Fool Me Once

 

Today a 3-judge appeals tribunal handed the Longboat Key commission a stunning defeat. The town lawyer's land use litigation losing streak remains intact. The town might finally look elsewhere for legal advice. The primary duty of a municipal attorney is to keep that municipality out of expensive court proceedings; especially if the municipality will lose. 

 

The latest appeals court loss may expose the town to law suits and costly litigation from property owners who have been denied unfettered access to the real estate markets due the the town's ill-advised legal gambits against its own residents.

 

Judge Roberts, and now the Florida appeals court, have ruled that the LBK commissioners broke the law when they zealously advanced the interests of the Key Club. Bob White and the members of IPOC are to be congratulated for their unflinching conviction that the town commission had violated the property owner's legal rights.

 

Those on the commission and the town's previous planning director, who opposed the Key Club expansion as being inappropriate and needlessly dense, have been vindicated. It has been stated before, I was always in favor of improvements at the Key Club, but not at the expense of surrounding property owners.

 

While on the commission, I requested that the commissioners retain an outside, disinterested land use attorney to advise the commission concerning the Key Club proposal. I had lost faith in the two lawyers retained by the town. At that time I expressed my doubts that the town was on firm legal footing if they approved the KC expansion. Unfortunately, there was no support for this proposal, most especially from the town lawyer. If the commission had insisted that the Key Club proposal be adjusted to the point where the surrounding community was comfortable, the Key Club expansion would already be in its 3rd year and close to being completed. Instead we have had a paralysed real estate market on the south end. Who in their right mind would not be cautious about investing while there was a lawsuit pending on the property.

 

Unfortunately for our residents, this commission will try to get around this resounding slam by the Florida courts by shamelessly gutting our comprehensive plan and those building codes specifically needing change to specifically address the Key Club expansion. If the commissioners once again look to the town lawyer's advice, they should also look at his win/loss record in land use litigation he has managed on behalf of our community.

 

If the new Key Club owners really want to add value for themselves and for our community, they should work with the affected property owners and the commission to create a win-win design that is more appropriate for Longboat Key, keeps the process out of the courts, and hastens the completion of the entire process.

 

The town could now retain an expert land use attorney to advise the town how to avoid another court defeat that could be even more destructive to our property owners than the most recent rout. There is that old saying - Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

 

This commission, and sadly Longboat Key, will now be immortalized in the law journals and legal precedents citations as a Goat Rodeo. We can do better than that. We need some changes and we need them before more damage is done.

My meetings with the town manager

I hope my initial impressions of Longboat Key's new town manager are more prescient than Commissioner Brenner's previous evaluation of our town government. So far Commission Brenner's positive evaluations have been shown, by later events, to have been somewhat premature. To date Bruce St. Denis and Monica Simpson have been fired. I sincerely hope that our finance and utilities directors fare better. For the two former town employees Commissioner Brenner's positive evaluations have been oscvlvm mortis (the kiss of death).

I have had two lengthy meetings with Dave Bullock. I am impressed.

My first meeting with Mr. Bullock occurred soon after he took over as the town manager. The meeting was both friendly and professional. I was immediately struck with his obvious smarts and professional experience. If anything, I came away from my first meeting with the town manager feeling that I had gained a better understanding of the technical aspects of town management as a result of our talk. The two of us discussed current issues confronting Longboat Key, along with the political, legal and financial hurtles associated with getting things done in municipal government. It was apparent to me that Dave Bullock is an expert on the philosophy of government and its intricacies.

Mr. Bullock expressed his belief that he intended to approach every challenge from an informed perspective. However, he also stated that be believed that there was a counter-balancing need to act in a timely manner, as opposed to endlessly discussing an issue. He and I may disagree about the point in the process where action is appropriate and discussion ends. As town manager that is his prerogative, since his success will be measured by his effectiveness.

I believe that Longboat Key, and most especially the commission, will welcome a consummate professional guiding the town towards our future. When I was a commissioner I complained about the then town manager giving the commission inadequate information and his agenda of choices, thus preventing the commission from making well-informed decisions. I hope those days are behind us and we will witness a government process without agendas and inadequate information.

My second meeting with Mr. Bullock took place last week and was more focused. I specifically wanted to address town communications policy and beach management. To my surprise Mr. Bullock was not only up to speed in many aspects of these two areas, he was ahead of the curve in analysing various cost/benefits scenarios for any discussions about community wifi. What a pleasant surprise!

