Worries about water supplies brought together 200 elected officials and experts Thursday for the first Central Florida summit designed to avert a crisis.

The group, called together by Orange County Chairman Rich Crotty, must find a way to provide enough water for a burgeoning population without harming the environment.

Nearly all drinking water comes out of the ground, but excessive well pumping causes underground changes that can lower lakes, reduce spring flow and dry wetlands that are a vital habitat for wildlife.

"We should all be aware . . . of the price we'll have to pay if we fail to act now," Crotty said.

Finding other water sources is complex. Possibilities include desalting ocean water or siphoning water from the St. Johns River. Costs could top $1 billion. Because tapping new sources is so expensive, Crotty and others say it is imperative that cities and counties join together to share the costs instead of competing for limited amounts of groundwater. Such fights can end in expensive lawsuits.

"We can do a lot to resolve the water problems if we do it in a cooperative manner," said Kirby Green, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

On Thursday, the group got a lesson in hydrology and water issues from district officials and Louis C. Murray Jr., chief of hydrologic studies at the U.S. Geological Survey in Altamonte Springs.

Murray told the audience that pumping groundwater from the Floridan aquifer already has resulted in some declines in water levels, including reduced flows from some springs.

"What we do hundreds of feet below can be detected at the surface," he said.

Hal Wilkening, the water district's director of the Department of Resource Management, said many solutions are available for more water, including more use of reclaimed water and additional conservation.

"There is more we can do, and it can directly offset our need for new water supplies," he said.

With growth inevitable, elected officials agreed that managing water is a key element for economic survival.

"If we're going to maintain our quality of life, we're going to have to come together as a region and implement some of these plans," said Seminole County Commissioner Daryl McLain.

Crotty announced plans for more meetings, in which officials will discuss the issues in more detail.

© Copyright 2002 Orlando Sentinel

Growth projections can sometimes be scary.

By 2025, Census data show that the population of the United States will increase by 63 million people. The population of Florida will increase by some 26 percent adding another 5.5 million people to the state.

Locally, the populations of Lee and Collier counties are set to explode with some estimates putting the number of people living in the Naples area alone at 400,000 in just the next 20 years.

Where are all of these people going to live? And more importantly, how will land developers and community planners offer enough housing for the increased population while sustaining quality of life for everyone?

That was the focus of a symposium earlier this month in Bonita Springs hosted by the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit education and research institute based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on land use issues. The symposium drew real estate and land use experts from around the nation, as well as county officials and about 100 local industry real estate professionals.

At issue was the concept of Smart Growth, a method of looking at inevitable growth in a way that enhances livability, the environment and the economy. The approach laid out at the symposium suggested that Smart Growth, as opposed to the kind of ad-hoc growth commonly experienced, can be successful if a consensus between environmental, lifestyle and economic interests can be reached.

No small order, to be sure, but the panelists involved seemed to think it is possible.

“We have to start planning together in a regional view. We need to work as a nation to make environments where people want to live,” said Richard Rosan, president and CEO of the Urban Land Institute. “ULI is trying to bring together the various parties who can make this work. We’ve got to deal with it or the quality of life we all cherish in this country will not be available for our children.”

Clayton Traylor, senior staff vice president of the National Association of Home Builders agreed. “We are coming to a point that we could agree that there is a need to plan for the future. That’s progress,” Traylor said.

Wayne Falbey, ULI District Chair, expressing his impression of the Smart Growth movement, added: “Instead of fighting inevitable growth, how can we rationally deal with the use of land? We need to take a long-term perspective to solve the problem.”

Planning growth
The biggest news to come out of the symposium was an announcement that the Lee County Smart Growth Task Force, which for the past year has operated as a volunteer organization under the auspices of the Horizon Council of the Economic Development Council, will now become a real part of Lee County government.

Up until this point, the Task Force, with more than 200 volunteers involved, had developed mission statements and defined possible solutions or options to growth in Lee County with a Smart Growth slant.

Dennis Gilkey, president and CEO of The Bonita Bay Group and a member of the task force, along with Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes, said $340,000 has been committed to the project and a 15-member advisory committee has been appointed that includes Gilkey, Janes, school board member Jane Kuckel, along with Lee County Manager Don Stilwell as a non-voting member.

Other members represent development and environmental interests. Janes said the search is on for a Smart Growth director, a paid position that should be filled by mid-February.

“The Smart Growth Task Force finally grew to the point, and the idea became so interesting and fascinating to everybody in the county, that it became a concern that it was too big and too important an operation to stay within the Horizon Council’s jurisdiction.”

So the county commission decided earlier this year to put the group under the county manager.

“Believe it or not we’ve had some 75 applications (for the executive director position) — and it hasn’t closed yet — from all over the U.S. including our area here for that position,” Janes said. “That goes to show the level of interest, not only in Lee County or in Southwest Florida, but throughout the United States about what’s happening in terms of Smart Growth.”

Gilkey said Lee County follows seven other Florida markets with Smart Growth initiatives including: West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, Sarasota, Martin County and Alachua County.

It appears that educators, too, are taking Smart Growth principles seriously as it is filtering down to Southwest Florida schools.

William Hammond, professor of ecological, marine and interdisciplinary studies at Florida Gulf Coast University, and a panelist at the symposium, said in order to graduate, all students at the university must now take at least one class on growth and sustainability.

Kris Thoemke, an environmentalist formerly with the National Wildlife Federation, recently launched a master’s degree program in environmental management at International College that basically will train the next generation of graduates to work at implementing Smart Growth initiatives.

Some examples

Better roads and better traffic management on those roads is one element of Smart Growth. Creating pedestrian-friendly rather than commuter-driven communities where cars are not as important to daily life is another Smart Growth idea.

Elements such as corner stores and residential areas built around town centers offer ways to cut down on automobile trips. Greenbelts and public parks add to the livability of a community. Front porches that encourage neighbors to meet and form a sense of community and mixed-use developments where apartments located over retail and office space encourage people to live and work in the same neighborhood are elements of Smart Growth.

But no community was held up as a model of perfection under the Smart Growth banner. “Smart Growth is not a cookie cutter to stamp out,” Janes said.

Still, FGCU’s Hammond said he thinks Sanibel is one of the best examples of Smart Growth ideas in implementation in Lee County.

When planning the development of Sanibel Island, Hammond said the developers asked themselves, “How many people can this island (sustainably) hold?” He added that strong environmental protection, with some 60 percent of the island now in protected public lands, in his view makes Sanibel a very livable place.

Other communities and neighborhoods mentioned were: Bonita Bay and The Brooks in Bonita Springs, which combine residential, retail and recreational elements in their land plans; Vineyards in North Naples, which has gated residential areas but is anchored by a public road that leads to a shopping center, school and Cleveland Clinic hospital; and Divosta’s Village Walk in North Naples, which has footpaths throughout the community that lead to a town center.

Making it happen

The ULI and NAHB are both working behind the scenes to educate their national memberships about Smart Growth philosophies.

As ULI holds symposiums like the one in Bonita Springs, NAHB’s Traylor said his group lobbies Congress on issues relating to growth and development.

Lee Commissioner Janes also opened the door to local participation, asking for volunteers from the symposium audience to help the county in its Smart Growth efforts.

Alan Reynolds, president and CEO of WilsonMiller Inc., a Southwest Florida planning design and engineering firm, is working on a project that provides a 20-year forecast of what the now mainly agricultural community in northeast Collier County could some day look like. Reynolds said he’s relying heavily on Smart Growth ideas to help guide those plans.

Janes also noted that the residents of Estero, who are just now getting together to envision what they’d like their area to look like in the future, have a genuine opportunity to put Smart Growth principles into practice. This ability to plan their community, Bonita Bay’s Gilkey said, “will probably head off the incorporation of Estero ... because people will be able to have a say in their community plan.”

© Copyright 2002 News-Press

Facing a $ 3.5 million cut in state funds this year and even more next year, the Clay County School Board is expected to join with the County Commission in a move to levy impact fees on new housing developments.

The commission voted Jan. 8 to write a letter to the School Board seeking its participation in a study being carried out by a consultant hired to conduct a public facilities financing analysis. The purpose is to find new sources of revenue to build new roads, libraries, fire stations, schools and other public facilities.

The issue will be brought up at the School Board meeting tomorrow night by Superintendent David Owens.

'As a result of that board [commission] meeting . . . under the superintendent's request we're going to bring this topic up,' said Mike Elliott, assistant superintendent of facilities.

Since public schools are greatly impacted by population increases, Elliott said, the school district should be involved in any plan to produce more revenue to build schools, especially now that education money from the state is dwindling.

But instead of joining in the county's contract with Urbanomics Inc., a Ponte Vedra consulting firm hired to do the study, Elliott said the School Board probably will want to enter into its own contract.

'I'm sure the board will want to have a workshop to discuss it,' he said.

The County Commission recently hired Urbanomics to analyze the county's infrastructure needs in relation to growth, with particular attention on roads, and recommend alternative methods of producing new revenue through some sort of 'impact fees.'

A letter from Urbanomics president Kenneth H. Creveling suggested that in addition to transportation issues, the financing analysis should include an examination of school needs generated by growth. In a letter dated Jan. 8, addressed to Clay County Planning Director Thad Crowe, Creveling said it 'may be desirable to study school needs and funding to the same extent of analysis as . . . roads.'

'This would involve,' Creveling said, 'more in-depth research and evaluation of the use of impact fees, lease-purchase agreements and other funding tools, as well as a state-of-the-art review of the nature and applicability of such approaches as business partnerships and charter schools in Clay County.'

An expanded analysis of school funding would add about $ 10,000 to the original $ 40,000 cost of the study.

The contract calls for a 25-year projection of population growth and its anticipated impact on public services and facilities. Based on preliminary data, including 101,707 additional people in Clay County by 2025, raising the population to over 242,000, school district officials have estimated an additional 22 elementary schools, five junior high schools and six senior high schools would be required.

'Those schools are estimated to cost, based on today's value, $367,460,623 for construction,' Elliott said. 'That does not include operating costs.'

Taking into account current deficiencies totaling $311.6 million in the school district and how much it would cost to update the facilities, the district would need about $ 684.7 million to meet projected needs by 2025, Elliott said. However, he said, the projected revenue is only $480.9 million, which would leave the district nearly $ 203.8 million short.

© Copyright 2002 Florida Times-Union

For two years Citrus County public school officials have warned about “the bubble” — that two- or three-year period when high school enrollment would peak.

The bubble is about to burst.

Crystal River High School, which is overcrowded this year, may add six to eight portable classrooms next year to handle the overflow.

Lecanto and Citrus high schools will also see significant increases in enrollment next year and officials are making plans to handle the overflow.

The solution for two of the three high schools is to add portable classrooms, even though state education officials want to wean school districts off portables classrooms.

Several portables at elementary schools were eliminated when Forest Ridge Elementary School opened last year. Still, about 19 portable classrooms exist at seven schools, not including the Renaissance Center, whose entire campus is a collection of portables.

Lecanto High already has three portable classrooms but may add three next year. Citrus High’s overflow next year won’t be housed in portable classrooms, but rather plans are in the works to create classrooms at neighboring Withlacoochee Technical Institute.

Support services director James Hughes said the district is crunching numbers to get a handle early on next year’s enrollment projections.

“We’re not sure on the numbers yet,” he said. “This is pretty much the bubble. We have more students than we have current facilities in place for them.”

Crystal River High has 1,360 students — about 250 more than the preferred capacity, Principal Steve Myers said. He said he expects about 150 additional students next year, necessitating six to eight portables, in addition to the one there now.

While inconvenient, principals say portables do not have a negative impact on instruction.

“A portable classroom does not diminish the capacity of our teachers to teach and our students to learn,” Myers said.

Lecanto High School Principal Kelly Tyler agreed, saying the biggest drawback is separating math, English and history classes away from like classrooms in the school.

“As portables go, they’re good portables,” he said. “Those teachers are sometimes away from the other classes in the same area.”

Citrus High received a bump of more than 200 students this year when the district rezoned students out of Lecanto High.

Citrus High Principal Mike Mullen said teachers and students have adjusted.

“Anytime you jump up in size, it’s going to be a drastic change to your complex,” he said. “This school has jumped two years in a row. If you walk down the halls now it seems like we can absorb it pretty good.”

© Copyright 2002 Citrus County Chronicle

Explosive growth is nothing new to Seminole. It took off in the 1970s, and the pace barely has relented. During the '90s, the county's population jumped 27 percent, from 287,521 to 365,196. Most cities also grew rapidly, with the Oviedo population soaring by an astounding 137 percent.

Although much of the county has been developed, several areas will face strong development pressures, particularly the Wekiva River Basin near State Road 46 and the eastern part of the county.

Growth in those areas should be handled with care.

One of the most pressing issues will be the push to complete the beltway that circles metro Orlando. The missing link is between State Road 417 at Interstate 4 near Sanford and State Road 429, which ends at U.S. Highway 441 near Apopka.

Such a link would take the road through the Wekiva River Basin.

That prospect ignited a major environmental battle, which, at one point, appeared to be a clear victory for the environmentalists.

Growing traffic problems, though, keep reviving the issue. Pushed by such individuals as U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando, the last link is back on the table. The situation won't go away.

The most sensible approach would be to turn S.R. 46 into a parkway, widening it to four lanes and making it a limited-access road. Such an approach would not require creating another crossing on the Wekiva River and would inhibit the proliferation of business along that scenic, sensitive stretch of road.

In east Seminole County, Oviedo's rapid growth underscores the area's rising popularity as a desirable place to live. Once-remote areas such as Chuluota are experiencing heavy development pressure.

State Road 434 east of the GreeneWay has become a battleground, pitting Winter Springs, Oviedo and the county over Winter Springs' aggressive annexation ambitions. Currently, Winter Springs and the county are in court over the issue. The county would prefer a joint agreement with Winter Springs, governing future development there, similar to one that exists between the county and Oviedo.

Monitors are needed to safeguard the largely rural area, which includes the environmentally sensitive Black Hammock, from overdevelopment. Let's hope an agreement can be reached to soften the potential for more suburban sprawl.

Moreover, the rural nature of most of east Seminole should be taken into consideration as development pressures build.

Water issues also cannot be overlooked. Water shortages remain atop the list of challenges facing the entire state. A study is under way by the St. Johns River Water Management District in cooperation with Seminole and Volusia counties on the feasibility of using the St. Johns as a potential water supply.

This is an extremely complex issue, but some basic organizational questions need to be resolved this year about the region's approach to the problem.

One of them would be the potential creation of an authority.

The future of the region's water supplies presents an urgency that must be addressed now. This is one approach in which Seminole County can play a significant role.

Of course, there are a host of other problems related to growth. No longer can development just be allowed to happen.

Its impact on the quality of life must be assessed before the subdivisions and strip shopping centers spring up.


© Copyright 2001 Orlando Sentinel

Florida isn't the only state suffering the pain of rapid development, but it
is the only one in the nation facing a statewide proposal to give voters
control over planning issues.

If backers of a proposed constitutional amendment collect enough signatures
by next summer to get on the 2004 ballot, voters in all 67 counties would
have the final say on whether builders can convert land to subdivisions or
change the density of a development.

Over the past decade, Florida has exploded in population, growing 24
percent -- almost twice the national average -- to 16 million people. By
2030, the state is expected to have 25 million residents, surpassing New
York as the third-largest state.

That growth has fueled the construction and real estate industries, creating
tens of thousands of jobs. But it has also led to clogged roads, jammed
schools and endangered water supplies.

Planners say that while Florida's proposal is the most far-reaching,
residents in other states have adopted anti-growth measures at the county
and city levels.

In California, no fewer than 1,000 local growth management measures have
been proposed since the 1960s, with many implemented.

In the past eight years, Ventura County and several California cities have
adopted slow-growth and anti-sprawl measures known as SOAR -- Save
Open-Space and Agricultural Resources. In Ventura, about 40 miles northwest
of downtown Los Angeles, voters must approve land-use changes on projects
proposed outside established growth boundaries.

While planners say the long-term effects are unclear, a study by two
California-based independent public policy research groups predicted a
severe housing shortage and escalating home prices.

Three years ago, Colorado and Arizona proposed statewide growth-control
initiatives that failed at the polls after builders and developers convinced
voters that tougher rules would trample private property rights and cripple
the construction industry.

Those concerns are echoed in Florida.

"This would be like a spear to the heart of the development industry,'' said
Skeet Jernigan, president of the Community and Economic Development Council
of South Florida, which represents many of the region's large builders.

Developers worry that growth controls would slash construction-related jobs
and drive up the cost of housing.

Chris Williamson, vice president of research at Solimar Research Group, a
private public policy and land-use research institute in California, said
Florida's reliance on development is part of the problem.

"Florida has worked itself into a hole where a significant chunk of its
economy is based on building,'' Williamson said. "It's like an addiction.
Once you get started on it, you can't get out of it without a painful
withdrawal process.''

Backers of Florida's proposal are undeterred.

"I can't tell you how many calls I've gotten from people who are upset about
a huge development going into their neighborhoods, and their elected
officials are unresponsive,'' said Lesley Blackner, a Palm Beach County
environmental lawyer who is spearheading the petition drive with Tallahassee
lawyer Ross Burnaman.

Their group, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Florida Hometown Democracy, must
collect 500,000 signatures before a constitutional amendment could be put on
the ballot if approved by the Florida Supreme Court.

Florida was a national leader in 1985 when it devised a statewide growth
management system requiring local and regional blueprints for how
communities should develop. The plans can be amended through a public
hearing process that ends up at the state Department of Community Affairs.

Backers of the amendment think city and county commissioners too often push
through land-use changes to appease developers who donate to their
campaigns. They say the state planning agency is overburdened and merely
rubber-stamps changes.

Florida residents have tried to thwart growth in the past, but often through
temporary building bans imposed by elected officials in cities and counties.
In the early 1970s, Boca Raton voters tried to impose a population cap of
40,000, but state courts struck it down as arbitrary and based largely on
political concerns. Today, the city is almost twice that size.

Fort Lauderdale voters in 1997 approved a referendum that prohibits
city-owned beachfront property at Las Olas Boulevard and State Road A1A from
being used for development other than a parking lot, park or parking garage.

Today, Broward County has a moratorium on new beach high-rises and intense
development while county commissioners move to seize more control of the
beachfront. Fort Lauderdale temporarily suspended new downtown development
in March. In 1989, Palm Beach County imposed a temporary ban on non-farm
development in the agricultural reserve area pending the completion of a
growth study. Ten years later, county voters passed a $150 million bond
issue to buy land for more open space in the reserve area west of Delray
Beach.

One of the most watched votes in Florida came in 1990 in Sarasota County,
where residents sought to freeze all new construction for two years. The
measure failed by a 3-to-1 margin amid fears of what it could do to the
local economy.

Planners worry that if the current statewide proposal passes, citizens will
say no too often, leading to piecemeal development and making it harder to
build affordable housing. Already, housing has gotten so expensive in South
Florida that many first-time buyers and middle-income workers looking to
spend $200,000 or less are finding single-family homes out of reach.

"These [anti-growth] movements are indicators of the massive, intense
displeasure people are feeling,'' said Mark Muro, a senior policy analyst at
the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "Whether people
are in rural areas seeing their open space consumed or in urban regions
where the infrastructure can't keep up and tax rates are going up, they seem
to agree that what is going on is disruptive and not what they want.''

Robin Benedick can be reached at rbenedick@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7914.

Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel www.sun-sentinel.com

CRAWFORDVILLE - Wakulla County, one of Florida's fastest-growing counties,
is considering a proposal for one of the largest developments in its
history.

Jacksonville-based N.G. Wade Investment Co. proposes changing the county's
Comprehensive Plan to allow 1,000 homes and 250 apartments as part of a
606-acre "sustainable community" along the Leon County line. There also
would be enough commercial space for a Wal-Mart and other stores, plus a
200,000-square-foot business park.

State agencies earlier this year raised a variety of concerns about the
proposal, including the possibility that it would increase nitrogen
pollution at Wakulla Springs. Leon County raised concerns about the
development increasing traffic congestion on State Road 363.

N.G. Wade Investment has prepared a response for Wakulla County to the
state's objections, said Frank Evans, the county's interim planning
director.

"Whether it will be to the satisfaction of the state will be another
question," Evans said.

He said the development would be the second-largest in the county's history
behind Wakulla Gardens, which has about 4,000 homes.

Some environmentalists and Wakulla County residents worry that the proposal
threatens the environment.

"Clearly, the more houses you've got, the more potential you have for
groundwater contamination," said Terrell K. Arline, a vice chairman of the
Florida Wildlife Federation.

The company says the development reduces potential traffic congestion by
locating homes near stores and jobs. The development is adjacent to the
company's 240-acre industrial park and is near the state prison, a major
employer in Wakulla County.

Florida Department of Community Affairs officials could not be reached for
comment Thursday. If Wakulla County adopts the Comp Plan change, the
department would decide whether to accept it or to request an administrative
hearing.

The proposal would change the rural and agricultural land-use
classifications on the 606 acres to the "sustainable community"
classification.

Sustainable communities, according to the Wakulla County Comp Plan, are
supposed to include bicycle trails, public transit, parks and conservation
areas. They provide a mix of land uses that addresses 'the social,
environmental, economic and infrastructure needs of the county into the next
century."

The Northwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection said the project could increase nitrogen
pollution that is causing Wakulla Springs to become choked with aquatic
weeds and algae. A 2002 report by the water management district suggested
that groundwater in southeastern Leon County flows toward Wakulla Springs.

If the development is approved, the company would upgrade a sewage treatment
plant it owns at the industrial park. It also would meet stricter stormwater
requirements for the development than are required in the region, said Bob
Routa, a Crawfordville attorney who represents N.G. Wade Investment.

"The whole point is - what difference does it make where the water is going
if we are taking everything out of the water?" Routa said.

Leon County estimates the proposed development would add 4,000 more vehicles
per day to State Road 363 at the county line, further increasing traffic
congestion. Such a development in Leon County could mean new road
improvements.

Routa said Wakulla County will study the effects on traffic when a
development plan is submitted later. But he added that by providing new jobs
in Wakulla County, the development could reduce trips that residents are
making to go to jobs in Leon County.

In raising its objections earlier this year, the Department of Community
Affairs said Wakulla County already has enough residential land. The
department said the county is failing to meet its own requirements for a
proposed "sustainable community."

The proposal would encourage urban sprawl by "allowing leap-frog
development, failing to protect and conserve natural resources, failing to
protect agricultural areas and allowing for disproportionate costs in
maintaining facilities and services," the department said.

Routa, a past president of the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce, said the
department and other critics have erred by calling the proposal urban
sprawl.

The Apalachee Ecological Conservancy, an environmental group based in
Alligator Point, says it doesn't object to the proposal. The group says the
company responded to its concerns by agreeing to take steps including
improving the sewage treatment plant and meeting stricter stormwater
requirements.

But Wakulla County activist Ron Capron said the group may have been too
quick to compromise. He said he thinks the "sustainable community"
designation is being misused.

"I think developers are just using it as a method - a means to an end to
maximize profits," he said.

Routa said sustainable communities, including the one the company proposes,
are the antithesis of urban sprawl.

"People who look at this and object on the basis of urban sprawl just want
to object," he said.



Contact reporter Bruce Ritchie at (850) 599-2253 or
britchie@tallahassee.com.

Growth spurts in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties in South
Florida accounted for 27 percent of Florida's growth in the past four years,
according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

"Florida is a fast-growing state," said John Cordrey, senior vice president
of research at The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's economic development
arm. He attributes much of the growth to baby boomers looking for a place to
retire.

"You see a tremendous construction boom going on in these three counties,"
he said. "It's a phenomenon that you think would slow down, but there isn't
any evidence at this point that it is slowing."

Broward County experienced the largest numerical growth in Florida for the
years 2000-2003, adding 108,329 new residents, according to Census figures.
Its estimated July 3, 2003, population was 1,731,347, a 6.7-percent increase
in those four years.

Miami-Dade County was second, adding 87,805 new residents in the same
period, followed by Palm Beach County's 85,058. The Census Bureau estimated
Miami-Dade County had 2,341,167 residents July 1, 2003, an increase of 6.7
percent from 2000. Palm Beach County's population was put at 1,216,282 in
2003, a 7.5-percent increase from 2000.

For the same four-year period, the state added 1,036,690 residents,
according to Census figures through July 1, 2003, increasing 6.5 percent
since 2000.

Two Florida coastal cities were among the 10 fastest-growing cities in the
nation. Port St. Lucie in southeastern Florida was No. 8, Cape Coral in
Southwestern Florida was 10th.

George Wilson, professor of sociology at the University of Miami, said
people are drawn to South Florida by the weather and economic opportunities.

"Good-paying jobs are relocating to suburban populations, and that's
attracting a lot of people," Wilson said.

Waves of immigrants are also swelling the South Florida population, Wilson
noted.

In the figures released today, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea registered a population
growth of 130 percent over the four years, the largest in the state.

City officials have a good explanation - the city's boundaries expanded by
annexation. The city has a permanent population of about 7,000 people but
swells to about 20,000 during the tourist season, with part-time residents
and tourists.

Following is a county-by-county breakdown of the 2000 population, the
estimated 2003 population and the percentage change for selected Big Bend
counties.

CENSUS FIGURES

"Good-paying jobs are relocating to suburban populations, and that's
attracting a lot of people."


George Wilson
professor of sociology at the University of Miami


County 2000 2003 % change
Calhoun 13,017 12,921 -0.7%
Franklin 11,057 10,003 -9.5%
Gadsden 45,087 45,134 0.1%
Gulf 13,332 15,247 14.4%
Jackson 46,755 46,508 -0.5%
Jefferson 12,902 14,037 8.8%
Leon 239,452 242,577 1.3%
Liberty 7,021 7,315 4.2%
Madison 18,733 18,766 0.2%
Taylor 19,256 19,415 0.8%
Wakulla 22,863 26,131 14.3%
City or town 2000 2003 % change
Altha 506 500 -1.2%
Apalachicola 2,334 2,310 -1.0%
Bascom 106 105 -0.9%
Blountstown 2,444 2,387 -2.3%
Bonifay 4,078 2,669 -34.6%
Bristol 845 874 3.4%
Carrabelle 1,303 1,292 -0.8%
Chattahoochee 3,287 3,299 0.4%
Greensboro 619 607 -1.9%
Greenville 837 824 -1.6%
Gretna 1,709 1,697 -0.7%
Havana 1,713 1,685 -1.6%
Madison 3,061 3,140 2.6%
Marianna 6,230 6,112 -1.9%
Midway 1,446 1,440 -0.4%
Monticello 2,533 2,546 0.5%
Perry 6,847 6,749 -1.4%
Port St. Joe 3,644 3,627 -0.5%
Quincy 6,982 6,915 -1.0%
St. Marks 272 291 7.0%
Sneads 1,919 1,899 -1.0%
Sopchoppy 426 453 6.3%
Tallahassee 150,624 153,938 2.2%


Copyright 2004 Tallahassee Democrat

Every day during the first three years of this decade, Southwest Florida
grew by an average of about 50 people. But that rate may seem tame by the
time federal officials update their annual population estimates next year,
because new housing construction is booming in Charlotte, Manatee and
Sarasota counties.

More than 11,000 building permits have been issued for single-family homes,
townhouses and other residences in the three counties since last summer.

The new construction isn't included in the most recent population estimates
for Southwest Florida released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week. Those
estimates show that Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota grew by a combined
55,403 people between the 2000 census and July 1, 2003.

Building officials and planners attribute the housing boom to continued low
interest rates, an improving economy and the region's attractive quality of
life. In some pockets, this is shaping up as a record year.

"It's going to be one of the most significant years that you've seen," said
Scott Williams, building director for the city of North Port, where building
permits for this fiscal year could reach 3,000, nearly double the previous
12-month period.

While the relentless population increase is good for growth-dependent
industries such as construction, it's a daunting challenge for the cities
and counties that serve all those people -- whether that means providing
books in libraries, buses for school transportation, roads, water or other
services.

"It seems to me we struggle with that all the time," said Sarasota County
Commissioner Jon Thaxton, who worries that the growth will erode the area's
quality of life.

Charlotte County, for example, is spending $7.5 million to build a central
library to serve its population core in Port Charlotte. Even so, the new
building, scheduled to open this fall, won't bring the county up to the
state and national average for library services based on its population size
of 153,392.

Manatee County is running out of fields to handle the demand for recreation
leagues for youth and adults to play sports such as baseball, softball and
soccer.

Meanwhile, Sarasota County school officials are sketching a plan to build
more than a dozen new elementary, middle and high schools over the next
decade.

Statewide, growth continues to be a hot political topic, in both local
government and Florida legislative races. State lawmakers this year again
discussed changes to Florida's complex system designed to manage
development, although they decided to leave it alone for now.

"I think we have got to do a better job if we're going to maintain our
quality of life and continue to absorb that many people," said Charles
Pattison, executive director of the growth management advocacy group 1000
Friends of Florida.

Construction has spiked

The Census Bureau offers interim estimates of population changes nationwide
between the detailed studies it produces every 10 years. The most recent
estimates showed Charlotte with a population of 153,392, Manatee at 286,804
and Sarasota at 346,793.

The figures reflected a slight rise in the growth rate in Manatee and
Sarasota counties from 2000 to 2003, with Charlotte holding steady, compared
with the 1990s.

The census study showed a snapshot of the population as of last July 1.
Since then, residential construction across most of the area has spiked.

Over that period, Manatee County issued nearly 3,400 single-family building
permits, compared with 2,613 in the previous 12 months.

"It's increasing, there's no doubt about that," said Jim Lee, Manatee's
building director.

Charlotte County has issued more than 2,000 single-family home permits since
July. Charlotte expects to issue more home permits during this calendar year
than in 2003, which was the biggest year for building since 1990.

North Port, with a vast supply of comparatively inexpensive vacant lots, has
seen an even bigger increase.

Williams, the city's building director, tracks permits by the fiscal year,
which starts in October. Since last October, the city has issued 1,894
permits. That's about 80 permits more, during just eight months, than it
issued during the entire 2002-03 fiscal year.

The city is on a pace to issue 2,990 single-family home permits.

In unincorporated Sarasota County, permits for single-family homes have
lagged behind the rate set in 2002-03. The county issued 1,484 permits in
the past 12 months, compared with 2,088 the year before, largely because its
inventory of available land is declining.

But multifamily home construction, including townhouses, duplexes and other
dwellings, has roughly made up the difference.

Combined, the permits for single- and multi-family homes across the region
have topped 11,000 in the past year.

The Census Bureau will use the permit figures as part of its formula for
updating population estimates next year.

More homes, more schools

But local county and school officials dealing with the effects of growth
can't wait that long to react.

Chuck Collins, director of construction and permitting for the Sarasota
County school system, is formulating a 10-year plan that the School Board
will consider next month.

That plan calls for 13 new schools between now and 2014 -- many of them, not
surprisingly, in North Port. The figure doesn't include the two elementary
schools already in the works in North and South County.

"Adding the typical elementary school takes two years, from the time it's in
the budget and you start planning," Collins said.

In addition to new construction, Sarasota County is using portable
classrooms to meet its needs. Manatee County, with a student population
expanding by about 1,600 per year, has experienced severe growing pains.

Lakewood Ranch High School was full when it opened in 1998 in East Manatee,
and, at 2,600, is now several hundred students over its designed capacity.

Many of the county's new young people also are involved in sports, which is
straining Manatee's park system.

Parks planner Mike Sosadeeter said, "We're close to running out of room in
the parks we have."

Baseball, softball and soccer leagues have almost "maxed out" the time
available to use multipurpose fields, he said. As a result, Sosadeeter said
he's anticipating the need for a large park in eastern Manatee County.

"We are getting to the saturation point," he said.

The hitch with creating new parks: buying land. The growth has driven up
land prices, adding to the cost of creating recreation complexes.

For Angie Patteson, regional librarian for Charlotte County, space is also
an issue. Charlotte hasn't built a library in nearly 20 years. In the
meantime, the county's population has doubled.

When patrons come in to check out books for selected subjects, they often
find the books aren't available, she said.

The generally accepted standard for libraries is three books per person. But
in Charlotte, the number is less than two.

The library that Charlotte is building will more than double the capacity in
the growing Murdock area.

"But we'll continue to have needs in west and south County," Patteson said.
"We're playing some catch-up."

Sarasota and Manatee counties expect to receive $100 million in state and
federal money over the next five years to widen roads, and will add millions
more of their own money for new highways.

Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota are also seeking federal assistance to
expand a regional water treatment plant to meet the area's growing thirst.

Sarasota County's Thaxton, a longtime environmental activist, said he's
frustrated by an inability to get ahead of the curve. The region's ability
to provide water, roads and other services should drive growth, not the
other way around, he said.

"It's a lot easier said than done," he said. "That's what I'm finding out."


Copyright 2004 Sarasota Herald Tribune

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. - As coastal residents from New Orleans to the Florida
panhandle deal with the force of hurricane Ivan, experts say the unfolding
drama illustrates a paradox in the nation's approach to hurricane
protection.

While the ability to predict the path of hurricanes has greatly improved in
recent decades, efforts to reduce the amount of destruction have not kept
pace with forecasting advances. The result: Seaside residents are privy to
the earliest and most accurate hurricane warnings ever, yet America's
Southern shoreline has never been more vulnerable to large-scale storms.

At the same time, many of these coastal areas have more than doubled in
population since the 1970s - and now, some 30 years later, the potential
level of destruction could be up to five times higher. "We have made great
strides in forecasting, but it has been outweighed by the large influx of
population," says Stephen Leatherman, director of the International
Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University in Miami.

Decades of explosive development on barrier islands and other coastal areas,
and a lack of significant attention to the destructive force of hurricanes
by residents and builders, have guaranteed that storm damage along the US
coast from North Carolina to Texas is becoming increasingly costly, experts
say.

With the US in the midst of one of the most active hurricane seasons in
generations, these costs are suddenly apparent. In addition to the arrival
of hurricane Ivan on the Gulf Coast, two other hurricanes, Charley and
Frances, struck Florida within the past month. A fourth storm, Jeanne, could
threaten Florida next week.

One major benefit of better hurricane forecasts is a greatly improved
ability to evacuate the large numbers of residents now living in the most
dangerous areas. In addition, analysts say officials are becoming highly
skilled at responding to large-scale hurricane-related disasters.

But many experts say if current population trends continue, more must be
done to prevent hurricane damage before storms strike. "People are more
inclined to move to the most disaster-prone areas of the country - Florida,
Texas, and California," says Bob Hartwig, chief economist with the Insurance
Information Institute in New York. "Those states that have the greatest
appeal for quality of life also happen to be the most dangerous to live in.
But people don't think about that when they move there."

Mr. Hartwig says the area now being affected by hurricane Ivan was struck by
hurricane Camille in 1969. That Category 5 storm, with wind gusts exceeding
200 miles per hour and a 22-foot tidal surge, virtually leveled the
Mississippi town of Pass Christian. The violent landfall left more than 140
dead. "This was the most intense storm to ever hit the US mainland," he
says. "It produced, at the time, $225 million in insured losses, which is
$1.1 billion in current dollars."

Hartwig adds, "The same storm today would do four to five times as much
damage as an equivalent storm 35 years ago."

Although it remains the most powerful storm to hit the US mainland, Camille
isn't even listed among the 10 most costly hurricanes. At the top of the
list is hurricane Andrew, which slammed ashore in 1992 south of Miami and
then hit Louisiana and Mississippi, causing $15.5 billion in insured losses.
The second most costly hurricane is Charley, which hit southwestern Florida
roughly a month ago. Insured losses are estimated at $6.8 billion.

"Even a tropical storm that makes landfall is a billion-dollar event," says
Dr. Leatherman. The average hurricane landfall in the US now costs $5
billion. "I don't think this is sustainable over the long term," he says.

Peter Dailey is manager of the atmospheric science department at AIR
Worldwide Corp. in Boston, which conducts risk forecasting for insurance
companies. He says the American coast has become so developed that there are
few, if any, areas of undeveloped coastline large enough to take a direct
hit from a hurricane without causing major insured losses.

"It is unlikely that a storm of [Ivan's] size and intensity can sneak
through the US coastline," he says.

After hurricane Andrew, many experts advocated upgrading building codes. In
south Florida, where residents endured the ordeal directly, local
authorities adopted the most stringent building code in the country -
requiring that all new construction be able to stand up to 145-mile-per-hour
winds, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. In contrast, the rest of
Florida and much of the rest of the US coast still have building codes
geared toward 100-mile-per-hour winds.

Some analysts are hopeful that the current active hurricane season will
spark a regionwide approach to adopting stronger hurricane protection
measures. Such measures could include writing tougher and more uniform
building codes, protecting power lines from high winds by burying them, and
creating greater incentives for homeowners to purchase storm shutters by
offering more generous insurance discounts or tax breaks.

Leatherman says he is hopeful that the large number of Florida and Gulf
coast residents who have now endured a hurricane may trigger a broader
impact. "It could change the way we think about hurricanes, and hopefully if
we change our thinking we are going to get better prepared for them," he
says.

Hartwig isn't as optimistic. He says once the hurricane season ends, coastal
residents will revert back into what Florida Gov. Jeb Bush calls "hurricane
amnesia."

"If left to their own devices, people generally will not pay the extra money
[to strengthen their homes against hurricanes]," Hartwig says. "They believe
it won't happen to them."

He says another factor is the influx of new residents who are unaware of the
danger of hurricanes. "About 1 in 4 people living in Florida today were not
there in 1992 [when hurricane Andrew hit]," he says.


Copyright 2004 The Christian Science Monitor

Pasco County needs 23 schools in the next five years to keep up with student
growth.

School leaders jolted county commissioners with that information Tuesday
morning before making their case for more than doubling school impact fees
to $4,314 for a single-family home.

Until now, the often-quoted construction need was 20 schools in 10 years.
But district administrator Ray Gadd said new figures indicate the uphill
race to keep up with growth is only getting steeper: "Not only has the
number of schools we're going to need increased, we've compressed the
timeline."

Twenty-two government officials from across the county gathered around
tables Tuesday to discuss to what extent developers and new home buyers
should shoulder the cost of that school construction by paying impact fees.

The fees are one-time charges on construction to help government - in this
case, schools - keep up with the pressures created by development.

For the past three years, buyers of newly built single-family homes paid
$1,694. The proposal being bandied about by School Board members raises that
by 155 percent.

"We don't mind helping," said Robert Williams, an attorney for the Pasco
Building Association, as the meeting broke up. But the group is asking for a
couple of specific allowances - and one of them has to do with how the fee
is collected.

TischlerBise, the firm hired to study the impact fee, arrived at the
proposed increase based on land prices, per-student housing costs, projected
tax revenue and population growth, among other things.

Also factored in is an allowance for portable classrooms at each new school,
a reality that Commissioners Steve Simon and Ted Schrader marveled at.

"Is it fair for us to be collecting this for the use of portables?" Schrader
asked. Most parents, he said, plop down money for impact fees thinking
there's going to be "a nice new school there."

