LEGISLATIVE REMEDIES & THE FGCU PROJECT

October 14, 2011• Margaret Banyan, Ph.D.

Florida Gulf Coast University• Max Forgey, AICP

The Charlotte Solutions(Max Forgey)

Nine remedies for platted lands that have appeared in the Charlotte County Comprehensive Plan since 1997.

Not unique to Charlotte County

Charlotte Solutions

These are not exclusive, and may be combined with each other:

Direct acquisition (of vacant lots) by local government—any lot if the price is right

Direct acquisition of targeted lands—only in specified areas

Direct purchase with assistance from the State of Florida

More Charlotte Solutions

New zoning categories—allowing incentives for land assembly

Create an organization (e.g. land trust, etc.) to handle consolidation and vacating

Administrative deplatting

Even More Charlotte Solutions

Graduated impact fees (They did this!) Tax deed acquisition Urban service area strategy (Cape Coral

pioneered this)

Caution! Amendment 8 (2006)

Prohibits the future transfer of private property taken by eminent domain to a person or private entity except with a three-fifths (3/5) vote of the Legislature.

Rep. Arnold’s recommendations

Former Rep. Keith Arnold summarized in three points what he thought the most important legislative actions should be:

The Arnold Doctrine - 1

Communities must have eminent domain powers for economic development, even if this runs contrary to the post-Kelo actions.

The Arnold Doctrine - 2

Make funding available to redevelopment authorities as well as counties and cities.

The Arnold Doctrine - 3

A dedicated source of revenue, (e.g. doc stamp revenues) to acquire land.

What We Don’t Know

The per-unit cost of platted lands—annually and cumulatively

2010s are a better time to determine because of a half century of experience

What We Don’t Know

“The message is that there are no ‘knowns.’ There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.”

Donald Rumsfeld

FGCU Course(Dr. Banyan)

‘Comprehensive Planning & Growth Management’

Taught by Margaret Banyan with some help from non-faculty professionals

Six graduate students

Individual and Group projects

FGCU Course Objectives Possess a working knowledge of planning

history, context, models, and theory

Demonstrate the ability to diagram the comprehensive planning process

Understand and analyze various roles inherent in the planning process

Have knowledge of the fields and positions within the area of land use planning

FGCU Course Objectives

Demonstrate an understanding of comprehensive planning and growth management tools

Understand planning within the context of Florida and other states

Demonstrate competence in the application of comprehensive planning tools and laws

FGCU Course – Project Highlights

Demonstrate an understanding of the Public Land Survey System (Section Township Range) in the United States and process of subdividing and platting lands in Florida

Conduct a literature search of issues and existing recommendations for addressing platted lands (antiquated subdivisions) issue in SW Florida

Project Highlights

Summarize literature search in an annotated bibliography

Assess tools for feasibility, cost, and acceptability

Present options to Reconnecting Lee County Platted Lands Task Force

Develop a series of recommendations based on analysis and task force input

Potential Project Elements

Determine the annualized revenues vs. capital and operating costs of each new dwelling unit on a platted lot in the Tier 3 area of Lehigh Acres. (Step One in developing a cost-benefit model for platted lands)

Explore potential platted lands remedies (previously identified or newly proposed) with cost/benefit projections.

FGCU class members

Tracie Bagans Angela Brannan Ashley Coone Kevin Johnson April Olson Julie Rose

PLAT-A-PALOOZA