The two of us discussed alternative beach management technologies. I found the discussion to be open with the added input from a seasoned municipal government manager who understands the challenges of the state permitting process and state agency agendas. We talked about who should pay for what. I like debating with someone who enters the discussion as a professional, interested in positive outcomes and not afraid to look down the road with a realistic yet positive attitude.

In short I could find nothing about Mr. Bullock that was disconcerting. I see an intelligent hard working quick learner with little or no political agenda. What a refreshing change. I hope the commissioners will avail themselves of his professionalism and open their eyes to what he presents to them for their consideration.

And you thought I didn't know how to tell a happy story.

Of Crocodile Tears and Propaganda

Crocodile Tears:

Last evening I witnessed an interesting spectacle at the end the the commission meeting, in the form of an emotional reaction by the commissioners to the perceived mistreatment of Commissioner Larson at the hands of a guest columnist in the Longboat Key News, and thus by extension to the editor of the paper, Steve Reid. To his credit, Mr. Reid defended the basic American right to a free press. As an American who has had members of my family fight in every war of freedom ever fought by this country, including two family members who fought in the Revolutionary War, I object to anyone trying to intimidate the press, even though I often disagree with entire segments of what now sadly postures as news in this country, both on the far right and the far left. It does not help the commission's case that at least one commissioner has publicly called for the demise of the LBK News. Unfortunately, the other paper has morphed itself to a social register and real estate listing for their advertisers. I don't know anyone who goes there for credible news.

It alarms me that another columnist in the LBK News used a disgusting four letter word to describe the president of the United States of America, and not a single commissioner voiced any objections. I am proud that I did respond strongly to that mean-spirited slander. There were no four letter words attributed to commissioner Larson, yet last night the commissioners spent about twice as much time complaining about that newspaper column than they spent on approving the 2012 budget and millage rate combined.

I have been politically active on Longboat for over 25 years. During that time I have read many articles in both local newspapers that were highly critical and unflattering towards certain town staff and/or elected officials. I include myself as one of them. When one willingly becomes a public figure one also accepts that not everyone will agree with your views and actions. I wonder why the commissioners have once again forgotten that they are politicians and fair game for public scrutiny. If you become apoplectic about some columnist saying that a commissioner acts unintelligently, and you do not react to much worse personal attacks on your country's president, then you lose credibility through inconsistency.

Propaganda:

In response to my comment in the LBK News, asking the town to once again consider alternative beach stabilization technologies, in light of a recent Army Corps of Engineer's mandated three year test of the Granger Plastics "Sand Saver" devices on the shores of Lake Michigan, the mayor responded "Not one well-known company has anything positive to say about the company Mr. Jaleski is supporting. Why is this not apparent to Mr Jaleski ?". My response is two-fold.

First, the inaccuracy of the statement does nothing to further the community dialog surrounding the glaring failures of the commission's current beach policies. The taxpayers have just thrown $4 million plus dollars into the Gulf of Mexico in the past three months with little to nothing to show for it at the north end beach. I am requesting that the mayor produce a certified list of all the "well-known companies" that have nothing "positive to say about the company". Here are a few "well-known" companies that will not be on the mayor's list - Department of Defense (DOD), Temporpedic, and DHL Global, along with many other well-known Granger Plastics clients. I believe the mayor owes Granger Plastics and me an apology for his baseless attack on both Granger Plastics and me. He has shown disrespect towards me as a resident and he is also blatantly wrong. This type of mean-spirited misuse of public office needs to be answered and that is just what I am doing here.

My second complaint is more serious. I find it dangerous when a high-profile elected official uses that position to make frequent unsubstantiated personal attacks on all those who dare question his power and prowess. Too often I have read the same response from this elected official, to those who question his judgment, in the form of - he/she/they don't know what they are talking about. I like to believe that such comments are beneath our town officials. Once again at last night's commission meeting this response was hurled at Al Green. Of course, this only highlights the fact that the commissioners probably have no idea that their meetings are recorded on digital audio and video and are available on-line. I often use these facilities when I am fact-checking.

Last night's unfounded commission attack on Steve Reid, and freedom of the press, seemed to be hypocritical and unattractive. I am an opinion columnist who tries to inform the residents of my community about what I believe to be important alternative views to those put forth by the town government. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we disagree. I always try to be constructive and always offer alternatives. I love Longboat Key and only want the best for our town. I strongly object to threats and intimidation by certain elected and appointed officials.

