For decades, state and local governments have permitted inappropriate development in hurricane-prone areas, and this continues today. There appears to be little consideration given to the overall problems associated with landfalling hurricanes when approving new developments.
We are already experiencing the effects of sea level rise. There has been a lack of proper planning that protects the public's safety in the event of hurricane disaster events.
It is currently estimated that the 2024 hurricanes will surpass $100 billion in damage, the largest hurricane loss in Florida's history.
Despite the increased risk of hurricanes, rising sea levels, more expensive insurance and building costs, the pressure from developers to build back fast will likely result in reduced oversight of new construction and relaxed building standards.
Building in flood-prone areas continues to be incentivized and there is a lot of money to be made in rebuilding.
The “Disaster Relief" was approved during the last Florida Legislature’s special session and signed into law by Governor DeSantis on November 13, 2023.
Portions of the "Disaster Relief" bill are legislative gifts to developers as provisions of these bills prevent local governments from imposing building moratoriums or amending comprehensive plans or land development regulations associated with damage caused by hurricanes. The Disaster Relief Bill will likely lead to reduced building standards for hurricane recovery efforts and set a bad legal precedent for the next legislative session.
Instead of preempting local governments from adopting policies that protect the lives and property of the residents of Florida, coastal setback codes need to be strengthened in a manner that provides for greater disaster preparedness so inappropriate development does not continue to impact our coastline.
The rebuilding of existing flood-prone developments and the approval of new development will likely result in Sarasota and Manatee losing their FEMA discounts on flood insurance, with the possibility of losing federal flood insurance altogether.
Balancing economic development and protecting resident’s lives and property will depend on two things: defining balance and setting priorities. If the economic growth and development of Sarasota & Manatee is the priority, then residents will lose their ability to safely evacuate in case of a significant storm event. Because of the inherent differences between economic growth and public safety, a balance may never be achieved. It must be recognized that there are limitations to the amount of development our region can support and that future land uses must account for its impact on our limited resources.
The use of Interstate 75, or other roads established as hurricane evacuation routes, should not be impacted by new development. Present and future development east of I-75 will use an artery designated for regional and national traffic as a local road. This has already created a serious traffic problem in a road designed for interstate travel. Such problems hamper the use of I-75 as a hurricane evacuation route. The protection and safety of existing residents during a hurricane storm event must be ensured before initiating any changes in land use designations. If roads and infrastructure continue to be overburdened by the continuous population growth allowed under the Sarasota and Manatee County Comprehensive Plans, then adequate hurricane evacuation cannot possibly occur.
The "upper limit" of residential and commercial growth needs to be defined. Commitments must be made to ensure that the public’s health and environment will be maintained and improved for the future.
Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Comments
No comments on this item
Only paid subscribers can comment
Please log in to comment by clicking here.