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Library
- we have a small library of books, magazines, CD's, etc. which have
been sent to us.
18,000-Acre
Development Near Bartow Awaits Approval - Lakeland
Ledger article about the Clear Springs Land Company, 8/15/07
Factory
and Site-Built Housing: A Comparative Analysis
- a document published by Partnership for Advancing Technology in
Housing (PATH)
PAYING
FOR PROSPERITY: IMPACT FEES AND JOB GROWTH
This June 2003 report by Arthur C. Nelson and Mitch Moody addresses the
controversy around impact fees by reviewing the academic literature
concerning the effect of impact fees on employment and the economy
generally. In addition, the report presents a new analysis of the
relationship between impact fees and job creation by assessing impact
fee and economic data, assembled for the period 1993 to 1999, for the
67 counties of Florida. Overall, the paper finds that:
• Property tax revenues increasingly fail to cover the full
costs of the infrastructure needed to serve new development.
• Impact fees, like user fees, offer a more efficient way to
pay for infrastructure than general taxes, and ensure benefits to those
who pay them. Academic literature suggests that the aggregate benefits
of impact fees improve efficiency in the provision of infrastructure.
• Impact fees increase the supply of buildable land.
• Impact fees have complex effects on housing prices.
• Impact fees do not slow job growth.
This paper shows that impact fees are a practical and valuable tool for
financing local infrastructure needs and goes on to demonstrate that
faced with the growing demand for investment and the public resistance
to tax increases, localities in growing regions that institute impact
fees may become more prosperous in the long run than communities in
such regions that do not have them. The report may be read in full or
downloaded from the Brookings
website.
From the publication Land
Lines, January 2003, Vol 15, No.1: Symposium Held
in New York City on the Humane Metropolis: The full text
of the article "Holly Whyte, Visionary for a Humane Metropolis" can be
found under the heading of "Publications" , then click on "Holly
Whyte", on the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy website, www.lincolninst.edu.
"In June 2002, about 300 urban design practitioners, writers,
ecologists, grassroots activists and students gathered in New York City
for "The Humane Metropolis: People and Nature in the 21st Century-A
Symposium to Celebrate and Continue the Work of William H. Whyte."
William H. "Holly" Whyte first coined the phrase "urban sprawl" and
wrote extensively about quality of life and open spaces in cities. The
Ecological Cities Project at the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst,
organized the event with a grant from the Lincoln Institute and
additional support from the Wyomissing Foundation, The National Park
Service, the U.S. Forest Service and Laurance S. Rockefeller, a
longtime friend and supporter of Whyte's work. Rutherford H. Platt is
director of the Ecological Cities Project at the Univ. of
Massachusetts, Amherst, and organizer of the symposium and related
activities. The full list of speakers and other information about the
symposium may be found at www.ecologicalcities.org.
Or Contact: platt@geo.umass.edu.
1-23-03: FEDERAL INITIATIVE:
U.S.DOT RELEASES RULE ON TEA-21: On Thursday, January 23, 2003, the
Federal Register published a final rule involving consultation with
local officials on transportation matters. The ruling followed five
years of negotiations and debate among state DOTs, local officials,
regional development organizations, and the U.S. DOT. While states are
ultimately responsible for statewide transportation planning, TEA-21
specifies a role for rural officials in the statewide transportation
planning process. Under the final rule, states are required to consult
with non-metropolitan local officials as they develop their statewide
transportation planning process and the statewide transportation
improvement program. In consulting with non-metropolitan local
officials, states are to confer with them in accordance with a process
that will be established and put in place by each state. More
specifically, the consultation process must be “separate and
discrete” from the public involvement process. Furthermore,
the new rule includes a modified definition of
“non-metropolitan local official” which was absent
in the June 2002 proposal. It retains the enhanced requirement that
states confer with local parties before taking actions, considers the
views of the local officials and then periodically inform them about
actions taken. Finally, it requires each state to document and
implement their process within one year. The full text of the notice is
found in Volume 68, Number 15, Rules and Regulations, Page 3176 through
3181 and is available from the Federal Register website at: a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-1319.htm
1-11-03: FEDERAL INITIATIVE: U.S. DOT RELEASES 2001
NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD TRAVEL SURVEY: On January 11, the U.S. Department of
Transportation unveiled the 2001 National Household Travel Survey
(NHTS). The survey shows how Americans get around day-to-day, which
underpins many discussions on transportation policy and issues. The
first data release is available now on the NHTS website, where a free
registration is required. Go to nhts.ornl.gov
for more information on the survey and access to the database.
BY 2-14-03: FEDERAL INITIATIVE: U.S. EPA GRANTS
PROGRAM APPLICATION DUE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is
soliciting applications for its Environmental Education Grants Program.
