Panhandle Florida Having Tougher Hurricane Building Codes.

TALLAHASSEE -- An end to the Panhandle's exemption from Florida's full hurricane building code passed its first political test Tuesday, getting past its first Senate committee. If approved by the full Legislature, it would require new homes throughout the Panhandle to meet the same standards against hurricane winds and blowing debris as the rest of the state. Opponents say it unnecessarily raises the price of construction in a region that has natural protections against the full force of storm winds. "They're in the corral," declared Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, upon winning a unanimous vote before the Senate Committee on Community Affairs. Largely because of state Sen. Charlie Clary, R-Destin, state law exempts Panhandle builders from state codes that require wind-borne debris protection on doors and windows in high-wind areas beyond a mile from the coast. Constantine's bill to lift the exemption has Gov. Jeb Bush's support, who contends it makes no sense to allow any part of the hurricane-prone state to build to lesser standards. Clary defended the Panhandle as a special case with "a distinct contour and elevation." At the Senate committee meeting, he offered a handwritten amendment asking that any imposition of the code be delayed six months, at least until May 31, 2007. "It will give builders time to be educated," he said. The delay would be a disappointment for Florida's Secretary of Community Affairs Thaddeus Cohen. He said Tuesday he will continue to fight for speedy implementation of the code. But Constantine marked the vote as a victory against the Florida Home Builders Association, which has lobbied fiercely to keep the exemption. The trade group contends that impact-resistant glass and other features would make homes too expensive in the Panhandle. "At least we know it will be done with some certainty by the 2007 hurricane season," Constantine said. "I think it's inevitable. I think they've come to that conclusion and they will no longer fight it. Now it is just a matter of when."Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola, offers a House bill that would allow the Florida Building Commission to custom craft high-wind lines for the Panhandle, rather than use national standards. That would pave the way for the home builders to use a computer study to lobby the building commission to determine where hurricane shutters are mandatory. The home builders say laboratory research will show that trees and sloping land in the Panhandle sufficiently weaken hurricane winds and lessen damage. Hurricane Ivan in 2004 proved Panhandle homes are not immune to wind-borne debris damage, a federal study of the storm concluded. Florida's statewide building code is a model for other hurricane-prone states, said Jeff Burton with the insurance-funded Institute for Business and Home Safety. But he said: "We have our little area (where) it is not the gold standard. The homes built in the Panhandle are the weakest statewide."

Paige St. John
News Journal Capital Bureau
Article in The Pensacola News Journal, March 15, 2006