Andrew Powell
A third House committee has approved legislation aimed at improving areas identified as ecologically and socially significant — specifically the Florida Keys in Monroe County.
It now has just one committee stop to go after the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee unanimously passed the measure. Islamorada Republican Rep. Jim Mooney presented the bill (HB 995) and said it seeks to balance environmental protection, affordable housing development and disaster readiness.
“The bill would exempt Habitat for Humanity in the Florida Keys from the requirement to purchase construction performance bonds for the construction of their affordable houses in the Florida Keys,” Mooney said.
Mooney explained these bonds add roughly $10,000 to the cost of each home, and the bill would make the bond optional rather than required, which Mooney said would reduce the cost of affordable housing.
The bill would further support the partnership between Monroe County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), according to Mooney.
“Second part of the bill will extend the authorization of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, set aside an estate Florida Forever program for land acquisition in the Florida Keys for another 10 years,” Mooney said. “This authorization supports the successful partnership of FDEP and Monroe County in purchasing parcels of land for retirement of development rights. We’ve purchased over 500 lots.”
The bill would also extend the Florida Keys hurricane evacuation time frame from 24 hours to 24.5 hours to enable the state to release up to 825 new residential permit allocations, requiring the majority of these allocations be used for vacant, buildable lots to address private property rights and new workforce housing.
Concerns have been previously raised around the growth of the Florida Keys, specifically during hurricane season, with some locals saying evacuations during hurricanes could be hindered if the population becomes too large, since there is only one road out of the island chain.
Mooney noted that the new building permits would be staggered across a span of 10 years to allow a balanced growth and infrastructure concurrency.
The bill will now move to the State Affairs Committee, its last committee stop before the House floor.
