Community Forum Addresses “Bad Growth” Bills

	Commissioner Santamaria « Previous | Next »

April 23, 2009

Commissioner Jess Santamaria held his monthly community forum on April 22 at the original Wellington Mall. The main topic was “From Good Growth to Gridlock,” a discussion of proposed changes to traffic concurrency rules that would put more vehicles on already overcrowded roadways.

Planning, Zoning and Building Executive Director Barbara Alterman explained some of the adverse affects that could result from passage of Senate bills 360 and 362. SB360, for example, would create transportation concurrency exception areas in counties with populations of at least one million, such as Palm Beach County. The exceptions would enable builders to move forward with projects, even if there is not enough available road capacity. The measure would also eliminate the DRI (development of regional impact) review process for large-scale projects located in dense urban land areas.

Michael Jackson, western communities liaison to the BCC, provided an update of new projects and public facilities that Commissioner Santamaria has helped bring to the Lake Region. There was also a presentation by local members of the 9/12 Project. About 80 residents attended the gathering.