Mike Weinstein takes impact fee moratorium to next level.

[tufsu1]

believe me, there are plenty of developers around the state who think the same way and have much more power than Toney Sleiman

[tufsu1]

Weinstein isn't alone...check the recent history...look at Senators Bennett, J.D. Alexander, etc.

also check out the legislative platform of organizations like the Association of Florida Community Developers (AFCD)

[fieldafm]

Cragin Mosteller (spokeswoman for the Florida Association of Counties) can be reached by email at:

cmosteller@fl-counties.com

or by phone at 850-922-4300.

We need to support their efforts.  If anyone knows of other groups who will be organizing opposition to this bill, please post it for us

Agree 100%

Toney Sleiman is now technically the largest developer left in this town and he is a sad excuse for a big city developer.

Technically second largest commercial developer, nothing to do with being a homebuilder.

This has the unmistakable fingerprints of Toney Sleiman all over it.

He did not contribute to Mike's 2010 election(did in 2008, for $500 personally-no other Sleiman-owned subsidiries did, in the case of full disclosure).  BUT, Weinstein gets a huge chunk of his campaing contributions from the real estate industry.  His contribution list is a who's who in Florida real estate.

Perhaps we should be focusing on killing this deal(which is going to be hard considering the support he has) instead of pointing fingers, haphazardly I might add.

I am 100% against this bill, but the state legislature body largely isn't.

[dougskiles]

From Representative Weinstein's re-election website (he's up in 2012):
http://www.electmikeweinstein.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55:despite-rough-spots-mike-weinstein-poised-to-win-2nd-florida-house-term&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=53

Two Democrats have emerged to challenge Weinstein. Matt Brackett, who did graduate work in history and has run for other House seats, has formed a campaign committee.  Larry Jones, an army veteran who currently works in the Duval County School District, has launched a campaign focusing on increased transparency, reforming the composition of water districts and restoring trade and magnet schools. Neither has done much in terms of fund-raising. Both had raised under $1,000 at the end of the first quarter of 2010.

I couldn't find anything about Matt Brackett, but Larry Jones has a website:

http://electlarryjones.com/

Larry is married with four children and a granddaughter. His is a middle class family that lives the issues and concerns facing Floridians every day.

Currently employed with the Duval County School Board as a Computer Specialist, Larry is a disabled Veteran, retired from 23 years of service in the Army and Army Reserves, including service in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom.

Whether it is the state of the economy, healthcare, or education, Larry understands the issues that face our families. If you are concerned about the military, technology, or the environment, then Larry is your candidate.

You can contact Larry at:
LarryJones@electlarryjones.com

[tufsu1]

Link to the HB 7207 "glitch" bill filed by Sen. Bennett

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2012/0842/BillText/Filed/PDF

[dougskiles]

It is time we focused some energy on getting a new legislature.  2012 will be a great year for 'House' cleaning.

[fieldafm]

however, the impetus for the legislation (according to another source) was local.

It was(sort of), and it is wasn't the person you named.  But pinning this down on one person GROSSLY underestimates the size and scope of support this bill has statewide.  Every major person that has anything to do with real estate is standing behind this legislation.

[Captain Zissou]

Remember when Mike was a decent man??  How different would Jax be if Mike didn't sell his soul to get his state seat??  He used to be a family friend and we contributed heavily to his mayoral campaign.  I doubt we'd toss him anything these days.

There are ripe development opportunities in town, but not in the areas that these guys will build.  If you talk to any of the tens of thousands of 23-28 year olds in town, they all would love to live closer to the city center, but it doesn't meet their needs.  They see it as only for the rich, lacking in ammentities, and unsafe.  Affordable infill on the north and south banks and in the Brooklyn area would address all of these problems.   Believe it or not most of them would not like to live on the southside, but it is the only part of town that addresses their needs.  I have converted many people into moving to Riverside, but it still is not very well known and lacks some of the things that this age bracket requires.

[Captain Zissou]

For the record, I'm talking about multi-family rental development.  For the younger generation there is more mobility and they are drawn to areas that address their basic social and daily needs.  While the market may not be expanding in general, there are opportunities to draw from developments that are currently the best available, but inferior to a development more in line with the needs of the day.  It's a zero sum game, but I'm fine with many of the developments off of Baymeadows and 9A failing.

