities:

Clustering businesses and services

near homes and jobs;

Providing a wide range of housing

options for people of various incomes

and ages;

Designing housing and neighborhoods

to promote a sense of community;

Connecting people with the placeswhere they work, learn, shop and play;

Providing a variety of transportation

alternatives and making communities

walkable; and

Using prime agricultural land for

agriculture, not for housing.

Achieving Smart Growth

Planning a community today is

more complex than it was 50

years ago. To help guide commu-

nities toward growing smarter for the

future, todays planners have defined the

following principlesincluding some

borrowed from those good old days.

They recommend the following actions:

Protecting environmentally sensitivelands, agricultural lands, and open

space from inappropriate development,

reducing lands available for sprawl;

Encouraging revitalization of traditional

downtowns and inner city neighbor-

hoods, which brings new life to

established communities and also

helps lessen the demand for sprawling

new development;

Promoting infill development which

takes advantage of existing infrastruc-

ture, thus lessening the community

costs of development;

If new areas need to be developed,

placing them adjacent to and connecting

them with existing communities to take

advantage of nearby infrastructure, and

designing them to be compact;

Respecting nature by avoiding develop-

ing in areas prone to flood and fire;

Supporting development which

includes a mix of residential, commer-

cial, and office space, as well as

community schools and parks, toreduce the distance residents must

drive to work, shop, and play;

Designing areas to include opportuni-

ties to walk, bike, or take a bus, thus

making our communities more livable;

Providing a spectrum of housing

opportunities, including those that meet

the needs of the communitys low-

income residents; Maintaining a communitys sense of

place by protecting significant historic

and cultural resources and natural areas;

Providing for citizen participation in

the communitys planning process; and

Encouraging regional planning to

ensure proper coordination between

adjoining communities and counties.

The question we face is, how can

Palm Beach County integrate the prin-

ciples of smart growth into present and

future development?


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22

Bringing Smart

T

to Palm

he good news is that we have a head start. Many positive

changes are already taking place in Palm Beach County.

From restoring key components of the Everglades ecosys-

tem, to acquiring environmentally sensitive lands, to protecting

farmlands, to revitalizing historic downtowns, important steps are in

the works to help Palm Beach County grow smart into the future.

Palm Beach County has a substantial box of tools in place

to promote smarter growth. Even the best tools are only effective,

though, if they are used wisely.



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23

Planning Tools

Palm Beach Countys planningtoolssome already in place,

others under developmentwill

shape the future of the county, for better or

worse. Concerned citizens need to know

about these tools, and then work to make

sure they are used effectively to promote

smart growth.

The Comprehensive Plan.By law,

every city and county in Florida must adopta comprehensive plan to guide and control

future development. Palm Beach Countys

plan, first adopted in 1980, has been re-

vised and updated several times. The plan

contains elements, or chapters, dealing

with such issues as land use, transporta-

tion, conservation, capital improvements,

housing, open space, water and sewer, and

economics. Local governments are requiredto follow their plan. This means that every

decision that affects the development of

land must be consistent, or comply, with

the plan. Thus, if the comprehensive plan

compelled the use of smart growth prin-

ciples, by law, development would have to

occur in that manner.

Familiarize yourself with your local

governments comprehensive plan. Thecountys plan is available online at

www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/pzb. If you live in

a municipality, your city government also

will have a plan that you can obtain

through your local planning department or

view at the library. Local governments may

amend their plans twice a year and must

review and update them every seven years,

preparing an evaluation and appraisal re-

port (known as the EAR process). This pro-

cess provides an excellent opportunity for

citizens to become involved in planning.

Growth

You can work to have your local govern-

ment formally adopt smart growth provi-

sions into its plan during these times.

Beach County

For more information on

comprehensive planning,

see 1000 Friends of

Floridas publication,

Planning for Tomorrow: A

Citizens Guide to Smarter

Growth in Florida,

available on line at

1000friendsofflorida.org.

