Planning for Growth
Dear Mayor Taylor,
I read your column in the Highland Newspaper about planning for growth in Highlands. I would like to share a few of my thoughts with you.
I grew up in the Jacksonville Beaches area of northeast Florida. Unrestrained growth has dramatically lowered the quality of life there for those of us who lived there prior to the 1970’s. Issues include pollution of the St Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean, traffic, no more driving on the beach, and loss of the small town feel.
In 1988 the State of Florida commissioned the 2010 Comprehensive Growth Plan for Northeast Florida. This plan required concurrency for developments of a certain size. Roads, schools, and infrastructure were to be in place before construction began. It also levied an impact fee on all new construction. Sounds good, right? Well, the ink wasn’t dry on the paper before exemptions were granted right and left. I won’t say the plan was worthless, but it fell far short of accomplishing its goals.
In the state of Hawaii, Maui and Kauai held referendums about thirty years ago to decide how much growth they wanted. Maui citizens voted for more growth and economic prosperity. Kauai voted to allow minimal growth and to retain their traditional lifestyle. Even so, Kauai is under constant pressure from developers.
Sometimes people get elected to public office for other purposes than to serve their constituents. When I moved to Otto, NC, from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in 2017, three of the five St Johns County commissioners were developers. In my neighborhood, Dolphin Cove, they allowed a developer to buy eight acres that was being used for a water treatment plant and two retention ponds. The developer filled in the two ponds, dug a smaller pond, and built sixteen homes on this parcel. The nearest exit to leave the neighborhood on A1A,(there are only two ways out) has constant heavy traffic in both directions and is not eligible for a traffic signal. It is virtually impossible to make a left turn using this exit. The eight acres were sold for $480,000, and could have made an established nature preserve, requiring minimal maintenance, and would have added to the quality of life of county residents.
On a similar note, the president of the local Sierra Club chapter in the 1980’s, was an employee of Waste Management Corporation. I always wondered about that.
Most developers that I’m familiar with, care nothing about the impact of their projects on the existing communities. They only want the money. They often present their plans with lawyers and polished presentations. They promote their plans with economic promises for jobs and tax revenue. Numerous studies have shown that development does not pay for itself, much less increase tax revenue enough to cover increased expense. (A search on the internet will confirm this). Some developers have even been suspected of rewarding government officials.
What Highlands has going for it in the face of predatory encroachment are several things. Many of the residents are well educated. Many are financially well off, and able to afford their own lawyers. Many will be motivated to maintain the quality of life that they now enjoy.
I encourage you to make a good comprehensive growth plan. Make sure those who make decisions about new development care more for Highlands than their own agendas.
It has broken my heart to see what has happened to my hometown in Florida, all for the sake of a quick buck.I pray you can avoid it happening here.
Sincerely,
David Stearns - Otto, NC - 828-349-7361
I would like to submit this letter to the Highlands Newspaper, with your permission.
February 22, 2020