The Rivera of Longboat Key

The development of Bayfront Park being advanced by the current town commission is a quiet unimposing plan including a functional building, some nature paths along with a few recreational activities. If we utilize the Mediterranean Plaza as a large, almost free community center, that leaves all the land at Bayfront Park for other uses and possibilities.

What about blowing the doors off and creating something truly special

and world class on a spectacular piece of property?

Bayfront Park is a special Gulf-to-Bay property that might be developed as a world class beach park experience that rivals the best tropical get-aways, and will attract visitors and residents to our community. A beautifully developed beach park facility will be unique on the west coast of Florida, making Longboat stand out as a forward-looking world class community. Such a beach-front park would add immeasurably to our community image, while offering residents and visitors a beautiful gathering destination and tropical beach paradise experience.

The bay front property could be transformed into the jewel of our island

We have an opportunity to create the classiest most beautiful community beach and grotto presence on this coast of Florida. If we want to reinvigorate our community and add a community amenity that ups the bar, then perhaps we need to look at possibilities.

Particulars:

1) A spacious underpass between the beach and the Bayfront property would provide a first class beach facility similar to what is available on Lido Key. The beach cabanas could be run by a private concession and return a percentage of profits to the town. Longboat residents who presently have no beach access would enjoy the town beach. Having improved beach access on Longboat will enhance property values throughout the community.

2) A large tropical designer landscaped pool by the bay will offer a beautiful community experience year-round for everyone while enhancing our public amenities.

3) Tasteful concessions for food and beverages a cut above what is available at Siesta Beach. Anyone visiting Manatee Beach knows that it is a popular attraction on Anna Maria Island. I envisage a more refined eating experience in keeping with the quality ambiance of the property.

4) Parking needs to be creatively integrated into the design. The trolley can also transport people to and from the park adding capacity while minimizing space needed for on-site parking. Non-resident guests would be required to pay a fee and park at a remote parking facility. This should be a community amenity. During season it may be possible to run a "beach express" up and down the island supported by fares.

The town commission is proposing a utilitarian community center on the Bayfront property. The Bayfront property has the potential to become something really special on our island; lets not squander the opportunity to propel our community forward and create a beautiful compelling gathering place for residents and visitors alike. By utilizing the Mediterranean Plaza building to house a community center, we can devote resources to develop a striking jewel in the middle of our island that enhances our lifestyle and helps to bring the community together.

Bayfront Park Property - Gulf-to-Bay

We only have one chance to develop Bayfront Park  - let's not waste it. We have the opportunity to set our expectations really high in order to achieve something that will make Longboat special.

If we create something truly beautiful, they will come.

Where Angels Fear to Tread

Juliani Kenney Investment Capital, LLC is in the process of purchasing the old bank building owned by PFG Asset Managenent and occupied by Montgomery Asset Management. Additionally Juliani Kenney are aManagementlso trying to purchase all the land bounded by GMD, Broadway Street, Cedar Street and Palm Court. These purchases constitute a significant increase in investments for Juliani Kenney on the north end of Longboat.

Prior to their latest acquisitions, JKIC purchased Whitney plaza for $3.7 million in December, 2010 and have so far been unable to attract any retail businesses to the plaza. At a recent Village Association gathering Brian Kenney described the challenges of persuading anchor retailers, such as Walgreen Drug or Panara Bread, to locate at Whitney Plaza. Brian spoke of drive-by counts and other metrics employed by retail chains to evaluate future store locations. Given the 2010 census figures listed below, it is little wonder that Juliani Kenney are finding it difficult to rent space in the now dilapidated shopping mall.

"The percentage of residents ages 65 and up rose to 67.3%, from 58.3% in 2000. The percentage of residents ages 85 and up rose by 46%, with 8.2% of residents age 85 or older in April 2010, compared to 5.1% in April 2000. The island, which experienced a 9.4% decline in population over the past decade according to the census, lost residents in every age group from ages 15 through 74. " The number of people who call themselves "residents" decreased 41%.

In the face of daunting demographics and lack of success, over the past few months, in attracting retailers to Whitney Plaza, Juliani Kenney choose to double-down their bets, so to speak, by investing in still more commercial real estate at the north end.