The Strategic Regional Policy

Plan. Some problems are beyond the abil-

ity of any local government to address, and

sometimes the actions of one local govern-

ment spill over and affect neighboring ar-

eas. For this reason Florida has eleven

Regional Planning Councils (RPCs). Palm

Beach County belongs to the TreasureCoast Regional Planning Council, head-

quartered in Stuart. An RPC includes

elected officials from every local govern-

ment in the region and has its own plan,

called a Strategic Regional Policy Plan.

Every local plan is supposed to be consis-

tent with the regional plan. The Treasure

Coast plan and other activities also can be

found on the Internet.

The Treasure Coast RPC has identi-

fied a model of development for the region.

It calls for protecting the environment


24/36

24

through preservation of complete natural

systems; revitalizing existing urban areas

through compatible infill, and retrofitting

suburban areas into a more cohesive urban

form; creating new towns that are well-

designed and include mixed uses; and,

preventing sprawl by focusing on growth in

ways that create better urban areas.

The Tiered Growth Plan.As a

means of discouraging urban sprawl and

promoting smarter growth, Palm BeachCounty has adopted a tiered system of

growth management into its comprehensive

plan. The system establishes urban/subur-

ban, exurban, rural, Agricultural Reserve,

and Glades tiers, each with an appropri-

ate density and level of public services in

keeping with the areas unique character.

The tier system protects natural resources

and guides land use, planning, and designdecisions. This will be an important tool

for promoting smarter growth in Palm

Beach County.

The Sector Plan. A Sector Plan is

being developed for a 55,000 acre area

(larger than the City of San Francisco) of

rural land in north central Palm Beach

County around old platted subdivisions

such as The Acreage and LoxahatcheeGroves, as well as large citrus groves.

Thousands of new homes have been built

there in recent years, and development

continues in this wet, poorly drained area.

Taking advantage of recent state legislation

to sponsor innovative land use planning,

the Sector Plan could produce a better

land use pattern than the current one of ad

hoc, parcel by parcel, unintegrated devel-opment. One hoped-for outcome of this

process will be better coordination be-

tween land and water resource planning.

Bringing Smart Growth toPalm Beach County

The Agricultural Reserve Master

Plan. In 1980, the 20,000-acre Ag Re-

serve was officially designated for contin-

ued agricultural use in the countys

Comprehensive Plan. This area is under

increasing development pressure. A Mas-

ter Plan is being created by the county in

cooperation with the South Florida Water

Management District with the goal of ensur-

ing continued agricultural use and limiting

the impacts of urban development here.Neighborhood Plans.Individual

communities can be proactive by adopting

Neighborhood Plans and getting them in-

corporated into the official local govern-

ment planning process. Several neighbor-

hoods in Palm Beach County have done

just this, including Jupiter Farms,

Haverhill Area and West Boynton Area,

and the Northwood Neighborhood inWest Palm Beach. While not yet adopted

by the county, Loxahatchee Groves and

The Acreage have also developed neigh-

borhood plans.

Other Available Tools

In conjunction with the comprehensive

and local plans, a variety of state andlocal programs offer effective tools for

protecting and preserving resources of all

types and promoting smarter growth.

Some Tools for Protecting

Significant Natural Areas:

Acquiring Environmentally Sen-

sitive Lands.In March of 1999,

Palm Beach County voters over-whelmingly passed a $150 million

bond initiative to purchase recre-

ation, farm, and environmentally


25/36

25

sensitive lands. This built on the suc-

cess of a $100 million bond passed in

1991, which was used to purchase

approximately 24,000 acres of envi-

ronmentally sensitive lands. The

Florida Legislatures Florida Forever

program further allocated $3 billionover the next ten years to acquire en-

vironmentally sensitive lands

throughout the state. Local and state

dollars may be combined to acquire

lands that are determined to be inap-

propriate for development.

Establishing a Network of

Greenways and Blueways.

Greenways are linear parks set aside(either through public ownership or

easement) to protect important natu-

ral and scenic areas. The goal is to

link these lands like a necklace of

natural jewels to provide corridors

for wildlife and recreation areas.

