To: Board of County Commissioners Thru: Tom N. Jenkins, County Manager

 

From: Peggy Busacca, Assistant County Manager

 

February 2, 2004

 

On January 26, 2004 the Local Planning Agency conducted a public hearing on the proposed Significant Environmental Areas Ordinance (SEAs). Staff also provided the LPA with an option to separate the consolidation of existing natural resource ordinances from the crucial habitat ordinance. This alternative to SEAs was presented as two Consolidated Environmental Ordinance (CEO) and a Crucial Habitat Ordinance (CHO) respectively, respectively.

 

After receiving input from numerous speakers and a lengthy discussion, the LPA voted to have staff to prepare revisions to the CHO ordinance to address the following specific issues: possible compensation of property owners; management issues by homeowners associations; and clarifications of some terms with more specific definitions. The LPA also directed staff to notify potentially affected property owners and return within sixty (60) days. In order to achieve the Board’s prior direction, and based upon the LPA actions as well as input received from the public during numerous meetings, the staff is proposing to complete the following regarding the CHO/CEO ordinances: 

• Develop a listing of concerns raised by the public, during the LPA meeting and the previous public meetings conducted by Natural Resources Management staff. Stated concerns include development feasibility; impacts to property values; open space management; coordination with other permitting agencies; increased fire hazard; connectivity of preservation areas; and need for additional preservation. 

• For educational purposes, develop a summary of the science used in the model to map the proposed crucial habitat overlay zone.

• Utilize focus groups to work with interested parties, including affected property owners, other permitting agencies and members of the environmental and development communities to meets the goals established by the Board.

• Provide a revised draft ordinance for review by Dr. Hank Fishkind for economic impacts, as directed by the Board. 

• Notify property owners at least three (3) weeks prior to returning to the LPA with the Therefore the only ordinance that is currently planned for consideration by the LPA in March is the CEO. It is expected the consolidation of current environmental standards into one ordinance will be met with general support, as the resulting ordinance will be more user-friendly than the existing code. Further LPA action on the CHO will follow staff preparation of the science summary, focus group meetings, public notification and Fishkind analysis. Staff will continue to keep the Board, LPA and public informed of the progress of this effort. If you have any concerns regarding this approach, please contact me.