I try to put myself in the shoes of Juliani Kenney in light of their most recent acquisitions. I keep stumbling on the fact that the new parcel and Whitney Plaza are separated my Cedar Street. In addition, the northern parcel is narrow, by commercial standards, and thus difficult to develop without adding to the property depth. That can only be accomplished by acquiring Palm Court which bounds the property on the east.

To my way of thinking to invest millions in two commercial real estate parcels that are separated by a well-trafficked street is going where angels fear to tread. Prior to Juliani Kenney all of this land appeared to be commercially inviable. Andrew Vaac was not able to resell the bank building just as Andrew Hlywa was unable to make a go-of-it at Whitney Plaza. In fact a succession of owners over the past 20 years have all failed to operate Whitney Plaza at a profit.

Personally I would be worried about acquiring two separate and previously financially unsuccessful commercial properties without almost absolute assurance that I would be able to join the two parcels and widen the northern parcel. That would of course require that the town commission deed the streets over to Juliani Kenney. That could be a problem if the residents at the north end do not want to abandon the well used thoroughfares. At present many village residents use both Palm Court and Cedar street as a "safe" access route to get onto GMD headed south.

In several newspaper articles about recent Juliani Kenney land purchases, a few different threads emerge about how best to utilize the newly purchased land parcels. Brian Kinney appears to believe there may be a need for a hotel on the property. Certainly this is a far more ambitious project than the one previously put forth by Juliani Kenney of revitalizing the retail space at Whitney Plaza. It is doubtful that anything now will be done to the crumbling Plaza if a new "grand design" is put forth. That could mean many years of empty building blight at the north end while the economy recovers to a point where investors might be willing to spend tens of millions to launch a large scale redevelopment of Whitney Plaza. I can envisage an exclusive low-rise tasteful boutique hotel, beautifully landscaped and blending-in with the existing ambiance of the north-end as being an enhancement to the community.

There still remains the problems for retail and tourism created by an increasingly affluent community that spends only a few months a year on Longboat. Because there are relatively few people living on our island most of the year, it is almost impossible to make a living here if you run a retail business or tourist facility. Each new hotel/motel room, each new store that is built/opened on the island dilutes the already inadequate pool of paying customers. As Longboat became more and more popular as a winter retirement retreat, more and more real estate was converted from tourism to condominium usage. Even with many fewer tourism units the occupancy rates are still dismal. Many people who come to Longboat in off season say it looks like a ghost town. As on drives up GMD at night all the condominium windows are dark. This may present a challenge to anyone looking to open a tourist attraction on the island and attract year-round clients.

Perhaps the best and easiest solution to the dilemma the commission thinks exits on Longboat is to relax and get comfortable with what we have become - a seasonal retirement retreat for the well-to-do. This is a good thing to be if you are one of the 18,000 or so fortunate residents of our island. There is really nothing that needs doing. We are all doing just fine. Housing sales are coming back. We have finally achieved a stable retail/tourism presence after the build-out of the island. Let's just settle in and enjoy our beautiful community just as it is.

Ex-mayor Spoll recently cautioned the town and the commission about community reaction to inappropriate development on the north end. I agree with his assertions that the north end ambiance is uniquely "old Florida" and should be preserved as a major asset to out entire community. To his credit Brian Kenney stated "It’s definitely not our desire to build a monstrosity that upsets the town and nearby residents.” It remains to be seem if his definition of monstrosity is similar to that of north end residents.

Let's hope our development-fixated commission and planning board heed George Spoll's advice.

Where are all the Boomers going?



The following are excerpts from two of many articles I have found that address baby boomer retirement. I believe we need to examine the boomers and adjust our community values to both attract and accommodate the "new" generation of retirees. Currently more than 75% of our property owners are retired and relatively affluent. Strip mall and hotel developers are not going to reinvigorate our residential community and return home values to where they should be. If we wait for outside interests to create some sort of commercial presence in five to ten years from now, we may miss an opportunity to make our own changes that we will most likely have to make eventually, if we want to remain a viable community. The 2010 census shows that Longboat had a shift in demographics where the number of residents decreased by 41% in a decade. The generation that made Longboat great are no longer here. We need to find a way to welcome a new generation.  The boomers are the answer and we need to find a way to bring them to our community.


