No one will deny that we have seen steep appreciation in prices of housing in Sarasota County that has pushed many families out of home ownership, particularly in the north county. Economic sustainability requires that we have a mix of population in order to be able to sustain our service based, predominantly, retirement community. Despite some of the draconian measures in the county’s “tool box” to fix the problem, in County employee Larry Arnold’s memo of November 10, 2004 he hits the nail on the head when he points out the “regulations and resistance to high-density development make it difficult to replace or add community housing to the existing housing stock.” Hopefully in establishing a process that includes creativity by the private sector over the next six to nine months we can develop a housing strategy that works by employing the free enterprise of private development. For the time being, let us put away the “tools” of exaction and government regulation, and concentrate on cooperation between government and business to solve the problem.

We have just gone through an extensive and time consuming process, 2050, in order to define what we want in new development. In Sarasota County, we agreed that there is no “there” there in the unincorporated area, and agreed that the creation of urban villages, with smaller lot sizes, resulting in reduced land costs, that combine retail with commercial, could maintain, and sustain, higher density housing. For once we have community consensus, but we must deal with an over regulated process, and a land area of such size necessary for development, that the time needed in order to bring the concept to fruition is measured in years instead of months. Instead, what if we took our village concept, and created overlay districts along our major corridors, i.e., Fruitville Road, Bee Ridge Road, Clark Road, U.S. 41, 301, etc., and created urban villages where none now exist in shopping centers that are no longer economically viable. The county recognizes through its membership in the Florida League of Cities that it has become an urban environment, so let us create community housing opportunities by increasing densities along developed transportation corridors where infrastructure is all in place. First, the concept deals with the core issue of increasing housing stock, but without impinging on the fundamental single-family nature of most county neighborhoods. Second, it provides a focus to retail and commercial, that reduces the need for so many extra trips that increase congestion in shopping-only destinations. Third, it reduces commercial blight by creating complete “neighborhoods” that most all new housing developments severely lack. Like our 2050 sibling we would enjoy the benefits of walkability with a commercial, retail, housing mix. Community orientation with plazas, and public spaces would eliminate elitist ideas like inclusionary zoning that underestimates the free market economy by offering a broad base of product, not dictated by a central authority with a one-size fits all assumption. Currently not enough houses are being built to ensure affordability. By expanding the quantity of housing available it will not only help to hold prices down, but there will be less direct investment necessary on the part of local government. Its implementation is simple. Using the current land use map develop specific overlay districts on major corridors that would allow small subdivided lots for housing and incentives for strip mall conversions that include residential density bonuses and expedited processing. Encourage the development form by rebating to developers both architectural fees and impact fees on housing that is priced at retail within a defined price range. This would be revenue neutral to the County based upon increased valuations and higher assessments of the final overall property improvements, which would result in higher tax revenues. By establishing these overlay districts the County would broadcast to the development community the eligibility for sustainable housing development and would spur interest.

When we step back and look at all the issues that the County needs to fund, including roads, parks, water and sewer retrofitting, just to name a few, it does not seem practical to suggest the County resources and finances need to be diverted from their main task in order to solve the issue of sustainable community housing. Housing is the biggest private sector business in this community, let’s work together to see how it can work for all of us to make Sarasota a better place for everyone.

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The following is The Argus Foundations response to an opinion piece appearing in the Sarasota Herald Tribune on November 16, 2004, written by Jim Brown, former mayor and commissioner of Longboat Key.

My friend, columnist, and former Longboat Key elected official Jim Brown in “Here’s an idea that would help the Community as a whole” has been inflicted with a mental virus that is sweeping Sarasota County, i.e., let government take control over the housing market, and now in Jim’s case commercial property also, and we will create utopia. I am glad to read that Jim is doing fine after wrist surgery, I just wish he had not contracted this mental affliction. Here are the simple points that Jim espouses in order to create affordable mixed use development on Longboat Key. First, “no residential unit could be sold for more than $200,000.” Who pays for the land, forget about lumber, concrete, and labor? Second, “resale's could be for no more than the original price plus cost-of-living adjustments.” The single greatest source for personal wealth accumulation in this country is through home ownership, and you want me to buy a property where the only appreciation I get is the cost of living, while everything else around me is increasing by leaps and bounds? This old boy doesn’t want that deal Jim, even if it is on Longboat Key. Third, “buyers would have to commit to living on the Key for eight months of the year.” Who enforces this idea, the Residence Police? Our state law qualifying you for homestead exemption does not have a time in residence requirement, how in the world would you expect to enforce this law? Fourth, in Jim’s plan of mixed residential and commercial use “developers would have to guarantee their existing commercial tenants space.” Nice idea, but does this mean that the rent doesn’t change for the new built space? And finally, it should go without saying, that you would be “prohibited from renting” your residential space “except at a controlled level.” Since you are required to live at least eight months in your unit, I guess rent control falls to the oversight of the residence police force. I hope that this mental virus going around Sarasota County that thinks if we remove the profit incentive from housing, and substitute it with price controls, regulation, and restriction disappears as quickly as a bad dream. We have spent enough taxpayer money in the county on law suits trying to defend the ideas of overweening governments that fail to recognize the rights of property owners. How about thinking up programs that provide incentives that make people want to invest and put their capital at risk, that will at the same time benefit the community? It is time that government starts working with the private sector in a mutually cooperative fashion, not fighting them at every turn. Jim we can do a lot better than this.

The County is in the process of completing a study in order to determine what revenue sources might be available to fund the construction of a $50 to $60 million high tech conference center. The City is still trying to find a site that will be close enough to our main amenity - our waterfront - hotels, shopping and restaurants. Maintenance and parking are additional considerations. Not an easy task. Let us hope that our elected officials can finally deal with the hard problems associated with this often debated, never agreed upon, needed facility. “No” is the easiest answer, while “yes” takes a lot more study, give and take, compromise, and cooperation for these two elected bodies to work out the details of this complex issue. We have studied the issue to death, now all that is left is for our elected representatives to show the leadership to step forward and get the job done.