Florida is losing out on precious economic development and job creation to other states. Florida has allowed its regulatory and permitting processes to become too burdensome, too lengthy and too expensive. The multiple layers of local, regional, state and federal bureaucracies are such a challenging maze of conflicting demands that many good projects never make it past the drawing board.
The Florida Legislature should ensure that public safety and the environment remain adequately protected. However, lawmakers should eliminate multiple agency and multiple levels of government from regulating the same thing in order to reduce time, confusion and bureaucracies from playing off one another. Wetlands and environmental resource permitting, stormwater rules, imperiled species and the comprehensive plan amendment process are ripe for streamlining.
The Florida Home Builders Association recommends a two-year automatic extension of all permits and development orders in recognition of the economic downturn. Builders and developers should not have to go back through a lengthy, expensive permitting process for something already approved simply because demand disappeared.
Further, FHBA recommends a two-year moratorium on any additional or more stringent permitting standards or criteria that will increase the cost of housing or construction.
Week of April 27 – Lawmakers approved a two-year extension for building permits, development orders and developer agreements. This measure was included in the Growth Management bill (SB 360).
Week of April 20 – The House passed HB 7143, regulatory streamlining legislation, on second reading. This bill establishes an automatic two-year extension of building permits, development orders and developer agreements. It is now poised to be heard for a third and final time by the full House of Representatives.
Week of March 30 – SB 2026 by Sen. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, passed out of the Senate Community Affairs Committee. This bill includes an automatic permit extension along with some of the association’s streamlining priorities.
Week of March 23 -- A measure designed to restore common sense and streamline the building and developing permitting process passed out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Proposed Committee Bill ANR 09-02 contains several provisions supported by the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) and outlined as one of FHBA’s 2009 Top Priorities. It extends the life of any Department of Environmental Protection ERP permit, local building permit or development order set for expiration as of September 1, 2008 by three years. It prohibits local governments from requiring permit applicants to obtain other state and federal approvals first. And it prohibits local governments from regulating or imposing additional permit conditions on building or development permits regarding wild animal species which are properly constitutionally regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission through management plans, permits or other authorizations.
Week of March 9 – The Florida House Military & Local Affairs Committee passed a Proposed Committee Bill that calls for streamlining the land-use change approval process. This legislation would also extend the life of building permits by three years.