Initial costs have brought high re-

turns in many areas of the nation

where greenways have been shown

to increase the value of adjacentlands. 1000 Friends of Florida and

The Conservation Fund helped de-

velop a greenway plan for Palm

Beach County and continue assist-

ing the county in identifying, ac-

quiring, and protecting connecting

lands. Both Palm Beach County

bond funds and Florida Forever dol-

lars can be used to promote thesenetworks. The City of West Palm

Beach also is developing a system of

Blueways to link water resources.

Reprintedwithpermissionfrom

TheNew

Press.


26/36

26

Improving the Transfer of Devel-

opment Rights (TDR) Program.

Counties can protect environmentally

sensitive and agricultural lands from

inappropriate development and com-

pensate landowners who maintain

open space by transferring their de-

velopment rights to more urbanized

areas. In many TDR programs, sensi-tive natural lands are designated as

sending areas, and urbanized sec-

tions needing redevelopment as re-

ceiving areas for more intensive

development.In other parts of the

nation, such programs have been used

effectively as a tool for promoting

smart growth and protecting sensitive

lands. Strategies could be developedto strengthen Palm Beach Countys

seldom used TDR program by desig-

nating coastal municipalities as re-

ceiving areas.

Some Tools for Promoting

Revitalization and Redevelopment:

Revitalizing Downtowns.Instead

of sprawling into undeveloped land,

more efforts can be applied toward

redevelopment and revitalization.

Such projects save taxpayers money

by using existing roads, sewers, and

other infrastructure, while restoringvitality to older communities.

The City of West Palm Beach

can boast a successful revitalization

effort. In 1993, its downtown occu-

pancy rates had reached a low of 20

percent and property values had

plummeted. Clematis Street had be-

come a haven for drug dealers and

prostitutes. Today, Clematis Street isteeming with positive energy.

Nightlife revolves around new res-

taurants and nightclubs. Renovated

residential units and commercial



eartist.


27/36

27

spaces are 90 percent occupied and

land values have doubled, even

tripled. A rising tax base confirms that

the investment is paying off, and the

change is not only good for business

but for the entire city. West Palm

Beach entered into a public private

partnership to develop a $550 million

project known as CityPlace that in-

cludes townhouses, apartments, retail

shops, and places for entertainment,following the principles of Traditional

Neighborhood Development. 23

Preserving Historic Resources.In

addition to reusing older down-

towns, smart growth also encourages

the preservation of historic and cul-

tural resources. Palm Beach County

has a rich history that merits preserva-

tion. Delray Beach is but one exampleof a local community where historic

preservation has been used success-

fully as a tool to revitalize the down-

town and older neighborhoods.

Several programs are available to

assist with preserving historic and cul-

tural resources. Delray Beach, West

Palm Beach, and Palm Beach all have

joined Palm Beach County in adoptingtax abatement programs that offer 100

percent abatement on improvements to

historic properties for up to ten years.

Additionally, to protect the character

of historic districts and neighbor-

hoods, the county as well as the cities

of Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Jupiter,

Lake Worth, Palm Beach, and West

Palm Beach have adopted local his-toric preservation ordinances that pro-

vide for review of alterations to

designated properties and new con-

struction in historic districts.

In addition to

reusing older

downtowns, smart

growth also

encourages the

preservation of

historic and cultural

resources. Palm

Beach County has a

rich history that

merits preservation.


28/36

28



eartist.


29/36

29

A regional office of the Florida

Department of State, located in Palm

Beach County, can provide assistancewith preservation efforts. Specific as-

sistance is offered in preservation

planning, financial incentives, the

Main Street program for downtown

revitalization, historic properties, heri-

tage education, history museums, and

other areas. Additionally, the regional

office can provide information on state

grant funds available to protect sig-nificant archaeological sites, survey

historic resources, restore historic

buildings, develop local historic pres-

ervation plans, prepare educational

programs, promote tourism to historic

areas, and support other projects that

explain and promote the preservation

of Floridas rich heritage.

