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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982-04040 40 •® RESOLUTION NO. 82-40 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA COMMENTING UPON THE MAPS OF THE PROPOSED UNDEVELOPED COASTAL BARRIERS AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'S INTERPRETATION OF THE DEFINITION OF "UNDEVELOPED COASTAL BARRIER" AS CONTAINED IN THE OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1981. WHEREAS, the Officc of the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior has requested Indian River County to comment upon maps showing a tentative delineation of un- developed coastal barrier units as well as an interpretation of the definition of "undeveloped coastal. barrier", and WHEREAS, all areas designated as "undeveloped coastal barrier" will be ineligible for Federal Flood Insurance for new construction or substantial improvements to existing structures after October 1, 1983, and WHEREAS, 3ndian River County held a public hearing on March 10, 1982 to receive comments on the proposal. from al.l inter- ested parties, and WHEREAS, the proposed maps prepared by the Department of the Interior are based on maps originally prepared in 1949 and updated in 1970 all consisting of aerial surveys without any veri- fication from on the ground, and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners is concerned that the data considered in preparation of the maps, which will form the basis for the availability of flood insurance and possibly other Federal and State programs, is inadequate, and WHEREAS, as a result of using unverified and outdated data the proposed designations of undeveloped coastal barrier are grossly erroneous, and WHEREAS, the County, following extensive public hearings and study, has recently adopted the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, a planning instrument required under the law of the State of Florida, which acts as a residential density cap in the area which has been tentatively designated by the Deoartment of Interior as "undeveloped", and WHEREAS, local government is in the best position to -1- 40 40 of plan for the ever increasing needs of its residents including the ability to determine which land is suitable for future development and which land, considering all factors unique to the community, is currently considered developed. The proposed delineation of undeveloped land by the Department of Interior is a broad brushed approach to a traditionally local matter, and WHEREAS, the process of planning for future growth at the local level requires careful technical and scientific evalua- tion of the effects of development and the best methods to meet the development's impacts several years in advance. In this pro- cess counties must provide capital expansion projects to meet water, sewer, road and school needs. Both the County and the City of Vero Beach in their planning efforts have oversized cer- tain facilities (i.e. water and sewer lines, power transmission lines, etc.) to enable them to provide essential services in the future to much of the area delineated as undeveloped. These pro- jects have been made possible by the use of studies showing that the areas delineated as "undeveloped" will someday become contri- butors to the system. The proposed designation of lands pre- viously earmarked by the community for "planned growth" as "undeveloped" will impede the orderly expansion of necessary government services, and WHEREAS, a substantial portion of the Barrier Island tentatively designated as undeveloped is composed of citrus groves which have existed since the turn of the century and are a vital part of the Indian River County economic community. The citrus land is an intensive agricultural use constituting a highly developed status of land use with an infrastructure of attendant structures, roads, canals, and irriqation systems which have significantly changed the land's natural geomorphic and ecological processes and do not fall within the definition of undeveloped coastal barrier, and WHEREAS, the Department of Interior's interpretation of the definition of undeveloped coastal barrier does not adequately provide for the status of citrus properties, and WHEREAS, it appears that the Federal government is -2- 111[ O 1111 40 o• beginning a process of withdrawing from the Federally Insured Flood Insurance Program, however as a point of beginning, it has chosen the most actuarially sound portion of the program to drop. This decision places an overwhelming burden upon those remaining within the program and the taxpayers, and WHEREAS, it would appear that the guidelines as proposed have not been uniformly applied to similar lands in that many miles of land which contains less of an infrastructure in other locales have been designated as developed while land of a higher intensity development in Indian River County has been designated "undeveloped". NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA that: 1. the foregoing recitals are approved; 2. the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners is authorized to execute the attached letter setting forth specific Indian River County concerns and objections to the proposed maps and the Department of Interior's interpretation of the definition of "undeveloped coastal barriers"; 3. Indian River County objects to the Department of Interior's interpretation of the term undeveloped barrier island; 4. the definition, as proposed, if applied properly and uniformly should exclude the coastal barrier island lying in Indian River County from the "undeveloped" classification; 5. Indian River County strenuously objects to the Department of Interior's interference in the County's efforts to plan for future growth and urban services; 6. the other coastal communities in Florida are urged to examine this proposal carefully and direct their comments to the Department of. Interior; and 7. the State Association of County Commissioners is requested to examine this proposal and urge the adoption by the Department of Interior of a definition of undeveloped coastal barrier that takes into consideration unique local concerns and to further urge the adoption of maps which correctly identify the status of the coastal barriers. -3- The foregoing resolution was offered by Commissioner 44�w Fletcher who moved its adoption. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Bird and, upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: Chairman Don C. Scurlock, Jr. Aye Vice -Chairman A. Grover Fletcher Aye Commissioner Patrick B. Lyons Aye Commissioner William C. Wodtke, Jr. Aye Commissioner Dick Bird Aye 68 The Chairman thereupon declared the resolution duly passed.and adopted this 17th day of March , 1982. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA By ,[�• C/� DON C. SCURLOCK, JR. Chairman fr) / Attest: �J LCi c FREDA WRIGHT, Clerk./ APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LLE L SUF ICI ByNBU G MnC y Attorney -n-