This Old House

Mayor Brown, and more importantly, Vice-Mayor Brenner, have recently voiced their opinions that properties on Longboat Key, that are over 25 years old have served their economic life, and need to be allowed to redevelop.

Commissioner Brenner's evaluation of the majority of older properties is important since he is up for re-election. His evaluation of older properties might clarify what has previously been a vague promise on his part about resurrecting the island's stature.

Mayor Brown's public statements may do more to dampen an already distressed real estate market than anything I have seem previously. To state at a workshop that Longboat Key is in danger of becoming Detroit on an island might dissuade even an ardent admirer of our bucolic ambiance. That both gentlemen have expressed their views that older properties on Longboat Key are, or soon will be, unsellable does little to promote real estate sales on our island. If I was a real estate salesperson I would be hopping mad at both of them.

Commissioner Brenner has added to the real estate misery index by recently stating that retail business does not work at Whitney Plaza. He made this statement without offering any alternatives. If I was trying to sell that shopping center, I too would be distraught over Commissioner Brenner's assessments.

What is wrong with older and smaller? Is it invariably the case that anything over 25 years old, or smaller than whatever it is that the mayor and vice-mayor have in mind, is unsellable and past its economic usefulness?

While Commissioner Brenner seems to be saying that newer and larger is better, though this is a guess since Commissioner Brenner has been vague in this area, the facts point in the other direction.

My daughter and family live in Mill Valley in Marin County, California. She, along with a wonderful husband and my three beautiful perfect grandchildren, lives in a small "Craftsman" home that was originally ordered out of a Sears catalog a century ago. It is small, it is old and it is very valuable because it is in a very desirable community.

I recently went back to the home I was bore in in Larchmont, NY. The house is small by some commissioner's standards. It is at least 100 years old and it also is valuable because it too is in a desirable community.

Neither one of these residences lies on a tropical island adjacent to the most desirable city in Florida. The 1200 sq/ft unit next to a unit I own at Longbeach Condominiums recently sold for 570 thousand dollars. The complex was built in the late 70's and the units originally sold for less than 60 thousand dollars.

There is almost nothing for sale in the village. Again the houses are old and small. The living experience is priceless. Rajewski is advocating recreating our community's energy and lifestyle instead of towers along our north end beaches. I believe we can remodel our homes and condominiums while retaining the quiet ambiance that brought most of us here in the first place. I feel there are still lots of discriminating home buyers out there who simply do not know we are here. We do not need to seek a greater mass appeal in order to retain our wonderful way of life on Longboat Key.

There is an election for commissioner in March. One commissioner candidate believes that many of the residences on Longboat Key, including the one I live in, have served their economic usefulness. The other candidate, Ray Rajewski, believes we need to revitalize the paradise we already have.

How does one redevelop what we already have? Under existing codes, condominium associations and home owners may voluntarily rebuild. However, building height, density and land coverage are major obstacles. For many condominiums where density is presently above current codes, fewer units could be built to replace current units, unless they duplicate what already exists. It the owners get by that hurtle, they may face land coverage challenges if they want to build larger units.


Who pays for the redevelopment? Who will buy a new, larger, much more expensive unit if the surrounding community remains unchanged? How many decades will it take to redevelop the north end of Longboat Key along with Country Club Shores? It took almost 50 years to get to where we are now.

It is my belief that Ray Rajewski offers the better vision for Longboat Key into the foreseeable future. I do not agree with Commissioner Brenner that older, smaller residences on Longboat Key have reached the end of their economic life.

If the commission approves sweeping code revisions that allow tall towers, who will be the ones building these new structures. How much will they offer you for your home or condominium?


How does one redevelop without going higher? And how much higher?

We need to ask each candidate to specifically define their vision for our future in realistic terms. Being vague can lead to misunderstanding.

I do not agree with Commissioners Brenner and Brown that Longboat is doomed unless they are allowed to redevelop the older properties. What exactly does redevelop mean?

I know of too many communities, less well situated than ours, that are vibrant and viable despite their age and the size of their homes.

There is a clear difference in the goals of the two candidates. One seeks redevelopment. Ray Rajewski seeks renewal. It is up to the voters to either have faith in what has been a very successful community model and in a resurgence in the American economy, or entrust their future to people who want bigger and newer where many of us presently live. Once we have started down the road of redevelopment, there is no turning back.

I wrote a pervious blog in 2010 about negative assessments of Longboat Key by Commissioner Brenner, among others, as being counter productive. Click on link: http://lbk-folk.blogspot.com/2010/10/be-booster-for-beautiful-longboat.html

It seems nothing has changed with Commissioner Brenner over the past two years, yet I see no positive results eminating from his positions on the viability of older homes. I personally resent having commissioners telling me they think my home is soon to be worthless.