Encouraging Infill Development.

Many urbanized areas include vacant

or underutilized parcels of land that

are appropriate for infill development.

In some instances there are impedi-

ments to this type of development,

which need to be identified and re-

solved. For example, former

brownfieldsparcels of land that werecontaminated by previous uses (i.e.,

industrial plants, gas stations, dry

cleaners)sometimes can be cleaned

up (federal funds are available), so

that they can be reused safely for new

development.

Some Tools for Planning New

Development More Wisely: Making Smarter Choices about

Placement of New Development.

Where new development is adjacent to

existing communities, it can take ad-

vantage of existing infrastructure. On

the contrary, when new development

is located in the countryside, thereare inevitable costs of extending in-

frastructure, including roads and

sewer lines, great distancesa bur-

den that is shared by all taxpayers. In

Palm Beach County, it makes sense

to locate new development, where

possible, along the Atlantic Ridge.

Besides being already serviced with

extensive infrastructure, its locationoutside the coastal high hazard area

makes it less prone to natural disas-

ter than many parts of the county.

Promoting Traditional Neighbor-

hood Development.The core areas

of Lake Worth, Delray Beach, West

Palm Beach, Lake Park, Palm Beach

and other older communities can

serve as examples for new develop-

ment. Planners can see the advan-

tages of creating walkable, livable

communities that are compact in

scale and include a mix of uses. It is

essential to ensure that zoning codes

and other land development regula-

tions promote Traditional Neighbor-

hood Development. Codes in somePalm Beach County communities,

which currently do not allow this type

of development, can be revised to

promote smarter growth.

Providing Affordable Housing.

Smart growth means providing safe,

decent and affordable housingclose

to workplaces, schools and shopping

for all segments of the countys popu-lation. Any plans for redevelopment

or new development should include

affordable housing. Florida is fortu-

nate to have the nations largest dedi-


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30

Make your presence felt and your voice heard!

Clearly, public participation is a key in every story of smart

growth, economic prosperity, and preservation of natural

resources. Every development needs a permit, and most permit

decisions require hearings. Let appointed and elected officials

at every level know about your positions on encouraging smart

growth. Attend hearings of some of the boards and

committees that decide upon proposals. Here are a few for

Palm Beach County:

Zoning Commission makes recommendations regarding

rezonings. Board of Adjustment issues variances to the land

development regulations; considers appeals of decisions of theZoning Director on zoning matters and the County Engineer

on subdivision matters.

Citizen Task Force makes recommendations regardingamendments to the land development regulations and the

Comprehensive Plan.

Land Use Advisory Board reviews and comments on

Comprehensive Plan amendments

Board of County Commissioners approves or deniesamendments to the Comprehensive Plan and landdevelopment regulations, and approves or denies road

projects and applications for voluntary density bonuses for

transfer of development rights.

Metropolitan Planning Organization provides

transportation planning for Palm Beach County.

Water Management Governing Board issues permits on

large projects involving such things as wetland impacts,drainage, and stormwater runoff. Other state and federal

agencies, including the Florida Department of Environmental

Protection, federal Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers may also issue permits on projects ofthis nature.

Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council monitors large-

scale developments and plan amendments, and assists with

neighborhood planning efforts. Town Council In addition to the above county and regional

boards, each of the 37 municipalities has a local council thatmakes important planning and land use decisions that should

be monitored.


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31

cated funding source for affordable

housing. Every county (and entitle-

ment city) in Florida has StateHousing Incentive Partnership Pro-

gram (SHIP) monies that are used

in large part to provide down pay-

ment and closing cost assistance to

first time home buyers. Other pro-

grams are also available to promote

home ownership and affordable

rental units. Palm Beach County

receives approximately $8.5 million

annually in SHIP money, with some

of the funds allocated directly to

Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray

Beach, and West Palm Beach. The

countys Housing and Community

Development Department handles

the SHIP program.

