Florida Hometown Democracy

The Sierra Club is endorsing it, they're the ones who did SanDestin, along with the National Wildlife Foundation I believe. That's confusing! What ever the Sierra Club is backing, I don't want to participate in!

Why not? More info please. I think these organizations are all about preserving natural resources, aren't they? They did Sandestin? What do you mean? I thought if I was a voter there I would vote for it. The people who live there can't be paid off or wined and dined by developers to get their way, not saying that is what is happening now. ;-) When I see on sowal that folks have hired guards to keep people off "their beach" and other places claiming themselves as a new town when they've sold six houses in the middle of a pre-existing town, but mess up the bike path through mother nature nature for their neighbors, and not give it a second thought. Or steel girters being pounded within feet of the edge of a gulf front dune for an underground parking garage That cannot be environmentally sound . The quaintness and beaches were the reason we bought there. Think I'll go back to bed for a while.

The Sierra Club is endorsing it, they're the ones who did SanDestin,

Whatever are you talking about? Facts, please.

You might find it enlightening sometime to sit in a county commission meeting and listen to ten or twenty or even more local citizens and property owners object to being blindsided by a comprehensive plan change that will completely alter forever the character of their existing neighborhood, then see the commissioners vote in the change anyway.

If it makes it, I'm voting No. I feel like it could actually end up being bad for the environment because it will encourage the same old low density suburban sprawl that gobbles up land space willy-nilly in existing comp plans rather than moving toward a higher density town center- more designated green space model that works out better from a conservation standpoint, and also stifles creativity from an urban planning standpoint.

And where is an example of this development? and are they also claiming the beach as theirs exclusively? Do they have guards parked? Does that not bother you?

The Sierra Club is endorsing it, they're the ones who did SanDestin, along with the National Wildlife Foundation I believe. That's confusing! What ever the Sierra Club is backing, I don't want to participate in!

make sense you!

make sense you!

I had to read that twice, but when I did.....:rofl::funn:

And where is an example of this development? and are they also claiming the beach as theirs exclusively? Do they have guards parked? Does that not bother you?

Believe it or not, there are places in this United States where development is both well planned and strictly controlled. Such a place is Edmond OKlahoma where I use to live. I can almost guarantee that anything but good will come from passing the Hometown Democracy fiasco. You elect your commissioners and other officials to do a very difficult job. If you don't like the way they do it, vote them out or have them recalled. Urban Planning or any land use planning is a difficult and trying task at best and the average citizen is neither interested enough or has enough information to make an intelligent, well based decision on area development. Our Commissioners do a very good job considering the land use codes and ordinances with which they have to work. And yes, I attend most Commission meetings. The Florida Hometown Democracy idea would end up being a disaster, pure and simple.

Why? Clarify please? I would think the people that actually live there and vote would be the graytest stakeholders, no? ;-) I'm not saying any of the commissioners aren't doing their job. I'm saying devlopers are putting guards and signs on the beaches we all pay taxes on. How can these developers claim Walton County beaches as their own like that? Wasn't one of the commissioners' construction company responsible for placing seawalls on public county beaches for homeowners claiming them as private, without proper approval beforehand? YES or NO?
There is too much opportunity for abuse, period. That's how I feel. Beaches are precious commodities for everyone. Guards just, well, how do you like guards on the beach?

Why? I would think the people that actually live there and vote would be the graytest stakeholders, no?

this proposal is ludicrous - it will stifle development (which it can be argued that this is a good thing) but could you imagine every single freakin development having to be approved by the citizens? a bureaucratic nightmare! not to mention that their are surely additional costs that would be a part of this process - who do you think the costs will be transferred to? uh me, joe homeowner, or more accurately joe hopeful homeowner (still hoping for some more falling prices so i can afford something other than a single wide). the proposal seems to well intended but the unintended or intended consequences would be overwhelmingly detrimental to the florida economy.

someone previously said if you don't like the job the commissioners are doing then don't vote for them, ditto. these folks have a job, let them do it. I for one know very little about development & planning & would assume the general voting populous would be there with me.

on that note - who do you think most of the voters are in our area anyway - they are developers, bankers, realtors, etc. all with a vested interest in seeing development go through. so, i think you would still see approval of the majority of the projects, but would take much longer & be much more costly.

if it makes it on the ballot it has my No Thanks. lets move on to more important things - property taxes, insurance, pro-business. our state must be proactive in ensuring that the baby boomers do in fact come here - as of now it is looking less and less likely b/c it is just too durn expensive. much of our development & economic growth is predicated on the baby boomers arrival - if they do not come in the droves we are expecting we will be in serious trouble!! i am not yet convinced they are on their way?

