Florida City’s 2008 Comprehensive Plan Amendments, approved by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, includes many goals and objectives aimed at benefiting residents and businesses while protecting the environment.
Florida City, Florida (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE), April 2, 2008 – The Florida Department of Community Affairs (FDCA) has issued its Notice of Intent to find the comprehensive plan amendments, adopted by the City of Florida City on November 27, 2007, in compliance with state law. The proposed EAR-based amendments represent a very extensive update of the comprehensive plan, and include many new goals and objectives which will guide future development and make the City a leader in innovative Green Planning.
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City leaders said last October the economic benefit of the quarry outweighed concerns raised last fall by homeowners as well as environmental and park officials. The city will be paid about $277,000 a year by the mines operators in order to offset the loss of taxes the city would have received from other uses on the site.
For every ton excavated, 10 cents will go to Florida City. The 10-cent price will also increase with inflation.
This agreement makes sure the city will receive its compensation for doing this project, City Planner Henry Iler said.
Iler Planning Group, a leader in “green master planning” in Florida, has furthered its commitment to sustainable planning by offsetting its CO2 emissions with renewable sources of energy.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) March 17, 2008 – Iler Planning Group (IPG) has announced it is offsetting the company’s CO2 emissions, thereby becoming the first Florida urban planning firm to become carbon neutral. IPG is a leader in the development of green planning initiatives and environmentally sustainable municipal regulations. Through its work with local communities and municipalities, IPG is at the forefront of community visioning and policy change. By accepting that responsibility and working to reduce and offset CO2 emissions, IPG continues to demonstrate leadership in the planning community.
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”He built this city from its ashes,” said Herbert Griffin, a Florida City resident since Hurricane Andrew who showed up at the polls last month to vote for another term for Wallace.
Wallace feels that experience taught him to survive any tough circumstances by planning ahead.
Currently, he is plotting the future growth of Florida City.
”The project I hold dearest to my heart are the bad areas that I want to redevelop,” Wallace said.
So far, about 2,500 acres have been annexed and the city is looking to take in more than another 2,000 acres, according to City Planner Henry Iler.
The Palm Beach Town Council gave preliminary approval at a special meeting Monday to several proposed zoning amendments.
The decisions, all of which were unanimous, were instructions to Town Attorney John Randolph to return with draft ordinances that will require further council approval. They would: Prevent formula restaurants from opening in commercial zoning districts.
Iler Planning Group drafted the ordinances to aid the Town of Palm Beach. The town was worried that other chain restaurants would follow Starbucks onto the island, the council in 2006 imposed zoning-in-progess rules to block chain restaurants while the town staff refined criteria to define those restaurants.
The document, researched and completed by Iler Group of Palm Beach Gardens over the last several months with input from local residents, eventually will become part of the citys comprehensive plan, the guiding document for the citys growth and development plans. No final decisions were made Tuesday.
More than 130 people participated in two fall workshops that gleaned input from city residents. The first day of workshops focused on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and obstacles. The second focused on specific subjects.
Among the subjects recommended to receive further weight in the future: waterfront development and access, commercial redevelopment, economic development, investing in the citys youth, and ecotourism and green planning.
