Inclusionary Zoning?

[Uncle Timmy]

Is it time for Walton County to consider an 'Inclusionary Zoning' law?

Inclusionary Zoning would require developers to include affordable housing within their developments. It would also provide incentives to make it economically feasable to do so.

Is it time to consider that a diverse mix of housing and economic levels within a community is as valuable to our infastructure as roads and utilities?

 

[Amp22]

:shock: Have you ever been to a BCC meeting?

I think you are way out ahead of Walton County on your thinking. Not only do developers run the show but the county can't even keep up with the paperwork, much less pave our roads.

 

[DBOldford]

If Walton County does not require inclusionary zoning as part of a jobs/housing balance soon, it will be too late for anything to make even the smallest improvement in the housing and traffic situation. What happens is that all the really big projects get built with no requirements for housing for those low-paying service jobs created, then there is a backlash from the public and only smaller (usually local players) projects are politically acceptable. Those are the players least likely to be able to provide workforce housing and they are usually more able to negotiate their way out of it with politicians. Already, the only effective workforce housing in the area will be rental housing where rents are controlled on the basis of local very low and low-income criteria. "For sale" housing is already out of reach for low-income service workers. For awhile, the north County provided affordable housing options, but it seems workers are now coming in from other states on a daily basis. Take a look at the license plates on cars traveling along Hwy. 331 headed south in the mornings and north in the evenings. Those are not necessarily tourists.

 

[SHELLY]

As folks are "forced by affordability" to move farther away, lower-cost housing communities start spring up farther and farther out from the upscale neighborhoods. Mid- and lower-wage employees and their families are drawn to these areas and may commute long distances for a while. Then as their hometown community grows (to a year-round working community vs. a seasonal tourist area) and infrastructure is added (schools, police, shopping, etc.) those folks tend to flock into the newly-created job market and shun the long commute. Businesses in the high-cost, upscale tourist areas may find it more lucrative to move to the far-out, year-round community where they can count on a more steady profit stream and supply of employees.

Many developers are in the profit-making, build-it, sell-it, and move-on-to-the-next-project mode. Developers do not need--nor do they care--to consider the impact of their developments on the local communities and business...unless they are FORCED into doing it. In their minds, THEY (the developers) are gracing the community with their developments and doing the community a favor by increasing the local tax revenue and providing (much needed?) jobs (or that's what they say in the pitch to the local governments).

Real Estate bulls say "it's different this time"....so when it comes to the impact the boom will have on upsetting the local economies--I have to agree on that point.

 

[DBOldford]

In CA, the creation of new jobs is not only undesirable, the developer has to pay for the creation of low to moderate-income jobs in the form of traffic impact fees and dedicated affordable housing or in lieu fees. Even in lieu fees are shunned now, because they don't translate into housing units. A developer does not dare to attend their public hearing and talk about creating new jobs. The problem with a vacation or resort community is that all the jobs created are service jobs, therefore lowest paying.

I don't necessarily agree with you about the labor base gravitating toward the newly-created critical mass. Those in need of services will be competing on the basis of wages paid, and the South County will be in a much better way to pay higher wages than will full-time communities where real estate values and incomes are lower. Our grapevine agricultural community fights every resort that rears its head in the Napa Valley, because the resorts always end up "picking off" (pun intended) the ag workers and using them as golf course maintenance people, restaurant service workers, and the like. And ag workers here are far from being minimum wage workers, the average pay more than $15/hour with benefits.

The better paying service jobs will continue to be those closest to the coastal leisure communities.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Many of the people developing in SoWal do not live here. Several live in Destin and Niceville, and many others live out of state. They have no reason to give a crap about what is happening or will happen. The only way the will help to fix this problem we have is for the local gov't to make them build housing for entry level service workers in their projects.

As I said not too long ago, don't be surprised in the near future when you will have to drive to Freeport to eat dinner in a restaurant.

 

[Jellyfish]

As I said not too long ago, don't be surprised in the near future when you will have to drive to Freeport to eat dinner in a restaurant.

Yup, just look at Aspen, LaJolla, Palm Beach, etc etc...

 

[SHELLY]

I don't necessarily agree with you about the labor base gravitating toward the newly-created critical mass. Those in need of services will be competing on the basis of wages paid, and the South County will be in a much better way to pay higher wages than will full-time communities where real estate values and incomes are lower. Our grapevine agricultural community fights every resort that rears its head in the Napa Valley, because the resorts always end up "picking off" (pun intended) the ag workers and using them as golf course maintenance people, restaurant service workers, and the like. And ag workers here are far from being minimum wage workers, the average pay more than $15/hour with benefits.
The better paying service jobs will continue to be those closest to the coastal leisure communities.

California has far more "ag" workers to pick from than Northwest Florida. The small "ag" areas we do have can be pretty much handled by a couple machines and a group of family and friends.

The majority of panhandle service workers were made up of family members of military personnel, retired military personnel and family members, "old timers" who've lived in the panhandle for years & years, and service workers who would travel down from "up North" for the summer who would find a cheap dive and make as much money as they could before heading back home in the Fall.

All these folks have been priced out of the Destin/South Walton area just when they needed these service workers the most.

Would you be willing to drive on Hwy 98 in the summer heat during the peak of the tourist season 2 hours round-trip @$2.50 per gallon to bus dishes for $10 per hour? Then why would you expect the folks who live within 10 minutes drive from year-round employment at their local Walmart to do it?

 

[Smiling JOe]

more articles from around the state with the same proplem:

www.orlandosentinel.com
www.sun-sentinel.com

 

[Smiling JOe]

News article from yesterday - Palm Beach County regarding Affordable Housing. It seems they are pushing for a moretorum on all developments with 50+ homes, unless the builders build affordable housing.