House Bill 1497

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1497

        By Representative Pruitt






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Department of Community

  3         Affairs; providing for the relief of the City

  4         of Stuart, Martin County; providing an

  5         appropriation to reimburse the City of Stuart

  6         for expenses incurred by the city in amending

  7         the city's comprehensive plan; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

10         WHEREAS, the comprehensive plan of the City of Stuart

11  was originally found by the State of Florida Department of

12  Community Affairs to be in compliance with all requirements of

13  law on January 29, 1990, and

14         WHEREAS, several subsequent amendments to the plan have

15  been approved by the Department of Community Affairs as being

16  in compliance with law, and

17         WHEREAS, in 1997, 43 properties were voluntarily

18  annexed by the city pursuant to s. 171.044, Florida Statutes,

19  and were included in the plan as amendments to the future land

20  use map within the future land use element, and

21         WHEREAS, the city filed with the Department of

22  Community Affairs the City of Stuart comprehensive plan

23  amendment 97-1 to amend the text of the plan and to create a

24  land use category for seven of the large-scale annexed

25  parcels, and

26         WHEREAS, the objections, recommendations, and comments

27  report relating to these plan amendments, issued by the

28  Department of Community Affairs on November 7, 1997, pursuant

29  to s. 163.3184(6)(a), Florida Statutes, did not identify any

30  issues of noncompliance of these amendments with applicable

31  law, and

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1497

    286-214-99






  1         WHEREAS, on the basis of the objections,

  2  recommendations, and comments report, the city adopted the

  3  text and large-scale future land use map amendments to the

  4  plan, and

  5         WHEREAS, following adoption of the plan amendments by

  6  the city, the Department of Community Affairs changed its

  7  position, and on February 10, 1998, issued a notice of intent

  8  to find the amendments not in compliance with law due to the

  9  failure of the plan to adequately include densities and

10  intensities limitations, and

11         WHEREAS, this unexpected change in position, under

12  these circumstances a clear violation by the Department of

13  Community Affairs of s. 163.3184(8)(a), Florida Statutes, was

14  not anticipated by the city and resulted in the inability of

15  the city to apply its plan, zoning, and subdivision

16  regulations in the annexed areas, and

17         WHEREAS, given the numerous pending plan amendments

18  relating to the other annexed parcels, the city found it

19  necessary to comply with the mandate of the notice of intent

20  and to expedite the adoption of density and intensity plan

21  amendments required by the notice of intent, and

22         WHEREAS, the city was compelled to undertake a

23  substantial planning effort to establish densities and

24  intensities in the plan and to employ planning consultants in

25  order to bring the plan into compliance as directed in the

26  notice of intent, and

27         WHEREAS, the city has expended $75,671.66 in

28  consultant's planning fees to prepare the necessary plan

29  amendments required by the notice of intent, and

30         WHEREAS, these plan amendments were not anticipated nor

31  the costs budgeted by the city and would not have been

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1497

    286-214-99






  1  required had the Department of Community Affairs properly

  2  advised the city of its position regarding densities and

  3  intensities in 1990 or at any time when 43 future land use map

  4  amendments were not then pending, NOW, THEREFORE,

  5

  6  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  7

  8         Section 1.  The facts stated in the preamble to this

  9  act are found and declared to be true.

10         Section 2.  The sum of $75,671.66 is appropriated out

11  of funds in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated to

12  the credit of the Department of Community Affairs to be paid

13  to the City of Stuart as reimbursement for expenses incurred

14  in amending the comprehensive plan of the City of Stuart to

15  include density and intensity limitations.

16         Section 3.  The Comptroller is directed to draw a

17  warrant in favor of the City of Stuart in the sum of

18  $75,671.66 upon funds in the State Treasury to the credit of

19  the Department of Community Affairs, and the State Treasurer

20  is directed to pay the same out of such funds.

21         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

22  law.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          HOUSE SUMMARY

26
      Provides for the relief of the City of Stuart, Martin
27    County. Provides a $75,671.66 appropriation to reimburse
      the City of Stuart, Martin County, for expenses incurred
28    by the city in amending the city's comprehensive plan to
      include density and intensity limitations.
29

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