Planning Commission to Convene “Linking Land Use and Water Supply: An Interactive Forum”
As part of the our ongoing responsibility and effort to promote sustainability, the agency and its local partners will hold a one-day Forum focused on land use and planning to meet the demand for water.
The recent summer rains do not diminish the severity of the multi-year drought or the difficulty of regional water supply facility failures leading to a heavier reliance on already stressed groundwater supplies. Government faces continued challenges, and the public is left with the perception of an unresolved and ongoing crisis due to continued watering restrictions.
The Planning Commission, the Local Planning Agency in Hillsborough County, will convene a Forum to address these issues in 2010. This Forum will allow local and regional agencies, and the public, to examine the current comprehensive framework that links land use decisions with water supply planning. The public will be encouraged to participate, in an effort to define and ensure the most effective land use and water supply planning in the Tampa Bay Area.
This will be an important opportunity not only to analyze the current state of such planning efforts, but to also educate government and the public regarding future land use plans, water supply needs projections, water restrictions, water use permits, etc. Peter Hubbell of Water Resource Associates, Inc., an expert on Water Supply Planning in Florida and particularly the Tampa Bay Area, will be providing his assistance to staff to produce and manage the Forum.
