by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Attorneys, developers and real estate professionals gathered at the University Club in the Riverplace Tower Thursday to hear about the latest developments in land use legislation.
Land use attorneys from the law firm of Rogers Towers hosted about 70 people for a breakfast meeting. Attorneys Wyman Duggan, T.R. Hainline, Susan McDonald, Ellen Avery-Smith and Emily Pierce delved into issues including a study on the use of a mobility fee system in regards to transportation concurrency, changes to school concurrency, changes to Developments of Regional Impact (DRI), maintaining development rights and impact fees.
Duggan stepped to the podium first to speak to the group on the possibility of the state government instituting a mobility fee. His practice areas include land use, zoning, permitting, developments of regional impact and concurrency approvals.
“The existing transportation concurrency system is inequitable, lacks uniformity and doesn’t adequately address transportation needs because it focuses too much on roads,” said Duggan. “The focus needs to be on mobility. The state is currently evaluating the use of a mobility fee system and their report is due by the first of December.”
Hainline discussed the changes to school concurrency affecting land use issues. Some of those changes include: a process for establishing sanctions for local government failing to adopt a public schools facilities element, with the governor and cabinet deciding the sanctions; requirement for local governments to include portable classrooms in measuring school system capacity (for the first three years of concurrency); and a requirement for local governments to include charter schools among acceptable mitigation alternatives.
The next seminar is tomorrow at the Betty P. Cook Nassau Center in Yulee followed by a stop at the Prosperity Bank Community Center in St. Augustine on Wednesday. Both seminars start at 8 a.m. and last about two hours. Contact Jessica Sloan at 346-5757 for more information.
356-2466