Retiring Boomers Impact Demand For Housing

By MARCI SHATZMAN, October 11, 2009

Jeffrey Katz has been selling real estate for seven years to house hunters in the adult communities, and in the past two years he's noticed something new. "Boomers are focused on how old the community is," said Katz, who's with REMAX/Advantage in western Boynton Beach. They think a new community will attract younger seniors. "They want to be among their contemporaries and not their parents' [generation]," he said. Katz said 90 percent of his clients are Baby Boomers who are moving here to retire or buy a second home.

Baby Boomers take on Retirement


May 2, 2010 By Joni
 
The active lifestyle that baby boomers have enjoyed throughout their working life continues into their retirement life. It isn’t enough to just be not working anymore. They demand more from life. Everything this generation does is studied and surveyed. They were the first to be targeted by market analysts and set new standards for generations to come. How business markets to the boomers has also changed. The priorities set by the boomers, no matter what the venue, have become the standard across the country.


The activity level of the newly retired has also impacted our communities. Well known for their activism in political and social issues their entire lives, this generation has brought that energy to their personal lives as well. No longer is a house in the suburbs enough. Now communities are being built to once again feed the need of this aging generation. These communities include a wide variety of amenities to attract these seniors. Fitness centers, walking trails, social outlets and hi-tech security systems are the new standard for these neighborhoods. Convenience to shopping and community centers located nearby is a must. Golf courses, complete with a country club atmosphere, are hi-lights that are very attractive to the active senior and not to be ignored.

We are at a difficult juncture between two generations that has a particularly profound impact on retirement and second home communities. Longboat Key is unusual in that it is almost entirely retirement oriented. On top of that the climate encourages a majority of the residents to seek cooler places for much of the summer. Additionally, aside from the village at the north end, a predominance of large condominium complexes and the lack of a viable community center do not contribute to a sense of community. Each condominium is in a sense self-sufficient. We have wonderful clubs and organizations that are made possible by the efforts of dedicated individuals. We have the Key Club that is the jewel of the island. However, the club is more exclusive than inclusive because of high membership costs that prevent a majority of Longboat  residents from finding a sense of community there. Times have changed. Boomer studies are revealing that the next retirement generation wants to belong. They are active and social.

Longboat Key offers an unusually attractive shopping experience only a few minutes away at the circle and downtown Sarasota. Many thriving retirement communities would love to have such sophisticated shopping so close at hand. I lived for a time in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. On a good day it might take an hour of fighting traffic congestion to reach shops in Beverly Hills. And those were weekdays.

What we do not yet have to offer the boomers is that sense of being part of a vibrant social and active community. Yes we have amenities but they are underdeveloped. We need to open up our beaches to perspective residents. Bike riding on this island is at times dangerous. I have been in many communities that have in the past decade adjusted to the times and created new and attractive activity experiences for their residents. Perhaps the time has come to also change with the times. It could be fun.

The Wizard of PIC

Everyone who has been on Longboat Key for any length of time knows about the Public Interest Committee of Longboat Key or PIC. I moved to this island in 1985, the first full year of PIC's existence. The late 80's were contentious times on Longboat and PIC became the voice of the island residents in the struggle between ARVIDA and everyone else. PIC quickly acquired quite a few members. Because of this public support, PIC was able to become a formidable force in island politics.

After the developer wars had ended and Longboat created its current Comprehensive Plan that reduced density on Longboat from the original 75 thousand to 25 thousand, PIC still was an active and strong voice in island government. PIC was created as a voice for the residents. If you were a real estate sales person you were ineligible for PIC membership.

The late 80's and 90's became the golden age on Longboat. Residential real estate values increased pleasingly. Longboat Key became one of "the" new places to have a second home or retirement home. Little by little PIC became less and less relevant. There was an almost perfect balance between tightly regulated development and residential paradise. The American economy was booming and new wealth fueled a booming real estate market on Longboat that continued unabated until the end of 2007, when the meanies on Wall Street ruined everything for everyone.

2008 saw the resurrection of PIC as a voice in Longboat politics. Prior to 2008, PIC's main function was to anoint a PIC member to fill any vacancies on the town commission. I recall they took a position on the wrong side of the ill-fated reclaimed water project. I believe PIC also took the wrong stance on the airport noise struggle.

Anyway, in the hard times that started in 2008, a few residents, along with the Chamber of Commerce and the Key Club were able to reconstitute PIC, not as a resident advocacy group, but rather as a pro- development organization.

