Infrastructure like freshwater and classroom space
hold the key for future economic development in the Sunshine State.

"T

      his is all about a long-term pattern of smart economic growth," said Peter Rummell, chairman and CEO of the St. Joe Co. at the groundbreaking of Nextel Partners' new facility in Panama City Beach in late May. St. Joe will act as the developer for the new office park, Breckrich, which is the site for Nextel's customer support facility. It is estimated Nextel's center could pump $10 million into the local Northwest Florida economy.
      Smart growth seems to be a mantra these days in Florida, and it depends from what side of the fence you view the problem. State officials contend their job is to foster economic development without restrictive regulations. Community leaders argue excessive growth hampers schools and quality of life.
      Florida ranked third in the nation in 1999 in total job creation. The Sunshine State no longer relies solely on the tourism sector to fuel the economy. State officials have actively courted high-tech industries as well as financial institutions. Combine record population growth (Florida's population grew 16.1 percent between 1990 and 1999) and a thriving economy (Florida's personal income is the fourth highest in the nation), and the economic development rosebush is showing some thorns.
      "Economic development is most successful when government doesn't intervene directly," says Gov. Jeb Bush, "but focuses more on creating a climate where people can do things for themselves."
      Doing things for themselves may be what is ahead for local communities since the Florida Legislature did not act on two controversial issues: school concurrency and local, available water levels. Both issues have received persistent focus in the last few months, with school concurrency being the most heated topic.
      In a state experiencing rapid and record growth, school concurrency can be viewed as a measure to control growth. The issue enables local jurisdictions, via a state statute, to withhold building permits in areas with too few classrooms per number of students. "So if you have a lot more number of kids than classrooms, then you have an inadequate school," says Ronald Weaver, an attorney specializing in land-use law in Tampa.
      "Some jurisdictions like Orange County have been limiting development, as did a city just west of Fort Lauderdale -- Weston," adds Weaver. City officials in Weston used school concurrency to turn down a proposed residential development because schools in the area could not handle the influx of students. Weaver argues commercial development in Florida tracks closely with residential development, and economic development could be directly affected by these local proposals.
      Developers in Florida have realized issues of school concurrency may affect their bottom line. Many developers such as Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, developers of Lakewood Ranch, a 5,500-acre (2,227 hectares) master-planned community on Florida's west coast, initiated early planning with school boards in both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Company officials donated land for school projects, including a land donation for a private school, to alleviate school congestion and head off school concurrency issues.

      "In order to ensure smart growth, master-planned communities have a responsibility to solve larger community issues," says John Clarke, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee. "We have taken a proactive stand in matters that involve education and preserving environmental resources," he adds.

      School concurrency issues seem to be on the minds of many local officials. "There are four or five pockets in the state where this issue is hot right now. The Legislature decided not to act or impose statewide limitations. Therefore, each local government is making its own decision," says Weaver.
      Local challenges have been filed against many of the building moratoriums, and Weaver predicts more will follow. His office, Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, attorneys in Tampa, filed suit against Broward County's original moratorium. The moratorium was thrown out on the basis that it violated Florida's requirement for a financially feasible capital improvement plan for schools. "If you have revenues and have levied revenues to fix the schools," says Weaver, "or if you have slowed down building for a while, folks must be able to see there is relief around the corner."
      With pressure mounting, Weaver predicts the next session of the Legislature will focus on the school concurrency issue. Many state officials sense anxiety from their local communities and may push the Florida Dept. of Community Affairs to look into the problem before the next session. "The department looks at 12,000 plan amendments a year," adds Weaver, "and they may start looking hard at school adequacy for each one of those plan amendments." The department may also adopt new rules on how each plan is or is not approved.
      Gov. Bush's office is taking a hard look at the problem. Last year his office created the Growth Management Study Commission to study ways the state can handle the continuous growth in housing, tourism and economic development. Bush's office now recommends that new developments not be approved without available local classroom space to handle new students. "We need to have the cities and counties and school districts work together," says Bush. "It's not done now as part of the development process."
      The Sunshine State has labored under a harsh drought for the past several years. Florida has also been plagued with numerous wildfires. Factor in the rapid increase in population, and water becomes a valuable commodity. State and local officials have instituted various measures to ensure adequate local water supplies. In some districts new development is now tied to local water availability. There have been moves in the Legislature to tie increased development to water usage. A measure was proposed. However, it was not debated extensively. Weaver predicts the issue will rise again.
      "We in Florida use 7 billion gallons of water a day. That's the entire capacity of the Suwanee River on a daily basis," says Weaver. "We've suffered through a two-year drought and the rains this summer seemed to have lessened it somewhat. But it will take some time for the Florida aquifer to restore itself. This is an issue that is not going away."
      In February, Bush's Growth Management Study Commission issued a report, "A Livable Florida for Today and Tomorrow." The report tackled road congestion, schools and water problems. The study found that economic development is not the singular cause of many of the state's water problems. The study reported: "There is a tendency to equate new development as the only cause of growth-related problems, rather than to recognize that new development is a free-market way of accommodating the demands of our state's rapid population and economic growth."
      Many state officials and business leaders applauded the report with no less than 89 separate recommendations. Maintaining the state's delicate ecosystem, while encouraging business development, will be the focus of Florida's future planning. Government planning will help. "Our water use is growing every day," says Weaver. "We can predict we'll use an additional one billion gallons within two to four years.