During the latest law-making session, Florida’s legislators authorized a means for landowners to seek extensions for certain state-regulated development permits, citing the struggling real estate market and likelihood that many permits may expire before market conditions improve. The Lee County Board of County Commissioners has taken note, and has a similar authorization for four-year local
Zoning
New Lee County Code Re-Writes Hearing Examiner Rules
In recent years, procedures for hearings before Lee County Hearing Examiners have evolved formally and informally, sometimes resulting in confusion and frustration for the parties, the public, and the hearing examiners themselves. A recent amendment to Lee County Administrative Code Section 2-6, aims to eliminate uncertainty in special exceptions, variances, zoning cases, and other matters like administrative appeals. Some are simple changes (for example, the “24-hour pre-hearing memo” is now the “48-hour pre-hearing memo”), while others are more complex and require a greater understanding of legal procedure than ever before.
The following is an attempt to highlight some of the more significant changes found in Lee County Administrative Code Section 2-6, however it is not intended to provide a comprehensive summary or analysis of all changes.
Continue Reading New Lee County Code Re-Writes Hearing Examiner Rules
Update on Decrease in Lee County Road Impact Fees
You may recall from our April 28th blog post that a recent study recommended an average 27% reduction in road impact fees imposed by Lee County. On Tuesday, June 14, in a 4-0 vote by County Commissioners (with Commissioner Hall being absent), the study’s recommendations were adopted.
This is great news for the development…
Sweeping Changes to Florida’s Growth Management System are Here
The Florida Legislature recently adopted House Bill 7207 which drastically changes the landscape of Florida’s Growth Management procedures. The bill itself comprises 349 pages (the majority of which deals with matters unrelated to growth management) and the drastic changes it proposes are too numerous to cover in a blog entry. A sampling of some of…
Road Impact Fees May Decrease in Lee County
In light of the significant reduction in property values and construction costs across Lee County, a recent study conducted by Duncan Associates (a consulting firm based out of Texas) concluded that the Board of County Commissioners should consider similarly significant reductions in its road impact fees.
Road impact fees are generally assessed on new construction…
Top 10 Growth Management, Land Use & Property Bills Proposed for the 2011 Florida State Legislative Session
Spring is in the air, which means our elected state officials are in Tallahassee diligently considering, debating, and hopefully, actually reading thousands of proposed bills. The 60-day regular session began on Tuesday, March 8, and there are several draft bills that may have an effect on developers, property owners, and professionals involved in real estate and land development. Jay Brady, who covers state and local government issues for Gulf Coast Business Review, recently wrote an informative article regarding some of these bills, entitled “Business Bills to Watch.” It’s an excellent collection of proposed bills that deserve attention from the business community.
Why Due Diligence Before Buying a 'Bargain' is a Must
I was trading e-mails the other day with a general contractor friend of mine, Mark Stevens of Stevens Construction, Inc., and he took the words right out of my mouth:
I wish these prospective buyers would do some more due diligence before buying these ‘bargain’ existing buildings.”
We had been discussing new projects, and…
Judicial Update: Have You Driven A Ford (F150) Lately?
If so and you parked it in the City of Coral Gables, you could have been cited for violating the City’s zoning code. Zoning and land use regulations to preserve aesthetics have long been recognized as a valid subject of the police power. In Kuvin v. City of Coral Gables, 35 FLW D1914b…