Property Bills Could Potentially Hurt Florida's Environment

House Bills 421 and 1101 — or the “relief from burdens on real property rights” bills-- authorizes property owners to bring claims against government entities, even if the property owners do not have formal development plans. That might sound good — until you’re a municipality trying to protect citizens from the threat of hurricanes. "Let's say, the city of Naples passed a regulation prohibiting the construction of anything within a certain number of feet of coastal dunes. Makes sense, in terms of sea level rise and resiliency — you want to have those sand dunes there to protect you from not only sea level rise, but also hurricanes," said Jane West, the Policy and Planning Director for 1000 Friends of Florida and a land use and environmental attorney of 23 years. Source