A new taxing district in Florida, advocates say, will help developers and architects carry out a master-planned community concept. Governor Jeb Bush (R) signed a bill in June that creates the state’s first multi-county stewardship district, a new taxing district that encompasses about 23,000 acres of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch. This allows the developer of Lakewood Ranch, LWR Communities, LLC, to borrow money, issue tax-free bonds, award contracts, and levy special assessments to pay for the infrastructure, landscaping, and trails that are often installed before residents take occupancy.

By consolidating districts, Lakewood Ranch notes, administrative fees and costs are spread more equitably among the residents, increasing efficiency and management of amenities including roads, parkland, and bike and walking trails. “This provides for environmental as well as governmental advantages,” says Rex Jenson, president and chief executive of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc. “It ensures that environmental systems such as the Braden River, Long Swamp, and Heritage Ranch are properly attached with a cohesive strategy. Regulatory agencies will more efficiently communicate with one entity than they will with several disparate groups,” Jensen notes.

The task of creating the larger district was complicated by state law, which prohibited multi-county community development districts. The state legislature had to create the new district, which includes land in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The new law does not affect the existing community development districts.

For the very large community, Mark Jones, AIA, principal in charge of residential studios in the Looney Ricks Kiss’ Celebration, Fla., office, says the new stewardship district offers a more holistic way of planning for development and environmental preservation. “It’s one thing to set aside that land and another thing to upgrade with it,” Jones notes. “It’s educating people about the process rather than quarantining the area.” Jones’ firm is providing architectural guidelines and design review services for a portion of the development of Lakewood Ranch called the Lake Club. Jones says the high quality of the architectural guidelines across the large development helps create better architecture with more opportunity for the creation of place and more of an emphasis on the quality of what those places are. They are “there for the long haul and will stand the test of time,” Jones says.

Planning ahead enhances neighborhoods
Sondra Guffey, Lakewood spokesperson, says this is a good thing for architects: “It really can enhance the kinds of neighborhoods we can create. It’s an efficient way of managing community-wide amenities such as bike routes, walking trails, and parkland.” It also helps developers, architects, and community leaders understand the big picture of development in a state with enormous pressures from exponential growth.

The districts, Guffey thinks, are unique to Florida. “Developers have to be creative” to simultaneously manage population growth and the state’s vibrant natural resources. Lakewood’s area includes nature preserves, wetlands, and other environmental concerns.

The new stewardship districts also streamline the hiring process for outside consultants, like architects, and elevate the standards for architectural guidelines. It’s also a good example, Guffey says, of the public and private sectors working together to advocate for the new mechanism in the legislature.

—Tracy Ostroff

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