Hide the DRI

Just in case you missed it, the fourth Development of Regional Impact (DRI) has been approved leaving only two more housing projects to go. With our local infrastructure (roads, schools, public safety services) already stretched thin because of bad planning and government's ability to burn through tax money like a drunken sailor on shore leave stranding us with no way to pay for improving it, we had to ask ourselves how something like this could happen. With all of the supposed extra checks that should happen when a DRI is approved how could anyone look at the damage a project like Tohoqua is going to do and still approve it? The answer lies within the shadow boards, councils, and agencies that have been created for government officials to hide behind so they can assure their constituents that they are powerless to do anything to stop growth.

When you look at a project like Tohoqua, a 1,200-acre development on the east shore of Lake Tohopekaliga that will probably have 3,220 homes and 150,000 square feet of strip mall space and is the fourth of six mega-developments to gain approval, you have to watch its path along the approval process very closely to see how governments are able to approve these projects without the public's knowledge or input. To do this we need to look at one of those shadow "Councils" known as the "East Central Florida Regional Planning Council." It sounded official to the WayneWho Staff until we took a look at the minutes where the Tohoqua project was approved and realized that the same players that have created such a problem for us locally were involved in this "Regional Planning Council" as well. The ECFRPC members included elected officials from across the region, staff members from cities and counties from across the area, Tri-County league of city members, and paid staff members from the ECFRPC itself. You will also notice many of development and investment firms such as Neptune Investments, RJ Whidden Associates, and others whose names are normally associated with candidate financial contribution forms on our local level, but who have now found a way to get projects approved without public oversite.

The process is simple. Create a bunch of boards that sound official. Let the development community come in to give the empty sales pitch. Gain the shadow boards approval. Local governments throw their hands in the air and say we can do nothing to stop this because the board with the fancy name has already approved it. Money gets put into the campaign coffers of those who followed their marching orders. Done deal. Pretty simple right?

For all of those promises we hear from incumbent candidates and candidates that are in the pockets of special interests about how they are going to control growth, these shadow boards are their way out of the dog house. They can make promises about controlling growth fully knowing that they have the shadow boards to hide behind. County Commissioner John Quinones was the representative from Osceola County that seconded the motion for approval of the Tohoqua DRI after only a brief discussion that sounded more like a drum circle chant of how great the developers in Osceola County are and how much they do for the public. Since the number of developers and investors in the room rivaled the number of duly (if not wrongly) elected officials in the room, the rubber stamp of approval slammed down once again. Did Commissioner Quinones ever once stand up and say, "Mr. Chairman, the people of the great county of Osceola do not want this development approved because it will choke the life from our community?" Nope. Nothing. Only the word "Second."

And that is how a DRI is born.