Vote NO on House Bill 299 ("Blue Ribbon Projects")

HB 299 / SB 354 would require administrative approval of massive developments of 10,000+ acres (at least 15 square miles) with no upper limit on size. Local governments would have only 60 days to review proposals, after which projects are automatically approved and granted 50 years of vested development rights, even if no construction occurs.

Although the bill requires 60% of land to be designated as "reserve," it does not ensure that these areas will be meaningfully protected, planned, or managed. Projects also do not have to fall within designated growth areas, meaning large expanses of rural or agricultural land could be converted without public hearings or comprehensive plan amendments.

These provisions bypass community planning safeguards, weaken local decision-making, and risk long-term impacts on water resources, infrastructure capacity, and Florida's agricultural heritage.