The Collier
County Rural Lands Stewardship Plan received the 2005 Better Community
Award from 1000 Friends of Florida, the statewide nonprofit growth management
advocacy group. The award was presented to Collier County, eastern Collier
property owners, and WilsonMiller, Inc. at the June 14 meeting of the
Collier County Commission. Executive Director Charles Pattison and Board
Member Steve Pfeiffer presented the award on behalf of 1000 Friends.
"We
are very impressed with the innovative incentives included in this pioneering
plan," said Pattison. "The Rural Lands Stewardship Plan is
a shining model for privatizing the protection of natural and agricultural
lands."
"This
plan is the result of an exceptional partnership between the County,
Eastern Collier Property Owners, and WilsonMiller," noted Collier
County Commission Chairman Fred Coyle. "It provides a valuable
tool to promote compact and sustainable communities in rural Collier
County."
"We
truly appreciate the efforts of all the partners in this important process,"
said Alan Reynolds of WilsonMiller. "Because of their willingness
to put aside individual interests and focus on community interests,
we were able to develop a plan that protects agriculture, environment
and the economy - and has become a model for others concerned with the
future of rural lands."
Tom Jones
of the Eastern Collier Property Owners concurred. "It was really
a pleasure to be part of something so collaborative, innovative and
productive. Seeing it now come to life with Ave Maria University and
Town makes it even more meaningful."
The plan's
first overlay was approved by the county in 2002, and is now being implemented.
1000 Friends was particularly impressed with provisions that will enable
the accommodation of long range population growth within compact, mixed-use,
pedestrian friendly rural towns and villages that occupy one tenth of
the land formerly needed to serve an equivalent population. In addition,
the RLSA will result in the permanent protection of approximately 90,000
acres of private land through incentives and private land stewardship.
The plan is already being implemented with the new Town of Ave Maria,
for which 17,000 acres of rural land and critical natural resources
will be placed into Stewardship Sending Areas.
Sixteen nominations were submitted for consideration for 1000 Friends'
2005 Better Community Awards program. Award recipients must reflect
an innovative approach resulting in major, tangible accomplishments
that can be replicated elsewhere in Florida. In addition to the Collier
County plan, three groups were selected to receive community steward
awards, to be presented at separate events: Apalachicola Riverkeeper
for its sustained grassroots advocacy for more effective planning in
Franklin County; the Miami River Commission for its exceptional leadership
in developing and helping to implement the highly-successful Miami River
Corridor Urban Infill Plan; and West Palm Beach's Northwood Renaissance,
for its outstanding citizen planning efforts resulting in successful
neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing.
This year's
awards program was sponsored by the law firms of Searcy Denney Scarola
Barnhart and Shipley and Cheffy Passidomo Wilson & Johnson, LLP,
as well as the Florida Home Builders Association. A statewide nonprofit
organization, 1000 Friends was founded in 1986 to serve as Florida's
growth management watchdog. It has been presenting awards for innovative
growth management efforts since 1990.