In addition to funding, remov-

ing barriers to affordable housing

such as exclusionary zoningis an

important component of any smart

growth program. Local governments

may use increased densities in ur-

ban areas and inclusionary housing

ordinances to produce mixed-in-

come developments. Such develop-

ments may have subsidized unitsavailable for rental or sale as well

as market rate units, or they may

have a combination of units afford-

able to the very low, low, and mod-

erate income. Successful

mixed-income developments are

well designed and reflect the local

physical and cultural landscape.

Understanding TransportationPlanning Decisions. If we build

it, they will come. Roads form the

skeleton of a community, and their

placement and design can either

enhance or destroy a communitys

character. New road construction and

widening of existing roads provide animpetus for new development. Citi-

zens need to pay careful attention to

transportation projects to ensure that

their location and timing do not

stimulate inappropriate develop-

ment. Road projects also should ac-

commodate alternative means of

transportationpublic transit, walk-

ing, and biking. Thinking Regionally. Act locally.

Think regionally. Certainly, promot-

ing smart growth, good environmen-

tal decisions, and social equity in

Palm Beach County begins at home.

It is important to remember, however,

that our development and other deci-

sions can impact neighboring com-

munities and counties. Our roads

and transportation systems link with

theirs. We share economic and envi-

ronmental interests. These are just a

few reasons that make it essential

that we think regionally!


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32

Citizens: Providing

I

in

Reprintedw

ithpermissionoftheartist.

n the final analysis, we need more than just plans, laws, and

regulations. While these are essential in any government as a

backdrop to implement public policy, we need to remember

that local citizens can be part of the solution. A million individual

decisions add up to a significant impact.

Active citizen participation is key to developing smart com-

munities. Meaningful change will only come about if you join with

other citizens of Palm Beach County in advocating for that change.

There are many steps to take, and they all start with you.


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33

theSmarts

Smart Growth

1. Attend public hearings toprovide your input on commu-

nity plans and new develop-

ments being proposed;

2. Work to integrate smart growth

principles into your

communitys plans for the

future;3. Closely monitor proposed

transportation projects that

could stimulate inappropriate

growth;

4. Encourage new development

that follows the principles ofTraditional Neighborhood

Development;

5. Write letters to the editor to

express your views on smart

growth;

6. Invite smart growth supporters

to speak at meetings of organi-zations to which you belong;

7. Get to know your local elected

officials and planning depart-

ment staff to stay informed

about what is happening;

8. Get appointed to citizen boards

and committees to provide your

input early on in the process;

We are all stewards of our

community. We are all protectors

of our environment. How we

choose to live and the decisions

we make each day not only affect

ourselves and our children, but

in the long run, they affect each

other. Show your active steward-

ship by getting involved.

Ten Steps to a Smarter Future

9. Support professionals whowork day to day on smart

growth. Organizations such

as 1000 Friends of Florida

and The Conservation Fund

need your help!

10.Remember to think region-

ally. What happens in yourneighborhood can affect the

region, and what happens in

the region can affect you!


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34

For More InformationLocal1000 Friends of Florida

www.1000friendsofflorida.org

Palm Beach County Office 561.820.9385

Tallahassee Office 850.222.6277

The Conservation Fund

www.conservationfund.org

Palm Beach County Office 561.832.7665

Palm Beach County Government

www.co.palm-beach.fl.us

561.355.2040

Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning

Organization

[email protected]