Paul Tischler, president of TischlerBise, said the study had to consider the
current level of services offered by the schools. And the fact is that 8,000
students - enough to fill nine elementary schools - are currently housed in
portable classroom buildings.

"If we did away with all the portables," County Attorney Robert Sumner told
those gathered, "the impact fee would be horrendous."

Commissioner Simon said officials were too conservative when they set the
original fees in 2001. With that in mind, He suggested that the county allow
for fluctuations in construction costs by tying the fee to an independent
inflationary index figure like one published by Engineering News Record.

"Don't step on those necks over there," Simon said, referring to
representatives of the home builders association seated in one corner of the
room, "but extract as much as you can extract."

Hearing his remarks, builders association executive director Nita Beckwith
stared silently up at the ceiling, her arms folded and her lips pursed.
Afterward, she referred all comment about the idea to Williams, the
attorney.

"I think we'd just like to see one price we can depend on," he said.

The builders association is pushing for a new collection method that would
enable the school district to collect part of the fee at the time developers
plat land. Now, owners of new homes pay the fee when they move in. The
association's proposal - called "capacity assessment units" - would enable
homeowners to pay the fee over time as part of their annual property tax
bill. And the school district could bond the money.

School Board members plan to make a formal impact fee recommendation to the
County Commission on April 5. The public is invited to give input about the
plan June 7 and June 21 before the County Commission.


Copyright 2005 The St. Petersburg Times

Developers and one municipality are mounting the biggest push in 15 years to
shift Miami-Dade County's development boundary closer to the Everglades.

The moves, which were expected as developers have aggressively assembled
land parcels outside the development zone, are set to unleash a political
battle royal.

Big-name developers, environmentalists, neighborhood groups, lobbyists,
business leaders and elected officials -- ranging from small-town mayors to
the governor of Florida -- all may jump in.

''This is going to be a bloody war,'' said Miami Lakes Councilman Michael
Pizzi, whose city opposes boundary changes.

The debate over the urban development boundary has competing factions: those
who think of it as an immovable line that preserves the Everglades and
prevents suburban sprawl, spoiled water and crowded schools; and the
opposing camp, which sees a flexible line that should bend with a burgeoning
population that needs affordable housing.

Developers who applied to move the line include Shoma Homes, D.R. Horton and
Pedro Adrian. Lowe's Home Centers, whose bid to move the line was rejected
two years ago, is again seeking approval.

The city of Hialeah also filed an application to move the line which, if
successful, would pave the way for developer Armando Codina to build an
industrial site on the Peerless Dade Landfill. Earlier this month, Codina
signed a contract to purchase the dump.

A total of 10 applications have been filed to move the urban development
boundary line.

The re-examination of Miami-Dade's urban limits begins in April of every odd
year, when the Planning & Zoning Department accepts applications. The
roughly yearlong process ends in a Miami-Dade County Commission vote, which
requires a two-thirds majority.

The line runs along the western and southern portions of the county.
Development outside the boundary is limited to one dwelling per five acres.

''If we don't do it now, land will be gobbled up by five-acre mansions and
it will have an impact on what happens inside the line,'' said Joseph
Goldstein, a lawyer for D.R. Horton.

Meanwhile, applications for two much-discussed projects outside the boundary
line have yet to be filed. Papers for Lennar Corp.'s Atlantic Civil project,
the 981-acre development the Miami-based home-building giant wants to build
near Florida City, have not been filed. Nor has Lennar, along with partner
Edward W. Easton, formally lodged an application for its 823-acre parcel in
western Miami-Dade County.

But the two projects are so big that under Florida law each are considered
''developments of regional impact,'' which the county can consider at any
time -- not just the biennial window.

Opponents' ''Hold the Line'' campaign has attracted a diverse assemblage,
including Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, activists from Little Haiti, and
homeowners from East Kendall and Coral Gables.

''This is an issue that people identify with,'' said Jamie Furgang of
Audubon of Florida, one of more than 50 groups that have signed on.

Gov. Jeb Bush, while not joining the campaign, has questioned the wisdom of
moving the line, citing ``grave concerns.''

Central to the debate is whether the county has enough land for future homes
and businesses.

Miami-Dade's Department of Planning and Zoning predicts the county has
enough land to suit its needs until at least 2020.

Attorney Miguel Diaz de la Portilla said the county's stock of housing will
actually be gone by 2011, citing a study he commissioned for a client.

''They are using data that is four years out of date,'' said Diaz de la
Portilla, who represents developers seeking to build on 72 acres in South
Miami-Dade.

Commissioner Dennis Moss, whose district encompasses a huge swath of South
Dade, has requested a study that would include experts outside of county
hall.

Commissioners are also awaiting the results of the $3 million South
Miami-Dade Watershed Study, which includes land outside the UDB.

''This is an old fight,'' said Commissioner Katy Sorenson, who has long
spoken out against any move of the urban development boundary. ``But it's
one worth fighting.''

© 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources

PALM COAST -- Faced with a massive population influx and a state mandate to
reduce class sizes, the Flagler County School District is looking for new
schools.

About 11,000 students enrolled in the district's eight schools this year,
and officials expect almost 25,000 in 2015, based on population growth
projections by the state Department of Education.

If those projections come true, the district will need to build a new school
each year to keep up, School Board member Jim Guines said at the board's
most recent meeting on Tuesday.

"We've just got to do it," Guines said.

But to do it, the district needs property. ITT Community Development Corp.
set aside school sites when Palm Coast was originally designed, Guines said,
but now the district has to go shopping for land on its own.

The district already has a 60-acre site on Rymfire Road that can hold an
elementary school and a middle school, and officials have discussed building
another site on Roberts Road in Flagler Beach. But that won't be enough.

Sites for 15 new schools will have to be purchased, with the money to pay
for them most likely coming from impact fees, Superintendent Bill Delbrugge
said.

School Board members will this week appoint residents to a new property
acquisition committee that will identify school sites and make
recommendations on which to buy.

Committee members should include people familiar with available land and
prices, including real estate professionals or developers, board members
said.

Delbrugge said the committee could hold its first meeting as early as next
week and begin looking for school sites.

District officials meet weekly with home builders in Palm Coast to determine
where the city is growing, Delbrugge said. Their input should help the
committee find new sites.

Delbrugge has already identified two other locations that would be suitable
for schools, but he wouldn't say where they are because he's worried owners
would raise prices for the land if they knew the school district is
interested.

Guines also said that the district should press developers to set aside land
for schools as new neighborhoods are built. For some parents, identifying
school sites is a good step toward coping with Palm Coast's growth.

Linda Phelps, 55, of Palm Coast, said the district is overcrowded, and it
keeps growing.