This program supports environmental education projects that enhance the
public’s awareness, knowledge, and skills to make informed
decisions that affect environmental quality. The application deadline
is February 14, 2003. For more information, go to: www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html
2-03-03: STATE INTERMODAL SYSTEM RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Florida Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) Steering Committee Final
Report of Recommendations for Designating Florida's Strategic
Intermodal System has been posted on the Florida SIS website at: www11.myflorida.com/planning/sis/steering/report/default.htm#final
Staff intended to distribute the report by e-mail, but due to its size
(over 5 megabytes), they are unable to do so. However, the entire
document and technical appendices may be downloaded from the website.
Questions on the report should be addressed to Mr. Terry Kraft,
telephone (850) 414-4801, fax (850) 414-4898, or email:
terry.kraft@dot.state.fl.us.
12-30-02: TOP TEN LEGISLATIVE ISSUES NATIONWIDE FOR
2003: The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a
statement on December 30, 2002, forecasting its top ten legislative
issues for 2003. According to NCSL, state legislators will have to make
important decisions on health care, education, election reform, and
seven other key issues. According to the statement, declining revenues
and growing demands will cause each of the 50 states to make tough
budget choices as they attempt to close an estimated $17.5 billion
budget gap in the next six months and develop a balanced budget for
what is expected to be a leaner fiscal year in 2004. To read the full
press release, go to: www.ncsl.org/programs/press/2002/pr021230.htm
2-03-03: EPA GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING: EPA has
produced "Community Culture and the Environment: A Guide to
Understanding a Sense of Place," which is a toolbox for understanding
the social dynamics involved in community-based efforts. As listed in
the reports introduction, users will learn about such things as local
knowledge about community issues, the language used by community
members, influential subgroups within the community, historical trends
in the community, environmental and other community priorities, and
other social factors. This information is crucial in developing
sustainable strategies for community participation and planning
regarding environmental protection. For more information, go to www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/tools/community.pdf
2-03-03: BROOKINGS CENTER REPORT ON BABY BOOMERS
AND WHERE THEY WILL LIVE WHEN RETIRING: The Brookings Center on Urban
and Metropolitan Policy released a study by William H. Frey, entitled,
"Boomers and Seniors in the Suburbs: Aging Patterns in Census 2000."
This analysis addresses the changing age composition of the 102 most
populous metropolitan areas between 1990 and 2000 along with the
implications for these communities tasked with accommodating a variety
of residential services and needs. The report may be read in full at www.brookings.edu/es/urban/publications/freyboomers.htm.
REBUILD
AMERICA
Rebuild America
is a network of community partnerships that saves money by saving
energy. Rebuild America partnerships, working with
U.S. Department of Energy, improve the energy efficiency of their
commercial and multifamily residential buildings. Rebuild
America supports them with business and technical tools and customized
assistance, and by linking partnerships to share resources.
Throughout the nation, Rebuild America currently has more than 200
partnerships at work - in 47 states, within several Native American
Tribes, and in three U.S. Territories.
For
information contact Jennifer Zadwick, the Florida Rep for Rebuild
America. Phone 850-414-9670; email
jennifer.zadwick@dca.state.fl.us
US Dept of
Energy Rebuild America website : http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/rebuild/
STUDY PROVES TREES, WHITE ROOFS
SAVES ENERGY
From:
A newsletter of American Forests' Cool Communities Program, "Cool
&Green", Spring 1999
A
new Florida Power and Light study documented that homes shaded by trees
have lower energy costs. In some cases, homes reduced summer electric
bills by nearly a quarter due to tree shade, and nearly a third due to
light-colored roofs. In the three-year study conducted for American
Forests' Cool Communities program, trees shading the house saved the
average homeowner about 10% off summer utility costs. Tree-shaded homes
with tile roofs fared better (12% lower bills) than those with non-tile
roofs (8% lower). Light roofing materials also reduced utility bills,
with white roofs knocking 15% off average summer utility costs. FPL
tested 47 commonly used roofing products and found that: Asphalt
shingles reflected only 5% to 25% of the sun's heat away from homes;
terra-cotta Spanish tiles reflected 25%; peach-colored tiles reflected
56%; and white tiles reflected 73%. In the most extreme cases, the
research predicted that replacing the darkest roof with a white one of
the same type would slash summer cooling bills by 32%.
For
cooling a South Florida home, the best place to plant trees is in a
band to the southeast and southwest of the home, from 5 degrees through
110 degrees to the east and west of due south. Plant short trees
nearest the home to gain benefits. Tall-growing trees should be planted
further away.
This
study was completed in the Miami-Dade Area. For a copy of the
study,"Greening and Growing," call 305-372-6555.
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