561.684.4170

Palm Beach County Office, Florida

Department of State

561.279.1475

The Abacoa Partnership

www.abacoapartnership.org

RegionalFlorida Department of Transportation

District 4 Office

954.777.4592

South Florida Water Management District

www.sfwmd.gov

561.686.8800

Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council

www.tcrpc.org

407.221.4060

StateFlorida Department of Community Affairs,

Division of Community Planning

www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/DCP

Florida Department of Environmental

Protection

www.dep.state.fl.us

Florida Department of State,

Division of Historical Resources

www.dos.state.fl.us/dhr

Florida Department of Transportation

www.dot.state.fl.us

Florida Housing Coalitionwww.flhousing.org

Florida Internet Center for Understanding

Sustainability

www.ficus.usf.edu

NationalAmerican Farmland Trust

www.farmland.org

American Planning Association

www.planning.org

Congress for the New Urbanism

www.cnu.org

Environmental Protection Agency

www.epa.gov

Growth Management Leadership Alliance

www.gmla.org

National Neighborhood Coalition

www.neighborhoodcoalition.org

National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.nationaltrust.org

Sierra Club

www.sierraclub.org

Smart Growth America

www.smartgrowthamerica.com

Smart Growth Network

www.smartgrowth.org

Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse

www.sprawlwatch.org

Surface Transportation Policy Project

www.transact.org


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35

Municipalities InPalm Beach CountyAtlantis, City of

965-1744

City Hall: 260 Orange Tree Drive

Atlantis, 33462

Belle Glade, City of

996-0100

City Hall: 110 S.W. Avenue E

Belle Glade, 33430

Boca Raton, City of

393-7700

City Hall: 201 W. Palmetto Park Rd.

Boca Raton, 33432

Boynton Beach, City of

375-6000

City Hall: 100 E. Boynton Beach Blvd.Boynton Beach 33435

Briny Breezes, Town of

276-7405

Town Hall: 5000 N. Ocean Blvd.

Boynton Beach, 33435

Cloud Lake, Town of

686-2815 or 683-8296

Town Hall: 100 Lang Rd.

West Palm Beach, 33406

Delray Beach, City of

243-7000

City Hall: 100 N.W. First Ave.

Delray Beach, 33444

Glen Ridge, Town of

478-0151

Town Hall: 1660 C Southern Blvd.


Golf, Village of

732-0236

21 County Rd.

Village of Golf, 33436

Greenacres, City of

642-2000

City Hall: 5985 10th Ave., North

Greenacres, 33463

Gulf Stream, Town of

276-5116

Town Hall: 100 Sea Rd.

Gulf Stream, 33483

Haverhill, Town of

689-0370

Town Hall: 4585 Charlotte St.Harverhill, 33417

Highland Beach, Town of

278-4548

Town Hall: 3614 S. Ocean Blvd.

Highland Beach, 33487

Hypoluxo, Town of

582-0155

Town Hall: 7010 S. U. S. #1

Hypoluxo, 33462

Juno Beach, Town of

626-1122

Town Hall: 340 Ocean Drive

Juno Beach, 33408

Jupiter, Town of

746-5134

Town Hall: 210 Military Tr.

Jupiter, 33458

Jupiter Inlet Colony, Town of

764-3787

Town Hall: P.O. Box 728Jupiter, 33468-0728

Lake Clarke Shores, Town of

964-1515

Town Hall: 1701 Barbados Road


Lake Park, Town of

848-3460

Town Hall: 535 Park Ave.

Lake Park, 33403

Lake Worth, City of

586-1600

City Hall: 7 N. Dixie Highway

Lake Worth, 33460

Lantana, Town of

540-5000

Town Hall: 500 Greynolds Circle

Lantana, 33462

Manalapan, Town of

585-9477


Manalapan, 33462-3321

Mangonia Park, Town of

848-1235

Town Hall: 1755 E. Tiffany Dr.

Magonia Park, 33407

North Palm Beach, Village of

848-3476

Town Hall: 501 U.S. Highway #1

North Palm Beach, 33408

Ocean Ridge, Town of

732-2635

Town Hall: 6450 N. Ocean Blvd.Ocean Ridge, 33435

Pahokee, City of

924-5534

City Hall: 171 N. Lake Ave.

Pahokee, 33476

Palm Beach, Town of

838-5400

Town Hall: P.O. Box 2029

Palm Beach, 33480

Palm Beach Gardens, City of

775-8250

City Hall: 10500 N. Military Tr.

Palm Beach Gardens, 33410

Palm Beach Shores, Town of

844-3457

Town Hall: 247 Edwards Lane

Palm Beach Shores, 33404

Palm Springs, Village of

965-4010

Town Hall: 226 Cypress LanePalm Springs, 33461

Riviera Beach, Village of

845-4000

City Hall: 600 W. Blue Heron Blvd.

