In Your Corner

We began the New Year with a major faux pas. Our previous column criticized the Scripps Research Institute in part using financial data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. We apologize for this error and resolve to be more cautious in the future. However, we maintain that Martin County officials and taxpayers should monitor the controversy over whether Scripps Institute should be located in western Palm Beach County, or closer to the coast and existing development. Additional development west of our Urban Services Boundary along our County lines will affect us by increasing demand for transportation and pressure to develop more “ranchettes” in the agricultural lands of Martin County, both of which cost us more in taxes.

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The Martin County Commission is rapidly approaching some unavoidable decisions that will affect most aspects of our residents’ lives for many years to come. While no one can anticipate all of the issues that will be involved, there are trends that need to be publicly recognized and facts that need to be acknowledged.  Only an informed public, speaking through our elected officials, can make the tough calls required.  With space as a premium we will have to take the problems on one at a time.  The first is The Comprehensive Plan :

Even though the Plan is designed to be modified it has become an out of date document due to the politically charged “pro development” accusation attached to every proposed change.  Many up-dates specifically required in the Plan itself have not been made and numerous provisions have not been followed.  Updating the Comp Plan is not a pro-growth or anti-growth issue; it is a lifestyle issue.  Continuing the current practice of small-uncoordinated changes, while professing to maintain the status quo, is not a viable strategy for many reasons:

a. The land within the current public services boundary is rapidly running out with little option for further expansion under current guidelines.  The net result is that the County is virtually out of affordable housing for the working class residents required to maintain our economy.  The median price of a Martin County home is now over $220,000.00 and a recent survey showed only 5 homes in the county for sale at less than $120,000.00, and this was after the hurricanes.

b. Land values in Martin County have grown to the point where large-scale public acquisition for environmental preservation is probably not an option.  Even sites for public facilities such as schools and parks have become difficult to find and extraordinarily expensive.

c. Importation of foreign fruits, vegetables and flowers is making agriculture an unattractive land use.  This is especially true in view of the tremendous growth of land values in Western Martin County.  Decisions made by other government entities such as locating Scripts in adjacent northwest Palm Beach County will only add to the pressure on agricultural land owners.

d. Much of the County’s current infrastructure requires upgrades to maintain our desired standard of living.  The long delayed Indian Street Bridge is a prime example.

e. The current 20 acre ranchette zoning is the worst possible answer for Western Martin County.  It does not provide the density to pay for services and current law allows vastly reduced tax assessment without commensurate productive use of the land.  Probably worse yet, Western Martin County is being set up to be further divided without planning or funding for required infrastructure.
    
Many would like to freeze time and keep Martin County just as it is (or was a few years ago) forever.  This is not an option.  Pursuit of that fallacious alternative will only result in degradation of the very things all of us are trying to protect.  If a balanced economy and commensurate “levels of service” are not maintained middle class families will eventually depart the area in search of a better life.  At that point even those economically insulated from many direct effects will feel the result in a lack of services and facilities needed to support their lifestyle.  What is need is a complete review of the Comp Plan with an eye to the next 25 – 50 years of logical and environmentally friendly development of all of Martin County.