Because the Florida Legislature has directed the Coastal Management Pro- 

 gram to be based on existing laws and regulations, the entire State has been 

 designated as the coastal zone because most of the existing laws are of state- 

 wide applicability. Of particular interest regarding multiple-use conflicts 

 is the section of the program dealing with coastal development issues, and the 

 appendices on energy facilities planning and coastal shorefront areas. 



DEVELOPMENTS OF REGIONAL IMPACT 



The Florida Environmental Land and Management Act of 1972 includes pro- 

 visions to involve the State in controlling land development. Developments of 

 regional impact (DRI) are subject to a review process. A "development of 

 regional impact" is defined as: 



Any development which, because of its character, magnitude, or 

 location, would have a substantial effect upon the health, 

 safety, or welfare of citizens of more than one county [380.06 

 (1). F.S.]. 



Developments presumed to be of regional impact were adopted as Ch. 22f-2 

 of the Florida Administrative Code and include twelve different types of 

 development. Determination of their classification as a Development of 

 Regional Impact depends primarily on the size of the development. Although 

 the rule creates a presumption, projects not on the list or not meeting 

 threshold criteria may still be determined to be DRI's if sufficient facts 

 regarding the project support the statutory definition. 



Briefly, and in broad terms, a developer proposing a project that is 

 determined to be a DRI must file an "application for development approval" 

 with the local government having jursidiction. The appropriate regional 

 planning council must prepare an impact report and submit recommendations to 

 the local government having jurisdiction. The regional planning council must 

 prepare an impact report and submit recommendations to the local government. 

 The report must determine whether the development will have a favorable or 

 unfavorable effect on the environment and natural resources of the region and 

 whether it will unduly burden water, sewer, solid waste, or other needed 

 public facilities, affect housing, or create an additional demand for energy 

 [380.06(8), F.S.]. 



Clearly the requirements of the DRI process force local governments and 

 regional planning agencies to address multiple-use conflicts relating to a 

 proposed project. DRI's basically apply to large projects that have major 

 environmental as well as social and economic impacts. The process highlights 

 conflicts between the DRI and natural systems and between the DRI and manmade 

 systems. In most instances, the conflicts can be minimized and the DRI pro- 

 cess encourages reduction of negative impacts. Occasionally, a project will 

 be rejected in the DRI process because of major conflicts that cannot be 

 resolved. A notable example is the denial of development approval for "The 

 Estuaries," a proposed residential development near Fort Myers that included 

 26,500 dwelling units on 2,620 ha (6,500 acres) in Lee County. A majority of 

 the proposed site (91.9%) is classified as wetlands, about 1,130 ha (2,800 

 acres) are predominantly red mangroves, and 730 ha (1,800 acres) are black 

 mangroves (Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council 1976). 



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