Senate panel approves negotiated land-use bill to standardize development fees, with carve-outs for PUDs and historic districts

The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee adopted a late-filed strike-all amendment to SB 208 and reported the bill favorably by roll call, 10-0. Sponsor Sen. McLean described the strike-all (barcode 378440) as a negotiated compromise among stakeholders to ensure development application fees are transparent, tied to direct and reasonable review costs, and not based on project valuation.

Sen. McLean told the committee the bill would publish review costs on fee schedules, set objective compatibility standards for residential projects within the same zoning and future land-use category and include carve-outs for planned unit developments and historic districts. "This is a negotiated compromise amongst all the key stakeholders that had interest in it," McLean said.

Stakeholders offered on-record support. Chad Leonard of 1,000 Friends of Florida praised the stakeholder process and said his group supports the amendment as balancing local control and citizen voice. Several other parties, including Highland Homes, the Florida Stormwater Association, the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida League of Cities, Audubon and the Florida chapter of the American Planning Association, waved in support.

After the sponsor closed, the committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and then reported CS for SB 208 favorably by roll call, 10 yays and 0 nays.