At this time PIC has 116 members that include the manager of the Key Club, one of the attorneys for the Key Club, the Chamber of Commerce LLC, a member of the board of the Chamber, one active and one retired real estate sales agent, one commissioner and one member of the Planning and Zoning board. 13 PIC members list off-island addresses. Of the 14 members contributing more than the basic $40 membership amount are the Key Club, the Key Club lawyer and a board member of the Chamber of Commerce.

The PIC board has 10 members. Talking to a long time PIC member, the PIC board does not poll members about political positions supported by the PIC organization. It appears that PIC, as a political activist organization, is controlled by as few as 6 members. To me this is less than a representative body to be advertising itself as an independent group that "communicates an independent citizen-oriented point of view." As  far as I know PIC has never advocated community surveys including the one recommended by the original Vision Plan director. I do not believe that the 90 members of PIC, who are not part of the board, or who do not have special interests, have much input into what PIC supports.

PIC has traditionally backed certain candidates in town elections and has traditionally backed PIC members over non-members most, if not all, of the time. This past election was no different except that the Key Club expansion application was at that time before the commission. At least one candidate, who appeared before the PIC nominating committee, was surprised to find the Key Club manager and at least one commissioner part of the interviewing group. The candidate also met a Key Club attorney leaving the Longboat Chapel sanctuary as he was entering for his interview. I leave it up to your judgment to decide if PIC is really representative of the residential community as they profess. And if so why was the Key Club present during the candidate interview?

I recently became a condominium representative to the Longboat Condominium Federation which represents perhaps 50% of the taxpayers on this island. If there is a truly representative organization, the Condo Fed would be the winner hands down. Yet the Condo Fed is a-political and I do not believe takes positions on any civic or political issues. Yet we have an organization of fewer than 100 members, if we subtract those members with special interests such as the Key Club and the Chamber of Commerce, that asks for special recognition by the town and wraps itself in the mantle of a populist citizen's organization.

There are those who will say I have a less than positive assessment of PIC because they did not anoint me as their pick when I ran for commissioner against Bob Seikman. I would not have won against a strong incumbent commissioner even with PIC's endorsement. Likewise, I defeated PIC's incumbent candidate the following election by a strong margin. There may be residents who rely on PIC to tell them who to vote for, as there are some who ask for marked-up ballots in national elections. I feel that any citizen who votes from a place of ignorance is lazy and doing a disservice to the community they live in.

In and around 2002 there were no fewer than 5 PIC board members on the town Planning and Zoning board. As PIC board members, a majority vote on the Planning Board met privately on a regular basis. To me this is too close for comfort. I prefer to see an unentangled town government. Unfortunately PIC has had a close relationship with our commission and major boards for too long. Remember PIC has a small membership and an even smaller controlling board. If Longboat Key was booming like the Villages and other Florida communities with robust real estate markets, one might not pay too much attention to the presence PIC has in our own government.

I believe that PIC supports some really worthwhile causes. While on the commission, I strongly supported the efforts of Landau and Younger to fix the broken town budget process. Hopefully my efforts furthered those efforts. I also feel that at times PIC represents the interests of a few, and that  detracts from their stature in our community. I also believe that PIC can serve as a cover for a small clique of residents with their private agenda. Wouldn't it be better to see a truly representative organization such as the Condo Fed weigh-in on community issues, after polling their members and reaching a broad based consensus.

Finally a Cell Phone Solution for Longboat Key

Telecommunications infrastructure maker Alcatel-Lucent announced this week new technology that will help wireless carriers expand their networks to keep up with the explosive growth in mobile data. Alcatel-Lucent is the largest supplier of equipment to the cell phone industry.

The company announced this week a new compact cell phone antenna system called lightRadio, which incorporates radio technology and base station technology in a single box. The entire system, which can fit on a lamp post, is a fraction of the size of today's cellular equipment. Current cellular networks require massive and power-hungry cell phone towers that house the antennas with a separate base station at the bottom of those towers that control the antennas.

When carriers have needed to add capacity or improve coverage, they've had to deploy these massive cell site towers. Alcatel-Lucent's lightRadio system, which will be ready for carrier trials later this year, allows carriers to deploy new cell sites much faster and less expensively than they have been able to do in the past. It also means that carriers can reduce the electricity used to power the cell phone towers and base stations.

All in all, wireless operators can reduce the cost of deploying and maintaining a new cell site by almost half of what it is today.



