County Examines Changing Growth Patterns Presented By:Yasmeen Mohamed EL-SEMARY By: Liz Drake, Amy Lang Web Address: Topic Number:24 Date:2003

MARTIN COUNTY WANTED TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE HOW GROWTH WAS CHANGING THE COUNTY’S DEVEOPMENT PATTERNS AND INVESTIGATE ITS IMPACT ON THE COUNTY’S BUDGET COUNTY EXAMINES CHANGING GROWTH PATTERNS

THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC DEMANDS ON THE BUDGET ANALYSIS OF LANDUSE USING THE COUNTY’S EXISTING DATA BASE

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MARTIN COUNTY’S SHRINKING AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

MUCH OF THE REMAINING VACANT, AND HIGLY DESIRABLE COASTAL PROPERTY IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE. AGRICULTURAL LANDS INLAND ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES. MARTIN COUNTY HAS PROTECTED ITS ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES WITH WET LAND PRESERVATION, UPLAND PRESERVATION AND OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS, AND SHORELINE PROTECTION ZONES. DESPITE THESE SUCCESSES, THREATS TO THE RICH AND DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES OF MARTIN COUNTY HAVE INCREASED.

THE COUNTY IS ALSO WORKING TO PROTECT - MILES OF OFFSHORE BARRIER ISLANDS. - ANCIENT DUNES OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL RIDGE SYSTEM. - THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON, CONSIDERED THE MOST BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE ESTAURY IN NORTH AMERICA. - ONE OF THE LARGEST REMAINING CONCENTRATIONS OF UPLOAD SCRUB HABITAT IN SOUTH FLORIDA. - THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER, THE ONLY FEDERALLY DESIGNATED WILD AND SCENIC RIVER IN FLORIDA.

BETWEEN 2001 AND 2003, THE MARTIN COUNTY STUDY INVENTORIED AND CHARACTERIZED THE AVAILABILITY OF VACANT RESIDENTIAL LAND SINCE 1982, WHEN THE USD WAS ESTABLISHED

LAND USE POLICIES RECOMMENDED TO PROTECT RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL LAND OUTSIDE THE USD STUDY RESULTS WILL SERVE AS INPUT TO THE COUNTY’S RESIDENTIAL LAND CAPACITY ANALYSIS THIS ANALYSIS WILL BE THE BASIS FOR POLICY MAKER’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OR AGAINST USD EXPANTION AT THE END OF 2003

THE STUDY HAS ESTABLISHED A METHODOLOGY THAT THE COUNTY CAN CONTINUE TO USE TO PERFORM A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF VACANT, RURAL, AND AGRICULTURAL LANDS. THE STUDY IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT INTEGRATED MULTIPLE AND SOMETIMES CONFLICTING, COUNTY DATASETS. THE STUDY DATBASES CAME FROM: WETLANDS MAPPING, AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND A PREVIOUS VACANT LAND STUDY.

THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC PLANNING PROCESS, THE GIS DATA, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SCRUTINY AT PUBLIC MEETINGS AND VIA THE INTERNET THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC PLANNING PROCESS, THE GIS DATA, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SCRUTINY AT PUBLIC MEETINGS AND VIA THE INTERNET

KEY MARTIN COUNTY STAFF INVOLVED IN THIS PLANNING EFFORT INCLUDED NICKI VAN VONNO, DIRECTOR OF GROWTH MANAGEMENT, DAVID QUIGLEY, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PLANNER, RICHARD LAWTON, SYSTEMS ANALYST AND SUE YORKE SYSTEMS ANALYST