Tonight there was a County community meeting to discuss proposed changes to Land Development Code amendments and Comprehensive Plan changes.  These will be voted upon next month before the Board of County Commissioners.

Suzanne Konchan said these proposed changes came from the Commission – not staff.  Only Commissioner Stevenson was there tonight – so we don’t know the stances from the other Commissioners.  

Here are two examples of changes:

GATED COMMUNITIES:  County has concerns with Gated Communities – their concern is that they practically eliminate vehicle interconnectivity, and tend to also discourage bicycle and pedestrian interconnectivity.

     I don’t live in a gated community – but our neighborhood had to deal with this – here are the reasons why we did not want to have interconnectivity.

**Our neighborhoods are made with “S” turns for slow driving – not for a cut through to get onto CR210

**Our neighborhoods are for kids playing and riding their bikes – not a cut through or for speeding car

**If the county has interconnectivity for cars, bikes, walkers into gated communities – are they providing everyone with gate pass cards?

**Gated communities pay for their internal roads - not those who drive through if the county allows that

**Those who live in a gated community chose to do so – shouldn’t residents be able to make up their own minds where they want to live – not government? 

TREE BANK FUND:  The County wants to clarify what projects are candidates for tree bank funds – and follow past practices.   Yes, this is primarily used for landscaping and trees – but there have been other uses as well:

**3/3/09 County pledged $275,000 of Tree Bank Funds for the PURCHASE and CLOSING COSTS (realtor fees, doc stamps, possible attorneys fees…) for Guana North Park

**1/6/09 County amended the Tree Bank Fund to include RELOCATION OF GOPHER TORTOISES, & WILDLIFE RESCUE ORGANIZATION FUNDING

**7/7/09 County transferred $10,000 from the Tree Bank to the 501c3 H.A.W.K.E. Foundation to SUPPORT WILDLIFE HARMED BY TREE REMOVAL and to fund THE CONTRACT PAYMENT and RECLASSIFICATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION

 **3/7/14 County Administration email stated uses of the Tree Bank fund:  ”it’s intent is to pay for the replanting of trees lost.  However, its use has been extended to the development of conservation areas for public use. 

OVER THE LAST 7 YEARS

·      Tree Bank Fund has budgeted an average of $3,340,474

·      Tree Bank Fund has had an average expenditure of $201,918

·      That is only 6% of the budgeted amount for the last 7 years!

We have shown several examples that aren’t for “replanting of trees” – but even that aside – there does not need to be a “list of candidates” in the Tree Bank Fund – it is a POLICY  - a policy that with three votes Tree Bank Funds can go to public use areas, tortoises, acquisition of parks, contract payments, whatever 3 Commissioners deem it so….

YES, 3 Commissioners can choose to use some of these funds to help develop a park to bring in athletic field space in the World Golf Village Area!

No matter what your opinion – this is the time to let your voices be heard – email your five County Commissioners (Cyndi Stevenson, Ron Sanchez, Bill McClure, Jay Morris, & Rachael Bennett) and County Staff (Suzanne Konchan & Teresa Bishop)

Copy & Paste:

Bccd1@sjcfl.us, bccd2@sjcfl.us, bccd3@sjcfl.us, bccd4@sjcfl.us, bccd5@sjcfl.us, skonchan@sjcfl.us, tbishop@sjcfl.us