Storms are a fact of life for the 20-plus million that call ourselves Floridians. Mother Nature reminded us of this when Hurricane Irma made her one-two punch – the first major hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Wilma in 2005. Before and after Irma’s impact, Floridians responded.
Change is coming to the way the Florida Building Code is updated. Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill (HB 1021) into law Friday that, among other things, changes the way the state’s building code is updated. The new law, which goes into effect July 1, requires the Florida Building Commission to review and determine which parts of international and national codes to adopt, instead of automatically adopting the national codes. Florida currently uses the International Code — building regulations developed by…
Florida’s current economic and regulatory environment work against a speedy recovery from the housing depression. To echo the statement made by Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research Coordinator Amy Baker during the National Economic Estimating Conference Nov. 14, Florida’s economy is heavily dependent on construction making a comeback, which seems slow in its revival. Many credit the presidential election for continuing to weaken the homebuilding market, making housing forecasts for 2017 relatively indeterminable. However, obstacles to increase the construction industry has…
A House property rights bill prompted by a U.S. Supreme Court case involving a Florida landowner was amended Wednesday to resolve many concerns raised by local governments. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 overturned a Florida Supreme Court ruling against the late Coy A. Koontz Sr., who sought to build on 3.7 of his 15 acres in Orange County. He refused when told by the St. Johns River Water Management District to reduce the development size or pay to restore wetlands…
A 2015 legislative session that already was busy with water bills and Amendment 1 funding just got a huge growth management bill in the House. A House subcommittee on Wednesday passed a sweeping committee substitute for HB 933 despite objections from cities, counties and environmental groups. “We’ve got a lot to consider,” state Rep. Mike La Rosa, a Republican from St. Cloud who is sponsor of the bill, said after public testimony and debate. “I give you my promise we…
Affordable housing advocates are building their case to protect funding during the 2015 Legislative Session. Thirty statewide organizations, including the Chamber, Florida Home Builders Association and The United Way, released a study Thursday calling for the full appropriation of housing trust funds. They want the money used to build homes working people can afford and provide a boost to the economy. “Housing equals jobs,” said Jerry Linder, of the homebuilders association. Linder and about 30 others representing groups in the Sadowski…
