Planning leaders from Florida's Super Region had an important decision
to make on July 23, 2010, regarding their goals in light of the
opportunities the impending high-speed rail system will bring to the
area. All for one, or one for all?
The federal government's
HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant deadline
is approaching. If obtained, the grant gives funds to communities that
connect housing to jobs with investments in local land use that reduce
transportation costs for families, improve housing affordability, save
energy and increase access to housing and employment opportunities.
With construction looming on a
high-speed rail system
that will zoom along the I-4 corridor, regional planners met to
consider going after a piece of the pie. The question is, how to go
about it? As a group, or separately?
At the
meeting on July 23 planning decision makers from municipalities and
counties from the Space Coast to Orlando and Tampa Bay decided to tackle
the issue.
Because of the tight time crunch
and soft partisan interests, the consortium decided to go forward with a
separate but coordinated approach. Tampa Bay will turn in its own
application, while East Florida will turn in one as well. However, the
two will work together by including the goals they have in common in
their separate applications. In doing so, the planners hope to project a
unified region with a plethora of projects requiring funding over the
next few years. The goal is that the federal government will end up
providing funds for both applications, either for both during this year
or separately over the next two years.
It was agreed that high-speed rail would be the common thread for both applications, with a map that points to both regions.
Writer:
Missy KavanaughSource: Shelley Lauten, My Region.org
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