Originally Published: 14 June 2009
Daytona Beach News-Journal
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist sided with business groups and angered environmentalists when he signed a bill this month to revamp the state's growth management laws.
But that was just a prelude to a big-money, high-profile political fight next year about development in Florida.
Voters likely will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment -- known as Florida Hometown Democracy -- that could clamp down on development by requiring local referendums on major growth decisions.
After years of collecting petition signatures, supporters appear poised to meet the legal requirements to put Florida Hometown Democracy on the November 2010 ballot.
They say the amendment is needed because state and local political leaders have refused to properly manage growth and protect the environment -- with the bill approved by Crist and lawmakers as the latest example.
"This (Florida Hometown Democracy) is pretty much the last hope," said Don Kanfer, chairman of the executive committee of the Volusia-Flagler Sierra Club, which has backed the proposed amendment.
But state and local business groups are preparing for an all-out campaign against the proposal, with Florida Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson saying approval would lead to a "permanent recession" in the state.
"We just see it as an across-the-board, no-growth initiative," said Jim Cameron, a vice president of The Chamber, Daytona Beach/Halifax area.
Florida Hometown Democracy said last week it had topped the 676,811 petition signatures needed to go before voters in 2010, though a spot on the ballot is not official because of a pending state Supreme Court case about revoking signatures.
Depending on the outcome and timing of the court decision, Florida Hometown Democracy could lose signatures. But with a Feb. 1, 2010, deadline for submitting enough valid petitions, even Wilson and other opponents say they think the issue will end up on the ballot.
Florida Hometown Democracy would require that residents vote on new comprehensive land-use plans or changes to existing plans. Currently, city and county elected officials make decisions about the plans, which are legally required blueprints for growth.
Lesley Blackner, a Palm Beach County attorney who has led the Florida Hometown Democracy effort, said developers wield massive political influence. She said the only way to start reforming the growth system is for the "people to take back some of the power because the Legislature is not going to do it."
But opponents say the amendment is unwieldy and would harm economic development.
As an example, Wilson said a large business considering a move to Florida might have to wait for the outcome of a referendum if it needed a comprehensive plan change for the project. He said that would put Florida at a disadvantage when competing with other states to attract businesses.
"We think Hometown Democracy is a grave threat to Florida's economy," said David Hart, a vice president of the Florida Home Builders Association.
But John Hedrick, who has helped lead the Sierra Club Florida's support of the amendment, said opponents were using "scare tactics." He said large amounts of land are already approved for development across the state -- and would be unaffected by Florida Hometown Democracy unless owners later seek comprehensive plan changes.
Blackner also disputed charges that the effort was about shutting down growth.
"Why is letting people vote being 'no growth?' " she asked.
The political battle about the amendment has already brewed for years as Florida Hometown Democracy has sought to reach the ballot. At the same time, a business-backed group, Floridians for Smarter Growth, has collected more than 443,000 signatures for a rival proposal that could go on the 2010 ballot.
But Florida Hometown Democracy's success in meeting the petition requirements also comes amid an uproar about a growth bill Crist signed June 1, a month after it passed the Legislature.
The bill angered environmental groups, who argue it will weaken growth management efforts. Among other things, the bill will ease restrictions aimed at making sure adequate roads are in place to handle traffic from new development.
Critics of the bill say it could push people toward supporting Florida Hometown Democracy.
Some major environmental and growth-management groups, including 1000 Friends of Florida, have not supported Florida Hometown Democracy.
But Charles Pattison, president of 1000 Friends of Florida, said he now has questions about the effectiveness of working with lawmakers on growth management issues and whether his group should look again at Florida Hometown Democracy.
Pattison, who described his group as "moderate," said he has argued to lawmakers that weakening growth management laws could help lead to passage of Florida Hometown Democracy.
"It (the argument) hasn't had an effect," Pattison said.
jim.saunders@news-jrnl.com
Growing pains
The proposed Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment is spurring a high-stakes political fight. As of March 31, the latest numbers available, two key groups in the debate had already received more than $5.6 million in contributions. Here are some details:
Florida Hometown Democracy Inc.
· Raised about $1.9 million in cash, in-kind contributions and loans since 2003, with money being used for expenses such as gathering petition signatures.
· Palm Beach County attorney Lesley Blackner, the group's leader, contributed $705,899, with part of that total made up of in-kind contributions such as legal work.
· Broward County businessman Steven Rosen and a company he runs, Tend Skin International, contributed a total of $565,000.
· The Sierra Club Florida chapter contributed $186,460, though that total doesn't include additional contributions from local Sierra Club groups.
· Floridians for Smarter Growth Inc.
· Raised about $3.78 million since 2007, as it has opposed Florida Hometown Democracy and also collected petition signatures for a possible rival ballot proposal.
· The National Association of Home Builders contributed $1.17 million, and the Florida Home Builders Association contributed $308,000.
· The Florida Association of Realtors contributed $376,000, while the National Restaurant Association contributed $100,000.
· The Miami Corp., the largest private landowner in Volusia County, contributed $45,000.
SOURCE: Florida Division of Elections
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