That has huge implications for the wireless industry, which is struggling to keep up with demand for more data services from smartphones and tablet PCs. In fact wireless data traffic is expected to increase 26 times between 2010 and 2015 according to Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index Forecast. Cisco conducts the survey every year to track network growth.

"It's clear that the explosion in mobile data will continue," said Wim Sweldens, president of Alcatel-Lucent's wireless division. "The architecture that Alcatel-Lucent is proposing will help avert a potential wireless crisis. If carriers don't move in this architectural direction then the problems we are starting to see today will only get bigger. And growing the networks will not be economically viable."

Wireless carriers have been preparing for traffic increases by adding more capacity to their radio networks as well as their back-haul networks that carry the traffic from the radio towers to the Internet. The wireless industry has been pushing the Federal Communications Commission to make more wireless spectrum available so that they can increase capacity. But getting new spectrum into the market takes time.

One way to add more capacity to the available spectrum is to deploy more cell sites that are smaller in area. Splitting cell sites means that wireless operators can serve more customers or provide more bandwidth to individual customers in each cell site.

Carriers have already begun using a mix of a smaller and smaller cell sites in their networks. For example, femtocells provide personal cell sites that can be in a home or business. The smaller cell sites are connected to a home or office broadband connection to improve wireless indoor coverage.

But splitting cell sites on a macro level in a metropolitan area is a little trickier if the old cell tower and base station architecture is used. Getting new cell towers approved is time consuming. And putting up those towers is expensive. It's also expensive to run these towers, which means long-term this architecture isn't viable.

That's where Alcatel-Lucent says it's lightRadio technology comes in. It would allow wireless operators to deploy smaller cell sites much more quickly and at a much lower cost.

This is where Longboat needs to be headed. Finally the new technology has become available and our community needs to become pro-active in creating an island-wide cell phone solution that serves the entire island and not just a small area at the north end.

Link to more information: http://www.thomson-webcast.net/uk/dispatching/?event_id=8b6ec5993b492ac6c37d5045edf26554&portal_id=cd2e2cfc37c987fa20cd04f5cff6dea4&language=en



The Chimera of Tourism on Longboat Key



Chimera [ chi·mae·ra ] something totally unrealistic or impractical: a wildly unrealistic idea or hope or a completely impractical plan.

Many years have passed since the voters of Longboat approved a referendum to allow rebuilding 250 tourist units on the island. To date not a single unit has been spoken for. How many more years will it take before there is once again a thriving tourist presence on the island. Even the remaining tourist rooms  on the island go unfilled much of the time. If you are waiting for tourists to one day return to  Longboat to purchase your home, you may be here longer than you intended.

"Governor Rick Scott considers 'destination casinos' for Florida"


Would the Key Club expansion make an attractive and exclusive gaming casino? I do not believe the great majority of Longboat Key residents want to see a gambling casinos in our community. However, gambling will attract all sorts of tourists and day visitors. If Loeb Partners want to build a casino, and Tallahassee mandates "destination casinos", will Longboat residents have a say,  since this commission has greatly relaxed our land use codes? Be careful what you wish for.

This week the Longboat commissioners received an invitation from the Sarasota County Economic Development Council to attend the EDC's seminar on How to Market to the Baby Boomers. I have devoted a previous column to the idea that the fastest and most realistic approach to re-vitalizing our island community is to attract the Boomers, to our beautiful exclusive island community, as home buyers. Once again I will emphasize that Longboat Key does not appear in anyone's list of the 100 best places to live or retire in America. We really should be in the top five on every list if we want to attract new residents to our island. I believe this is simply insufficient marketing on our part and that with more effort we can gain high national and international visibility as a very desirable place to live, retire or vacation.

Unless the Sarasota area somehow magically creates a large vibrant business and industrial infrastructure, no one is going to be able to find the high paying career positions they would need to move to Longboat Key as working-age families.  Dr. Fishkind has assured us they are on their way if we build the new Key Club. Hopefully they will eventually come to our island. However, I doubt that will be any time soon if they need to work for a living.

We need to see what other communities, that are effectively attracting Baby Boomers, are doing to be successful community marketers. Much of Longboat real estate is priced at a level that has been seriously impacted by the recession. Many Baby Boomers have suffered economic reversals. But there are millions of Boomers who have the money and the mobility to make Longboat their new home. We simply need to attract them, and they will see what we see in our paradisaical community.

