Jacksonville’s Sea Level Rise Task Force Wants To Guard Against ‘Climate Gentrification’

Jacksonville’s sea level rise task force has voted in favor of several more recommendations to submit to City Council before the temporary committee disbands later this month.

Among them is a suggestion to try to prevent and manage climate gentrification. That’s when wealthy people living on the water move to safer areas and raise inland property values and rents along the way.

Chairwoman Emily Pierce says the Adaptation Action Area (AAA) Working Group’s work could have long-lasting effects.

Related: Jacksonville Sea Level Rise Task Force Finalizing Recommendations To Go Before City Council

“We, over the past many years, have seen an increase in flooding, nuisance flooding and issues as a result of the hurricanes we’ve had,” she said. “So it’s nice to see the City taking this into account and trying to plan for the future.”

That’s why she and her fellow committee members are urging City Hall to explore adaptation strategies, including managed retreat from areas at risk of flooding, requirements for sellers to disclose a property’s flood risk to buyers and incentives for developments in areas that are high and dry.

Related: Real Estate And Sea Level Rise: A Buyer’s Guide

Pierce says now that the committee has finished going through the Adaptation Planning Framework Worksheet, they need to go review all the recommendations they’ve approved one last time.

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“In two weeks, on the 26th, the staff will come back with our recommendations put together as a report, which we will then plan on presenting to the City Council,” she said.

That meeting on August 26 is open to the public.

Any policies approved by the City Council would eventually be added to Jacksonville’s 2030 comprehensive plan, a state-mandated document that guides growth and development.

Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org, 904-358-6396 or on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.