As far as condo's go, we've got nothing.  That housing stock is too overbuilt and lenders are too tight gripped.

[Tacachale]

Remember when Mike was a decent man??  How different would Jax be if Mike didn't sell his soul to get his state seat??  He used to be a family friend and we contributed heavily to his mayoral campaign.  I doubt we'd toss him anything these days.

There are ripe development opportunities in town, but not in the areas that these guys will build.  If you talk to any of the tens of thousands of 23-28 year olds in town, they all would love to live closer to the city center, but it doesn't meet their needs.  They see it as only for the rich, lacking in ammentities, and unsafe.  Affordable infill on the north and south banks and in the Brooklyn area would address all of these problems.   Believe it or not most of them would not like to live on the southside, but it is the only part of town that addresses their needs.  I have converted many people into moving to Riverside, but it still is not very well known and lacks some of the things that this age bracket requires.

That has been my experience as well. Unfortunately southside has been "infilling" with the kinds of things 20-something professionals who work there need more than the core has. But it will never offer the infrastructure, walkability, culture, and urban living that the core has, for all its faults.  I sense these things are really what people of that bracket are looking for in a city of this size. Some of them just don't even seem to know there's an alternative to the southside in jax until you drag them out to the core.

And too many developers are even more blind to it.

[fieldafm]

The rental market is the only thing that is strong right now.

In fact, two major apartment complexes are going to be built this year locally... both would have been built with or without the mobility fee.

For the younger generation there is more mobility and they are drawn to areas that address their basic social and daily needs.  While the market may not be expanding in general, there are opportunities to draw from developments that are currently the best available, but inferior to a development more in line with the needs of the day.  It's a zero sum game

I would heavily throw my weight in support of these statements.

Source was very specific.  With lots of details.  Toney plus five others locally, w/ toney leading the bandwagon.

We'll agree to disagree.  My source (who I am currently staring at) paints a different picture. 

Regardless, I think it will be very difficult to kill this moratorium.  Which is interesting considering public opinion about growth management in this state(which heavily favors a position to NOT put a moratorium on such fees). 

That has been my experience as well. Unfortunately southside has been "infilling" with the kinds of things 20-something professionals who work there need more than the core has. But it will never offer the infrastructure, walkability, culture, and urban living that the core has, for all its faults.  I sense these things are really what people of that bracket are looking for in a city of this size. Some of them just don't even seem to know there's an alternative to the southside in jax until you drag them out to the core.

Zoning needs to be altered to encourage high density infill on the Southside.  It does not at the moment.  For the record, I think the city as a whole will benefit if the Southside has more of the type of high-density infill like a Tapestry Park offers.  Tapestry Park had to get so many PUDs it wasn't even funny. 

One thing to consider, there will be three large developments in this area of town breaking ground this year.  That money would have funded much-needed projects in this mobility zone(one of which would have been a multi-use bike/pedestrian path along Southside BLVD, similar to what Kernan has now). 

[thelakelander]

Remember when Mike was a decent man??  How different would Jax be if Mike didn't sell his soul to get his state seat??  He used to be a family friend and we contributed heavily to his mayoral campaign.  I doubt we'd toss him anything these days.

There are ripe development opportunities in town, but not in the areas that these guys will build.  If you talk to any of the tens of thousands of 23-28 year olds in town, they all would love to live closer to the city center, but it doesn't meet their needs.  They see it as only for the rich, lacking in ammentities, and unsafe.  Affordable infill on the north and south banks and in the Brooklyn area would address all of these problems.   Believe it or not most of them would not like to live on the southside, but it is the only part of town that addresses their needs.  I have converted many people into moving to Riverside, but it still is not very well known and lacks some of the things that this age bracket requires.