"I definitely think they need new schools, and they should start on them
now," Phelps said when she drove to Buddy Taylor Middle School on Wednesday.

The district opened Matanzas High School and Belle Terre Elementary School
this year. By next August, officials plan to open an elementary school at
the Rymfire site.

Delbrugge wants the land acquisition committee to get started with its task
right away. He wants the members to find land to purchase before someone
else buys it, and before the property values increase.

"Everyday we wait, it gets more expensive here," Delbrugge said.

There's no way to know what the district will have to spend to secure sites
for the 15 new schools. Construction costs alone currently range from $20
million for a new elementary school to $40 million for a high school.

Copyright 2005 Daytona Beach News-Journal

People are coming, and they are thirsty.

As the city's population growth continues its steep climb, officials are
seeing along with it an increase in the demand for groundwater.

But it's not just a matter of turning up the pumps. The city, like any major
consumer of groundwater, must obtain a modification in its permit from the
Southwest Florida Water Management District, the region's water supply
authority.

In the environmentally sensitive Hillsborough River groundwater basin, from
which Zephyrhills draws its water, that's not an easy get.

"They're real stingy," said Louie Sellars, Zephyrhills' utilities
superintendent.

When Sellars came to work for the city in 1968, demand for potable water
stood at about 350,000 gallons per day. It increased steadily, until the
past couple years.

"It's really jumped up big-time," he said.

The city is currently permitted to pump an average of 2.7- million gallons
per day from its 10 wells. The maximum allowed is 3.4-million gallons a day.

Sellars said that when winter residents arrive, demand for water spikes and
the city teeters on the edge of its average permitted capacity.

Now and then, it exceeds it.

"Every year, it goes up some," he said.

The Swiftmud permit accommodates a growth rate of about 2 percent a year,
but in Zephyrhills, that figure seems archaic. In the past couple of years,
the city has annexed hundreds of acres of property, most slated for
residential development. More large projects are coming along.

This week, the city hired a consultant, Water Resource Associates in Tampa,
to help make its case with Swiftmud and obtain a permit modification. The
firm is headed by Pete Hubbell, former executive director of Swiftmud, and
his partner Mark Farrell, another former district administrator.

Sellars considers the pair's ties to and knowledge of Swiftmud "a big plus"
for the city.

Hubbell said he will look at several factors in demonstrating the need for
more groundwater. Among them, building permits, approved development plans,
annexation plans and research-based population projections.

"I think we'll be able to show that . . . what's driving the demand is just
unanticipated population growth, and the city has a relatively high seasonal
influx," Hubbell said.

He said Swiftmud will take a hard look at any increased pumping in the
Hillsborough River basin, which was declared a caution area because it has
suffered environmentally due to pumping.

As executive director, Hubbell was involved in establishing minimum flows
and levels and looking for ways to conserve water.

That's something else the city will have to demonstrate: conservation
efforts and the use of alternative water sources, such as reclaimed water
for irrigation.

Zephyrhills serves 16,546 water customers, about a third of whom live
outside city limits. Pumping from wells is reported each month to Swiftmud,
accounting for every gallon taken out of the ground.

Sellars said the city set a record in December, clearing the 12,000 mark for
number of water meters it reads.


Copyright 2006 St. Petersburg Times

When Central Florida's worst modern drought drained lakes and spawned
wildfires a few years ago, alarmed authorities banned lawn watering on all
but two days a week.

It was an emergency measure that will now become a permanent conservation
requirement throughout much of Central Florida beginning March 1.

Welcome to never-ending water worries, where a booming population and
unrelenting expansion of newly sodded and thirsty yards have become as much
a threat to drinking-water supplies as a savage drought.

The drought, which ran roughly from 1998 into 2002, opened Central Florida's
eyes to a looming water-shortage problem that runs deeper than just a
cyclical drought. The region is rapidly nearing the day when underground
water supplies aren't enough to meet growing demand. Making lawn-watering
restrictions permanent is a sign that tougher conservation measures are
needed.

"People can still have their lawns, but we want them to be a little more
concerned about the environment," Terri Thill, a services specialist at
Orange County Utilities, said.

Most water now comes from wells that poke into the Floridan Aquifer -- a
mass of porous, limestone rock that is replenished by nearly 4 feet of rain
each year. But most of that evaporates or runs off pavement into lakes,
rivers and out to sea. That leaves only about 7 inches to sink into the
ground to replenish the aquifer.

Each day, Central Florida pumps about 600 million gallons from the aquifer.
If the region drains the aquifer much further, it will dry lakes and
wetlands and reduce the amount of water flowing from springs. So saving
water is a mission growing more urgent each day.

Half of all the public-drinking water flowing to homes is sprayed on lawns
and landscaping, and half of that is wasted. People typically water too
often, and their sprinklers flow during rainstorms or water the pavement.
Poorly designed sprinkler systems also waste water.

Rain sensors, which are required by law, are supposed to turn off automatic
sprinklers, but often don't work or aren't even installed.

Treated sewage can be used for lawn-watering, and many utilities are trying
to make it more available. But many communities now don't have enough of the
reclaimed water to meet residential demand.

In less than 10 years, experts with the St. Johns River Water Management
District expect that Central Florida will need 748 million gallons of water
a day. So the district and utilities are making plans to build large,
regional treatment plants that pump from the St. Johns River. The first is
expected to start up in southeast Orange County in 2012 at an ultimate cost
of more than $200 million for a daily supply of about 40 million gallons.

In the meantime, the only way to ward off a water crisis is through
conservation.

The restrictions that start March 1 will cover the district's 18 counties,
stretching from Orlando to beyond Jacksonville. Portions of Orange and
Osceola counties are covered by the South Florida Water Management District,
which expects to leave water-restriction rules to local-government
officials. But they are likely to fall in line with St. Johns' district
rules.

Limiting sprinkling to two days a week will be new to most areas outside
Central Florida because they haven't had any restrictions up to this
point -- other than orders not to run sprinklers between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
That rule, in effect since 1991, applies to the entire district.

To soften the permanent rules somewhat, the St. Johns district decided that
residents can select which two days a week they want to irrigate their
grass.

But Central Florida utility officials are all but outraged by that
allowance.

"There is no way you can enforce it when a resident picks their own two
days," said Ruth Hazard, a coordinator for Seminole County Utilities.

So the rules set for March 1 also will allow utilities and their local
governments the option of sticking with the preset water days in place since
2001. Many in Central Florida indicated they will do just that, although
weeks or months of rewriting local ordinances lie ahead.

The shift to permanent rules alone might not solve the water crisis. But its
importance is clear: Conservation is growing more urgent.


Copyright © 2006, Orlando Sentinel