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‘Critical' de-designation would help
only developers
EDITOR:
Very simply stated,
What advantage will there be to the residents of the Florida Keys if we
no longer have the designation of being an Area of Critical State
Concern? Without being able to name a single advantage for us residents,
I guess I see only disadvantages.
Of course, there are advantages to eliminating
this designation, but not to the normal everyday resident, only to the
developers who are here creating havoc. They get easier permitting and
more profits.
Many advantages of the
designation have been enumerated. In fact, state Rep. Ken Sorensen's
bill calling for de-designation in stage phases has many of the
advantages itemized as opportunities that will at least for now be left
in place for Monroe County after de-designation.
I think he missed quite a few
other advantages - the advantage we get in grant applications; the
funding opportunities available only because of the designation; the
oversight, having two sets of eyes assuring we protect our environment
and infrastructure.
For me it boils down to trust. Residents of the
Keys have not learned to trust the local governments to do what is right
for our fragile environment, our overstressed infrastructure and our
community character. We hope that with some state oversight there will
be better checks and balances.
We have not learned to
trust the state, either. So we like the fact that through the
designation, benefits that help us protect this fragile part of the
state are spelled out clearly and may not be easily eroded at budget
time.
Once we are no longer an area of
critical concern to the state, it will be so much easier for both the
local and state governments to forget our needs, our concerns and our
special reasons for not being like the rest of Florida, where
development is encouraged and growth does less harm.
And then the affordable housing part - why would
we change the limit for affordable housing to 160 percent of the median
income as the Sorensen bill would? Developers can still bring in the
same $100,000 modular home - it just allows them to sell it to someone
making $90,000 per year instead of $70,000 per year.
We have very few members of
our workforce that make between $70,000 and $90,000 to benefit from
this. And it will make life even worse for those making less. Once more,
the benefit is all for the developers.
Shame on
Sorensen.
Sue Miller
Islamorada |
