Contrary to the constant incantations coming from the commission and the chamber of commerce, the residents residing in the northern reaches of our community really would rather not rely on commercial developers or academics to tell us what we will or will not do with our real estate. When I read that the town does not have the money to include the residents in any north end development study, I think of the half million the town just spent for a lot adjacent to Bayfront Park. The current commissioners seldom use the word resident, preferring instead to dwell on commercial interests. Who pays the taxes?
In 1998 or 1999, the then commission commissioned a community overlay project at the north end of Longboat Key. The express purpose of the project was to have the residents in the area decide their own destiny. The then town planner, Marty Black, did a masterful job of including a large segment of the community in a lengthy and democratic process of defining an overlay for the future development at the north end. The current commission could dust-off that community overlay plan and use it as their template for any future efforts to redevelop the north end. There is no need for an undergraduate exercise. The residents have already spoken. It is the duty of the commissioners to adhere to public policy.
It seems we now have two towns. The one that exists and is doing well as an exclusive, low density seasonal retirement community, and the one envisioned by the current developer-friendly commission that calls for vague but sweeping changes to our building codes and comprehensive plan. If the current commission did not have big plans for commercial development on Longboat Key, there would be little or no need to gut density and height restrictions. It is a typical tactic of developers to first takeover the local government, and then quietly destroy the resident's property protections. The north end overlay plan was created expressly to prevent unwanted over-development and to protect a way of life that attracts hundreds of homeowners. The north-end residents have already created a development overlay and they expect our town government to honor their wishes.
The current commission has falsely traded on the global economic downturn as a rational for reshaping our codes and comprehensive plan so as to allow unimpeded development in the near future. If you are looking for an analogous situation, one has only to look at the tragedy of Panama City Beach or Atlantic City, where residential property values plummeted after a wall of high rise hotels and condo-tels were constructed for miles along the beach. The flavor of the communities were destroyed so that a few could make millions.
Promoting a schizophrenic community atmosphere, where perspective home buyers are uncertain if they are buying into what they see or what is threatened by a developer-activist town government. This schism is undoubtedly affecting home sales. Stable communities surrounding us are experiencing much more robust property sales.
The direction we take as a community, in the next year or two, could very well be decisive in the future values of our homes. Most everybody already knows that the Loeb Partners are actively trying to sell the Key Club; there are apparently several interested buyers. As usual the asking price is unrealistic. I wonder how long the British retirement funds can hold out before they will have to sell. What happens to the proposed Key Club development when the property is sold without any definite court ruling on the legality of the proposed expansion. Since the Key Club is mostly comprised of raw land, its greatest value lies in high-density high-rise development on both sides of GMD. It seems likely that the residents of Bay Isles will be presented with a similar, if not larger, scenario for their community as now confronts the property owners at Islandside.
It seems that it would be more advantageous to head in the other direction, towards a low density completely residential community. Let's face it, the mom-and-pop resorts are slowly being sold. Tourism is declining. The Key Cub doesn't even have a hotel and they are too penurious to have wifi in the rooms at the Inn on the Beach. Wouldn't it be better for our community, as a whole, to see these properties turned into exclusive homes, similar to what is happening along GMD right now. If more land was available for residential development, I am sure more large homes would be built. Casey Key is an example of a thriving completely residential island community. Instead of electing and supporting commissioners that seem to want to make way for high-density high-rise condo-tels, that do nothing to increase residential land values, we might do better electing commissioners that use the word "resident" more often than the word "development".
The coming election gives the residents an opportunity to tell the town government they want a low-density exclusive residential community.. Contrary to their claims, I believe the current commission has not been positive for home sales and home values. People do not move to a community like Longboat Key for the tourism and the conventions. Longboat Key needs to redefine itself in the 21st century. Our strong points are are low density and our exclusivity. Let's not spoil it.
It seems we now have two towns. The one that exists and is doing well as an exclusive, low density seasonal retirement community, and the one envisioned by the current developer-friendly commission that calls for vague but sweeping changes to our building codes and comprehensive plan. If the current commission did not have big plans for commercial development on Longboat Key, there would be little or no need to gut density and height restrictions. It is a typical tactic of developers to first takeover the local government, and then quietly destroy the resident's property protections. The north end overlay plan was created expressly to prevent unwanted over-development and to protect a way of life that attracts hundreds of homeowners. The north-end residents have already created a development overlay and they expect our town government to honor their wishes.
The current commission has falsely traded on the global economic downturn as a rational for reshaping our codes and comprehensive plan so as to allow unimpeded development in the near future. If you are looking for an analogous situation, one has only to look at the tragedy of Panama City Beach or Atlantic City, where residential property values plummeted after a wall of high rise hotels and condo-tels were constructed for miles along the beach. The flavor of the communities were destroyed so that a few could make millions.
Promoting a schizophrenic community atmosphere, where perspective home buyers are uncertain if they are buying into what they see or what is threatened by a developer-activist town government. This schism is undoubtedly affecting home sales. Stable communities surrounding us are experiencing much more robust property sales.
The direction we take as a community, in the next year or two, could very well be decisive in the future values of our homes. Most everybody already knows that the Loeb Partners are actively trying to sell the Key Club; there are apparently several interested buyers. As usual the asking price is unrealistic. I wonder how long the British retirement funds can hold out before they will have to sell. What happens to the proposed Key Club development when the property is sold without any definite court ruling on the legality of the proposed expansion. Since the Key Club is mostly comprised of raw land, its greatest value lies in high-density high-rise development on both sides of GMD. It seems likely that the residents of Bay Isles will be presented with a similar, if not larger, scenario for their community as now confronts the property owners at Islandside.
It seems that it would be more advantageous to head in the other direction, towards a low density completely residential community. Let's face it, the mom-and-pop resorts are slowly being sold. Tourism is declining. The Key Cub doesn't even have a hotel and they are too penurious to have wifi in the rooms at the Inn on the Beach. Wouldn't it be better for our community, as a whole, to see these properties turned into exclusive homes, similar to what is happening along GMD right now. If more land was available for residential development, I am sure more large homes would be built. Casey Key is an example of a thriving completely residential island community. Instead of electing and supporting commissioners that seem to want to make way for high-density high-rise condo-tels, that do nothing to increase residential land values, we might do better electing commissioners that use the word "resident" more often than the word "development".
The coming election gives the residents an opportunity to tell the town government they want a low-density exclusive residential community.. Contrary to their claims, I believe the current commission has not been positive for home sales and home values. People do not move to a community like Longboat Key for the tourism and the conventions. Longboat Key needs to redefine itself in the 21st century. Our strong points are are low density and our exclusivity. Let's not spoil it.
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