Who can slow sprawl? Look in the mirror
--------------------

By Mike Archer
Sentinel Staff Writer

May 5, 2002

Why is keeping Lake County a cheap place to move to more important than
making Lake County a great place to live?

That question should be printed in giant type and hung on the wall so
the County Commission and zoning board see it every time they meet.

The same question is directed at the state of Florida, by an
organization called FEAR, Floridians for Environmental Accountability and Reform.

FEAR wants to know why Florida is running out of clean water, why
poverty is so prevalent and why the population is zooming out of control.

It's only fair to ask why Lake County is headed down the same path.

Lesley Blackner of Palm Beach, one of FEAR's founders, has been
following Lake County's growth problems on the Web.

She sent me a short video called "Six Fairy Tales About Growth in
Florida."

What an eye-opener.

The video explains how Florida grew addicted to growth and how that
addiction drained the economy and made life worse in almost every respect.

In all living organisms, when growth goes beyond its natural limits,
the video points out, it becomes cancer.

When you consider what's happening to education, wildlife, roads, and
the horrid condition of the lakes, this is a fair analogy.

The changes that swept over Lake County after the freezes of the late
1980s destroyed more than citrus. The county's sensible, conservative
perspective died along with 100,000 acres of fruit trees.

The lack of leadership that arose from the mess created problems that
have radically limited this county's potential.

One of a few voices of reason back then, Hal Turville, now mayor of
Clermont, suggested that the state buy much of the dead grove land and
hold onto it for environmental reasons -- filtering water, for example.

It's a pity his suggestion wasn't followed.

The "Fairy Tales" video points out that so-called vacant land --
undeveloped land -- costs Florida taxpayers only 30 cents to maintain for
every dollar in tax revenue the land generates.

In addition to this 70-cents-on-the-dollar benefit, every undeveloped
acre helps ensure a clean water supply.

However, when housing goes on top of that rural land, the situation
reverses.

For every dollar generated in tax revenue, Florida taxpayers pay $1.30
to provide public services, according to the video.

In Lake County, the loss is even higher. In August 1996, the Soil and
Water Conservation District released a study that showed for every tax
dollar generated from residential uses, the county spends $1.56 in
services.

Compare that to farming, which uses only 7 cents for every dollar it
generates.

Had the grove owners been compensated for their losses as Turville
suggested, the pressure for development would have softened and Lake County
would have grown in a more orderly, responsible manner.

Instead, these pressures quickly took over local government's agenda.
Sell, build, grow -- it couldn't happen fast enough.

While developers made millions, taxpayers quickly tumbled from a
winning position to a losing one.

The County Commission continues to bend the rules to promote
development in rural areas. Every time it happens, every time they vote yes,
taxpayers go deeper into the hole.

How do they get away with it?

Rapid growth has altered the voter base. Most voters in Lake County
have shallow roots here and little understanding of the damage caused by
sprawl.

They see an open field and think there is plenty of room for just about
anything.

As patriotic Americans, these newcomers do the right thing and vote
every chance they get. National and state races bring them out in droves.

As Republicans, which most of them are, they feel duty-bound to support
candidates anointed by the party.

That's easy to understand in state and national races, where
philosophies are clearly defined. In local races, though, it's a major mistake.

The Republican Party at the local level has lost sight of its
conservative focus. It supports the same candidates developers want, so now the
County Commission is stacked with a pro-growth majority.

These pro-growth, allegedly Republican, commissioners are very liberal
with tax money. They give it away to developers with every new zoning
change.

A creative dodge of the conservative philosophy is accomplished by
appealing to property rights -- as if a developer's rights take precedence
over everyone else's.

The local party will even takes sides in primary contests, supporting
pro-development Republicans against pro-conservation Republicans who
don't believe in liberal giveaways to developers.

Developers get the edge

Voters with conservative values should be alert for this in the future.
When the local Republican Party supports one member of its party over
another, you can bet what's behind it -- the desire to keep those
developments rolling, whatever the cost.

Pardon the rant. The Democrats of Florida didn't do any better when
they were in charge.

Leaders of both parties rig the rules to make growth the top priority.

Laws, appeals and public meetings are all designed to give developers
the edge.

"The growth mafia seems to be in control of everything," Blackner said.
"The rules are structured to make it hard if not impossible to fight.

"There is no leadership for quality of life. All the government cares
about is growth."

Against such a rigged system, the average person can feel helpless.

Don't give up.

Blackner, an attorney who grew up in Jacksonville and went to school in
Gainesville, was feeling pretty frustrated about Florida's growth
addiction when she heard about the SOAR project in California.

SOAR stands for Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources. It's a
grass-roots drive to end sprawl in Ventura

County patterned after a similar effort in Napa Valley.

Driven by 75,000 signatures, the SOAR initiative made the ballot and
passed easily.

These visionary voters stripped upzoning power away from county
commissioners and put it where it belongs, in the hands of the people.

Now developers who want a zoning change must first prove to the voters
that the development will do more good than harm.

"This is the only way to change the power structure," Blackner said.

"It puts people in control of their communities."

There's a lesson here for Lake County. Yes, the growth mafia is tough.
But democracy, when applied with sufficient vigor, can be even tougher.

To learn more:


- www.soarusa.org


- www.fl-stewardship.com


- www.floridasos.com


- www.flsuspop.org


- The video "Six Fairy Tales About Growth in Florida" can be purchased
for $15. Write Richard Sommerville, 16205 Larson Lane, Hudson, Fla.
34667-4206.

Contact Mike Archer at 352-742-5922, 1898 E. Burleigh Blvd., Tavares,
FL 32778, or marcher@orlandosentinel.com.



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