As a seventh-generation North Floridian, a landowner, and a lifelong supporter of Florida agriculture, I feel compelled to speak out against Senate Bill 1118, which is now rapidly moving through the Florida Senate and headed next to the Regulated Industries Committee.
This bill would allow high-density housing and multifamily apartment complexes to be developed on agricultural land throughout Florida — even overriding local zoning decisions and community plans. It’s being sold as a solution to “affordable housing,” but the reality is far more troubling. SB 1118 represents a clear attempt to open rural land to large-scale development under the guise of public need.
It’s worth noting that the bill’s sponsor, Senator Stan McClain, is a licensed home builder and contractor from Ocala. The development industry stands to benefit enormously, while local landowners, farmers, and rural communities are left with the long-term consequences.
In counties like ours, agriculture isn’t just an industry — it’s a way of life, passed down through generations. Once farmland is gone, it doesn’t come back. If this bill passes, it will set a dangerous precedent and permanently alter the character of rural Florida.
I urge our state legislators and fellow citizens to stand up against this bill and defend the right of local communities to make their own land use decisions.
Respectfully,
Trey Chauncey, Suwannee County