Saving Special Places • Building Better Communities
Lake County 2070 Workshop
Residents of Lake County enjoy a diversity of communities within a stone’s throw from home. From the small-town charm found along historic Main Street communities, to the lakes and rolling hills offering elite athletes prime training opportunities, to the designated wilderness areas providing camping and kayaking adventures, you can truly appreciate the county’s slogan “Real Florida. Real Close.”
To protect and promote these special places, 1000 Friends is pleased to be part of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council’s (ECFRPC) Joint Planning Area project approved by Lake County earlier this summer. On December 6 we hosted our latest Florida 2070 workshop, Lake County 2070 in Tavares. We presented the 2070 projections extrapolated for Lake County, including current, trend, and alternative growth and development patterns. We listened to concerned citizens, agricultural producers, business leaders, and community stakeholders about what makes Lake County special, along with challenges this area must face with a growing population. Working with the ECFRPC planning council, we will share our workshop findings and contribute toward a common conservation strategy that will help the 14 municipalities coordinate growth and development within the county.
Lake County needs engaged, “community planners” to stand up for what makes this area special. Stay tuned and watch this space for opportunities to speak up and get involved.
Be a Citizen Planner
Many people start to engage in their community’s planning process when the property next door is up for rezoning and they are concerned about the impacts on their property. But this is late in the process. The system in Florida starts with the community’s adopted local comprehensive plan, Future Land Use Map, and other documents that serve as the local government’s “constitution” for controlling and directing the type and amount of development allowed or encouraged in that community.
At the next level are the community’s ordinances – or land development regulations – which relate to the subdivision of land, zoning, and other tools for implementing the comprehensive plan. Next comes the development order, which includes actions like rezoning, subdividing or allowing a variance on a specific parcel of land.
Public participation is essential in this process. And the earlier you get involved in the process, the greater your ability to make a difference. Below is more information on the planning process in Florida, and the role you can play.
Lake County 2070 Maps
In 2016, 1000 Friends of Florida, the University of Florida GeoPlan Center and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services partnered to produce Florida 2070/Water 2070. Since then, we bring the 2070 project to partners in Florida counties and extrapolate the statewide data for a closer look at county growth and development projections. The Baseline map shows the actual distribution of development and conservation lands, and water demand associated with development and agriculture today. The Trend 2070 map depicts 2070 distribution of development, conservation lands, and water demand if current land development and water consumption patterns continue, and no additional land is protected from development. Alternative 2070 illustrates 2070 distribution of development using more compact development patterns and increased land conservation, and shows the associated water demand assuming a modest 20% increase in water conservation. Alternative 2070 assumes all lands on the current Florida Forever and Greenways Priorities 1 and 2 lists are protected from development.
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