I'm 34 but you just described my situation.  When I came to town I wanted a row or townhouse in an area within walking or biking distance of the Northbank with good parks, schools (I have kids), etc.  What I found was a core with limited in urban residential building types, price ranges, bad public schools, poorly maintained parks, horrible mass transit and a sleepy downtown environment.  Basically, it lacked in the basic urban characteristics one would expect and I simply wasn't going to pay the asking prices/sf for what was available at the time and unfortunately ended up on the Southside.

[thelakelander]

Zoning needs to be altered to encourage high density infill on the Southside.  It does not at the moment.  For the record, I think the city as a whole will benefit if the Southside has more of the type of high-density infill like a Tapestry Park offers.  Tapestry Park had to get so many PUDs it wasn't even funny. 

One thing to consider, there will be three large developments in this area of town breaking ground this year.  That money would have funded much-needed projects in this mobility zone(one of which would have been a multi-use bike/pedestrian path along Southside BLVD, similar to what Kernan has now).

I agree 100%.  I'm actually of the opinion that this area of the Southside would naturally densify if it were not for Jacksonville's autocentric zoning regulations.  National trends favor new mixed use development such as Tapestry Park.  However, in Jacksonville its much easily to put up something with a sprawling asphalt lot that's disconnected from adjacent developments than it is to do the opposite (which is what most prefer).

[simms3]

The major homebuilders have largely pulled out of Jacksonville.  Toney Sleiman is now technically the largest developer left in this town and he is a sad excuse for a big city developer.

What will happen is that with the end of this impact fee, idiots trying to make a quick buck will put 100 homes/units here and 50 homes/units there and 30,000 SF of retail here and there, trying to make a quick buck.  The only thing stopping them will be financing, but the banks around here haven't exactly been the smartest with their construction/commercial loans now have they?

Jacksonville continues to go the opposite route of Austin, Charlotte, and Nashville.  By the way, those cities are all exploding with infill construction...more construction than pretty much any markets aside from NYC, Chicago, DC, and Boston.

If Jacksonville's real estate development game were run by more sophisticated people, we would not be in this quandary.  There aren't very any Penn/MIT grads running the show in this city, to put it lightly.  They would be more ambitious, more progressive, tied to higher levels of capital, more connected, and more sensitive to forming the direction of the city rather than putting a finger in the wind and guessing which direction the city is kind of headed.  The last part is the ultimate difference between what separates the winners and the losers.

The mentality in Jacksonville with everything is always "redneck".  I.E. pretty soon we'll be hearing how liberal and "business-unfriendly" Nashville and Charlotte are from folks in town.  They'll be in the bad "big city" league.  "We don't want to be like them."  We'll look at the Asian car manufacturing plants who have gone to Alabama and think, "now they know exactly what they're doing."

Simms, you were one of those people just two years ago.

What made you change your perceptions?

Huh?  I was one of what people?  I was in college 2 years ago and I am young so my perceptions change every day.

[jcjohnpaint]

Remember when Mike was a decent man??  How different would Jax be if Mike didn't sell his soul to get his state seat??  He used to be a family friend and we contributed heavily to his mayoral campaign.  I doubt we'd toss him anything these days.

There are ripe development opportunities in town, but not in the areas that these guys will build.  If you talk to any of the tens of thousands of 23-28 year olds in town, they all would love to live closer to the city center, but it doesn't meet their needs.  They see it as only for the rich, lacking in ammentities, and unsafe.  Affordable infill on the north and south banks and in the Brooklyn area would address all of these problems.   Believe it or not most of them would not like to live on the southside, but it is the only part of town that addresses their needs.  I have converted many people into moving to Riverside, but it still is not very well known and lacks some of the things that this age bracket requires.

That has been my experience as well. Unfortunately southside has been "infilling" with the kinds of things 20-something professionals who work there need more than the core has. But it will never offer the infrastructure, walkability, culture, and urban living that the core has, for all its faults.  I sense these things are really what people of that bracket are looking for in a city of this size. Some of them just don't even seem to know there's an alternative to the southside in jax until you drag them out to the core.

And too many developers are even more blind to it.

I agree.  The area was built so hodgepodge.  I live on Hodges and cannot stand how empty this area feels.  Every neighborhood is so disconnected.  If you walk or drive into one of these (developments) you are looked at like an outsider.