Changing landscape

Florida Hometown Democracy or constant bulldozing? Clear choice. Overnight we've seen landscapes razed that once gave this place character and refuge for wildlife and the human spirit. Thoreau's ethics -- Archie Carr's, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas' -- have been cast aside like Cheetos bags along Interstate 95.

This travesty stems from the relative ignorance of power elites about ecology, but also from the murky bonds between developers and officeholders. These ties are now such that citizens can't avert even the worst projects marring their neighborhoods and way of life. Florida Hometown Democracy would instantly breathe oxygen into the (comprehensive plan) amendment process, restoring citizens' say in their locality's future.

East Orange County and the Econlockhatchee River corridor were intended under our comp plan to remain rural for at least 20 more years. Thanks to political stars aligned for growth reps to force outcomes favorable to them, plans were sealed outside public debate. Amendments zoomed through review boards like bullets. There was no real interlocal plan to conserve or build around the natural treasures that make this place unique.