I'm saying devlopers are putting guards and signs on the beaches we all pay taxes on. How can these developers claim Walton County beaches as their own like that? Beaches are precious commodities for everyone. Guards just, well, how do you like guards on the beach?

i certainly agree with this - but, what are they going to do arrest me? kick me off? good luck with that one.

That's exactly what's happening.

how? worst case scenario i plop my rear end at the mean water line

I don't want to have to think about any f627in' mean water line or any other ridunkulous BS like that when I go to ploppin' my arse down with my nieces and nephews. ;-) That's why I originally invested there was to chill on the beach trying to avoid life's nitnoidy BS like mean water lines.

Why? Clarify please? I would think the people that actually live there and vote would be the graytest stakeholders, no? ;-)

It's a county by county process, and the people who live in one part of the county aren't necessarily going to make the best decisions for other parts of the county. Think of the near-schism of Walton County a few years back because SoWal thought that the people who controlled the county purse strings and policies almost all lived north of I-10 and were making bad decisions on SoWal's behalf.

How much power to you want to give to the people who live in DFS to decide where someone can put a gas station on 30-A?

I don't want to have to think about any f627in' mean water line or any other ridunkulous BS like that when I go to ploppin' my arse down with my nieces and nephews. ;-) That's why I originally invested there was to chill on the beach trying to avoid life's nitnoidy BS like mean water lines.

i can certainly understand that! i personally have never heard of anyone being escorted off of a "private beach" or even asked to leave for that matter - not saying it does not happen, but i have never heard of it.

Dude, maybe you didn't read it correctly.

The Hometown Democracy proposal would require voters to approve all changes to local comprehensive plans rather than have decisions made by elected officials.

This does not mean that "every single freakin" development would have to be approved by the voters.
It would not stop development that meets the existing comp plan.

Wasn't one of the commissioners' construction company responsible for placing seawalls on public county beaches for homeowners claiming them as private, without proper approval beforehand? YES or NO?

Yes, more or less.

i can certainly understand that! i personally have never heard of anyone being escorted off of a "private beach" or even asked to leave for that matter - not saying it does not happen, but i have never heard of it.

dude, RU Kiddin' me? You should check out the 'Led Away In Handcuffs' thread? It's just :sick:!!!How 'bout the signs on the beach' thread showing 'private property' signs on the beach? They said it was in Seaside. I wasn't there. I only saw the photo.

Dude, maybe you didn't read it correctly.

This does not mean that "every single freakin" development would have to be approved by the voters.
It would not stop development that meets the existing comp plan.

And the needs of a community within different parts of a county can change over time. There can be any number of times when it would make sense to revise a plan to allow X amount of general infill commercial, based on how the rest of a given area has developed and changed over time.

Dude, maybe you didn't read it correctly.

This does not mean that "every single freakin" development would have to be approved by the voters.
It would not stop development that meets the existing comp plan.

Grayt point! Thank you.

And the needs of a community within different parts of a county can change over time. There can be any number of times when it would make sense to revise a plan to allow X amount of general infill commercial, based on how the rest of a given area has developed and changed over time.

There is no reason the plan could not be revised as deemed necessary by the people with the expert advice of the commissioners, right?

dude, RU Kiddin' me? You should check out the 'Led Away In Handcuffs' thread? It's just :sick:!!!How 'bout the signs on the beach' thread showing 'private property' signs on the beach? They said it was in Seaside. I wasn't there. I only saw the photo.

doesn't seaside have a public beach access area? will check out that thread though.

Dude, maybe you didn't read it correctly.

This does not mean that "every single freakin" development would have to be approved by the voters.
It would not stop development that meets the existing comp plan.

respectfully retract my prior statements - still standing by my NO vote, but my prior suggestions regarding the proposal were inaccurate.

What is the percentage of the population that regularly votes in elections?

My guess is that the turnout for any vote on a development will be a minority representation with a VERY biased agenda and misinformation and politricks will be even more rampant.

We can't get people to follow election laws now, what will happen when there's a direct correlation between a vote and millions of $ at stake. :roll: