Joint Planning Agreement -
city of Venice
During this EAR period, Sarasota County
experienced the greatest amount of annexation activity in its
history with both the city of Venice and the city of North Port
proposing that large land areas be either annexed or set aside
for future annexation. This activity was largely driven by
Municipalities seeking to expand their tax base and developers
seeking more intensive land uses, less stringent regulations
and greater surety of development approvals.
In 2000, for example, the city of Venice
annexed 1,100 acres for new residential development encompassing
an area lying
north of Laurel Road from Knights Trail Road east to the Myakka
River. The city of North Port proposed annexing more
than 17,000 acres. The size of this annexation was greater than
the combined areas of both the city of Sarasota and
the city of Venice. That land has now been annexed into the city
of North Port.
Because of a concern for the potential loss of
regional growth management perspective, revenue shifts affecting
committed
and planned infrastructure and potential duplication of public
facilities and services, the County approached both Venice
and North Port to initiate dialog regarding how these
municipalities and the County could proactively address these
issues,
to make the best decisions for the long-term future of the
region.
On September 18, 2006, the Sarasota Board of
County Commissioners and the cities of Venice and North Port
agreed to a
six-month moratorium on the acceptance or processing of any
annexation applications and comprehensive plan amendments for
properties lying outside the County Urban Service Area. They
further agreed to actively participate in a facilitated
discussion to create and implement a Joint Planning Agreement
and Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement (JPA/ISBA) that
would address cross-jurisdictional impacts on infrastructure,
land use, capital improvements, development timing and other
related issues of regional concern between each municipality and
the County.
An aggressive joint meeting schedule was
immediately formulated between all three entities in the hope to
reach consensus
on two separate documents (one between each city and the county)
by mid January 2007. The essential elements of each
JPA/ISBA were expected to contain and address at a minimum the
following general concepts:
- An analytical process to ensure
infrastructure and services that are neither duplicative or
place undue financial
burden on the part of property owners and residents of the
non-impacting community; and
- A mechanism whereby the impacts of
development in proposed future annexation areas to the
county transportation
network are carefully analyzed and coordinated; and
- A mechanism for coordinated efforts
related to water supply and sewer service, master planning
and related
financial strategies in those areas of proposed future
annexation; and
- Ensured environmental stewardship through
continuity of preservation, regulatory consistency and
environmental
impact analysis in areas of future annexation or mutual
concern; and
- Coordination and compatibility between
comprehensive plans in future annexed areas to ensure
appropriate,
compatible land uses and neighborhood preservation.
City Managers and key city personnel from each
community worked closely with county leaders and key county
personnel to develop two comprehensive JPA/ISBA’s. The
negotiations and meetings included extensive participation of
technical, environmental, transportation, legal and infrastructure/utility personnel from each entity.
All three elected bodies from each community
received updates in a public meeting on Nov. 3, 13, 27, Dec. 8 and 14, 2006, and
provided input to staff during each extensive and deliberative
joint meeting. The result was the adoption, by ordinance
following a public hearing, of two successful and all
encompassing JPA/ISBAs, one between the city of Venice and
Sarasota County on Jan. 4, 2007, and one between the city of
North Port and Sarasota County on Jan. 24, 2007.
Those
documents are referenced herein, throughout this Comprehensive
Plan, in accordance with Chapter 171, Part II, Interlcoal
Service Agreements, Section 171.203(9), Florida Statutes; and as
required per the terms of each JPA/ISBA.
On May 9, 2007, the
city of North Port chose to exercise a provision in the adopted JPA/ISBA with the County that allowed the
city to opt out of the
agreement if the County charter amendment passed by the voters.
The Charter amendment relates to the relationship of county
future land use designations and parcels that may be annexed
into the city of North Port in the future. The Charter amendment
was approved by voters on March 13, 2007. While the city of
North Port has chosen to opt out of the JPA/ISBA, the county
will continue to coordinate regional planning issues with this
municipality. |
