Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Welcome to U-CAN
United Citizens Action Network is comprised of concerned citizens across Hillsborough County who actively participate in the county’s governing process. Our goal is to ensure that county leadership considers the interests of existing residents first and foremost in all governmental decisions. We expect our leaders to effectively control growth in a way that will improve our quality of life and not detract in any way from what we enjoy today. We want county leadership to realize that citizens will hold them accountable for their actions.
County Commission Deciding On Long Range Growth Plans
There's not much fanfare, but the Board Of County Commissioners (BOCC) is about to approve it's plan for growth over the next 20 years. It will affect all of us in a big way. If they continue to manage growth as they have in the past, we will end up with no green and open space, more noise, more water restrictions and traffic much worse than anyone could imagine.
The Planning Commission spent the last 3 years creating a plan for growth that included input from the public. In a preliminary workshop meeting the BOCC threw out much of it and asked their own PGM staff to do a quick rewrite. We are very concerned about their staff's quick rewrite. The plan now being proposed makes no concerted effort to control growth and it will encourage sprawl. Their plan will increase density throughout the urban area and spread urban development all the way out to the county's borders. Both the commissioners and some of their staff have openly stated that they believe the county must make it easier for developers or they will not build in Hillsborough County. We don't believe that premise is valid. We don't believe that managing growth by putting developers wishes first is prudent management at all. We want our commissioners to manage using the following guidline - plan for growth that we can afford without adding cost to existing residents, reducing our quality of life, or drastically changing our beautiful rural landscape. We believe that there are many developers who are willing to work within those guidelines. Those developers that are not willing can build elsewhere.
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is holding two hearings to get public input before making their decision on the plan. Concerned citizens need to attend these hearings to let the commissioners know that we want our government to stop sprawl and make intelligent choices for our future.
The meetings are on April 19th and April 26th at 6:00pm in the 2nd floor board room at County Center 601 East Kennedy Blvd.
We urge all citizens to go to these hearings and let their voices be heard!!!!
The Planning Commission spent the last 3 years creating a plan for growth that included input from the public. In a preliminary workshop meeting the BOCC threw out much of it and asked their own PGM staff to do a quick rewrite. We are very concerned about their staff's quick rewrite. The plan now being proposed makes no concerted effort to control growth and it will encourage sprawl. Their plan will increase density throughout the urban area and spread urban development all the way out to the county's borders. Both the commissioners and some of their staff have openly stated that they believe the county must make it easier for developers or they will not build in Hillsborough County. We don't believe that premise is valid. We don't believe that managing growth by putting developers wishes first is prudent management at all. We want our commissioners to manage using the following guidline - plan for growth that we can afford without adding cost to existing residents, reducing our quality of life, or drastically changing our beautiful rural landscape. We believe that there are many developers who are willing to work within those guidelines. Those developers that are not willing can build elsewhere.
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is holding two hearings to get public input before making their decision on the plan. Concerned citizens need to attend these hearings to let the commissioners know that we want our government to stop sprawl and make intelligent choices for our future.
The meetings are on April 19th and April 26th at 6:00pm in the 2nd floor board room at County Center 601 East Kennedy Blvd.
We urge all citizens to go to these hearings and let their voices be heard!!!!
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