Guardians Email Blast Regarding First Martin County EAR Public Meeting

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Background

Martin County’s comprehensive plan was originally drafted in 1982 by a group of visionary leaders that included then-Commissioner Maggy Hurchalla, the charismatic and courageous environmental advocate who passed away last year. 1000 Friends of Florida assisted in updating the comp plan in 1990 and has defended it ever since.

Martin County stands out in Florida for its environment and quality of life, thanks in large part to its commitment to its comp plan. But that commitment has been tested. Previous proposed revisions, if not ultimately rejected, would have eliminated the county’s four-story building height and strong wetlands protections.

In November 2021, county commissioners considered a proposed amendment to the comp plan that would have deleted objectives and policies spelling out details to implement goals aimed at protecting the quality of life for county residents, ensuring the conservation of natural resources and practicing prudent fiscal management. But thanks to an outpouring of opposition from local residents, commissioners shelved the amendment.

Then last year, commissioners considered a comp plan amendment that could have opened more than 130,000 acres of open and agricultural land outside the county’s urban services district to sprawling development. Once again facing opposition from local residents as well as 1000 Friends, commissioners eventually scaled back the amendment to apply to less than 10 percent of the original acreage.

With Martin County under increasing development pressure, it’s more important than ever to defend its comp plan from any further changes that would undermine its protections, and send it down the path of overdevelopment seen in neighboring counties.

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