Let’s face it – Florida isn’t getting any bigger and development isn’t slowing down. Tourists and new arrivals continue to flood the state. People are eager to visit Florida’s unique, historic and charming cities – places like St. Augustine. But will the influx of people make it a less appealing destination? I discussed that and … Read more
Growth and development affects hundreds and perhaps thousands of cultural and heritage sites across Florida, archaeologists say. One of the main obstacles to preservation is the blatant lack of awareness that a site may exist. Archaeologists often don’t learn about a potentially important new site until bulldozers have ripped through it, making it tough to … Read more
Rapid development in Florida can put cultural sites at risk. Emily Jane Murray would like to raise awareness of what could be lost. She is public archaeology coordinator for the Florida Public Archaeology Network – Northeast Region. My conversation with Murray is below: Losing Florida: Could you tell me about your background and your tie … Read more
Have you ever visited a new town and gotten the uneasy feeling that it felt too perfect? Kind of like that scene in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull where Indy gets caught in the atomic bomb testing site, running around frantic for help because everything in it is perfectly set up … Read more
Just off a dirt road, past the steel gate and Beware of Dog sign, past dried out stalks of sugar cane and a freight container, there’s a former meth house, its walls charred and part of the roof caved in. Welcome to paradise. At least that’s how Phil Groh sees it. He lives on more … Read more
Nearly 160 New Yorkers move to Florida every day. New York is a “tax hell,” Florida’s chief financial advisor Jimmy Patronis told Fox Business. That – along with the rising cost of living and high commuting costs – drives many people to leave. A fifth of New Yorkers who moved to Florida in October 2020 … Read more
Nearly 200,000 people throughout the United States have signed 236 change.org petitions aimed at stopping growth and development that they see as harmful to their communities.Florida residents launched 22 of the petitions as part of what change.org calls the Stop Disruptive Building in Our Community movement. Below are excerpts of some of the petitions along … Read more
St. Johns County officials asked the state of Florida to fast-track a major change – adding 5,600 dwelling units and 2,394 acres to a huge residential development called SilverLeaf. State officials rejected the proposal, saying it exceeded both state and county guidelines. “…the County should resubmit the amendment package under the state coordinated review process … Read more
By 2070, Florida’s population is expected to jump to 34 million, from nearly 22 million, as urban development devours 7 million acres of rural and natural land the size of Vermont. New construction – including shopping centers, restaurants, roads and subdivisions – is expected to trigger a loss of wildlife. “More than 1.6 million acres … Read more