Riviera Beach, 33404

Royal Palm Beach, Village of

790-5100

Town Hall:1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

Royal Palm Beach, 33411

South Bay, City of

996-6751

City Hall: 335 S. W. Second Ave.

South Bay, 33493

South Palm Beach, Town of

588-8889


South Palm Beach, 33490

Tequesta, Village of

575-6200

Town Hall: 357 Tequesta Dr.

Tequesta, 33469

Wellington, Village of

791-4000

1400 Greenbriar Blvd.

Wellington, 33414

West Palm Beach, City of

659-8000

City Hall: P.O. Box 3366



36/36

Notes and References1 Palm Beach County, 1989 Comprehensive

Plan. Revised 12/13/99, p. 3.

2 Federal Writers Project, Works Progress

Administration, WPA Guide to Florida. New

York: Pantheon Books, 1984 edition, pp. 473-474.

3 1000 Friends of Florida and The Conservation

Fund, Loxahatchee Greenways Project: Building

a Life-Sustaining Vision for the Future. 1996,

pp. 4-5.

4 South Florida Water Management District and

Florida Department of Environmental

Protection, Everglades Program Implementa-

tion: Program Management Plan. Revision 3,

December 29, 1997.

5 See Robert Costanza, et. al., The Value of the

Worlds Ecosystem Services and Natural

Capital, Nature.Vol. 387, May 1997, pp.

253-260.

6 The Nature Conservancy, Floridas Natural

Areas: What Have We Got to Lose?: The

Preservation 2000 Report. November 1991.

7 The Florida Save Our Everglades Program,

Save Our Everglades Report: 10th Anniversary,

1983-1993. pp. 8-12; also, Palm Beach Post,

Lake Okeechobee: Mystery, mistakes . . . and

desperate measures, Thursday, September28, 2000.

8 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South

Florida Water Management District, Restudy

Questions and Answers.April 1999.

9 Bureau of Economics and Business Research,

University of Florida, 1998 Florida Statistical

Abstract. pp. 308, 311.

10 Sylvia Cohen, Agricultural Preservation in Palm

Beach County. Florida Atlantic University

(Masters thesis), May 1999.

11 Molly Row, Everglades Agricultural Area. Nova

University Student Paper. Available on-line at

www.nova.edu.

12 South Florida Water Management District,

Everglades 1996 Annual Report. p. i.

13 Palm Beach Post, Millions of birds, loads of

alligators, Thursday, September 28, 2000.

14 South Florida Water Management District,

Everglades Best Management Practice Program.1998, pp. 1, 5.

16 Sierra Club, The Dark Side of the American

Dream: The Costs and Consequences of

Suburban Sprawl. 1998, p. 19.

17 Surface Transportation Policy Project, Mean

Streets 2000. 2000, p. 11.

18 American Farmland Trust, Farming on the Edge.

1997.

19 Mark Damian Duda & Associates, A Needs

Assessment for Environmental Education in

Florida, Phase V: Final Report. Prepared for

Advisory Council on Environmental Education,

Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commis-

sion, February 1998.

20 Palm Beach County Department of Planning,

Zoning and Building, Palm Beach County

Profile. Last Update 7/26/99.

21 Palm Beach County Department of Planning,

Zoning and Building, Palm Beach County

Profile. Last Update 7/26/99.

22 Robert W. Burchell, Nancy Neuman, Alex

Zakrewsky, Stephanie E. DiPetriollo, Eastward

Ho! Development Futures: Path to Growth.

Rutgers University, October 26, 1998.

23 Cynthia Pollock Shea, West Palm Beach: The

ResurrectionWhy People Return to the

Downtown. Posted October 28, 1998.Available on-line at http://edesign.state.fl.us/

fdi/fscc/news/local/9804/wpalmbch.htm.

a citizen's guide to smarter growth in palm beach county

Documents