Perhaps we need yet another resident committee to do the research and the work to analyze what the Baby Boomers are looking for, and then formulate a path forward for our community for the next decade.

At the end of the day, if no one knows Longboat Key is here, if our marketing message gets lost in the marketing clamor for new residents, our community will most likely recover more slowly than more energetic communities. If one looks at the Anna Maria Island communities one sees a vibrancy that appears to be lacking on our island. There are more things for people to do on Anna Maria. 1000 residents of the Villages play Pickleball. There is a very active Pickleball league on Anna Maria. You may not want to participate in community social activities, but Boomer home-buyers might. http://www.usapa.org/ I personally know numbers of Longboat residents who regularly drive to Anna Maria to use their community center and play Pickleball.

Rather than let the county potion of our community center land lie fallow year after year, perhaps the town could request that Sarasota county use some of our tens of millions in taxes to build a few Boccceball and Pickleball courts. These facilities cost less than $5,000 each to implement and would greatly improve our community image. Longboat has a sizable infrastructure fund we receive from tourist taxes. Perhaps those funds might be used to provide much needed activities on our island. Let's not be "Deadboat Key".

Perhaps we need a whole lot more residential retirement community marketing and a whole lot less energy spent planning for commercial tourism, that may take decades to materialize.

The Existential of Home Rule

Longboat Key, due in part to its exclusivity, and therefore its high aggregate property value, pays approximately $70 million in taxes to Sarasota and Manatee counties each year while receiving little in the way of essential services that are supplied to the unincorporated parts of the counties. Longboat has a budget of $14 million to furnish those essential services we would otherwise receive from the counties if Longboat was not an incorporated town.

If Longboat could manage to get free of the taxing authorities of the two counties, we would save the $70 million in taxes we presently give to the two counties annually. County services such as records keeping, and a few other clerical functions presently provided by Sarasota and Manatee counties, could be easily contracted out in this modern age of computers and the information cloud.

While Longboat was being developed home rule enabled our community to shape and control land development. The result is a beautiful residential island with an appropriate tourism presence. However, now that the island is built-out there are few if any advantages to being an incorporated town, if we have to pay extra for essential government services that we can get at no additional cost if we were simply part of the county.

There are other considerations when examining the ability of a small town to supply the level and quality of services that can be provided by a much larger governmental entity such as a county. I believe that Longboat provides good quality services to its residents. However, it is not possible for a small taxing authority to afford the level of expertise that exists at the county level. I believe that by duplicating services we may not be taking full advantage of the higher paid professional expertise available at the county level. Why are we paying for services twice?

If the need for tight control of land use and development no longer exists, since our community is built-out, and we are spending $14 million a years to duplicate services already available from the counties, is there a need to have a discussion about this?

There are costs for going-it-alone that have financial consequences over and above duplication of services. At present Longboat taxpayers are paying for infrastructure projects that would otherwise be paid for out of the taxes we pay to the counties. Our utility rates reflect a $34 million project to increase water capacity at the south end as well as sewer-line maintenance. Sooner or later, unless the commission and the town manager find a means of cost containment, the beaches will require another $35 million beach project in the next few years. Add to that the pension fund problem, which may cost another $30 million, and our community is looking at $90 million in extra costs that would not exist if we were part of the county, and not an independent incorporated town. That comes out to an extra $10,000 per household for just being a town. Of course that $10,000 is distributed on an assessed value basis so some taxpayers are looking at perhaps twice that amount on their yearly tax bills over time.

The town manager has stated that if the counties took over fire and safety services it would cost taxpayers more. I believe he is correct. The question is not a single service costing more, but the over-all financial cost of being an incorporated town, and the advantages for being so. Are we really better off being a town?

Perhaps it is up to each taxpayer to reach his/her conclusion as the the intrinsic value of being a town. I am not advocating one way or the other. Each resident may already have formed an opinion, an evaluation, about the value of being an independent municipality. However, being a town has its costs.

We the Taxpayers

What would happen if all the homeowners on Longboat Key formed a political pressure group? Let's say we call it Longboat Key Home Owners or LKHO, which might be pronounced much like the Spanish word for crazy "loco", and perhaps it is an unusual notion. However, how would such an organization alter the political landscape on Longboat Key?

LKHO would be the largest special interest group on the island by far. PIC has only a few members now, many of whom are involved with real estate, which is often reflected in PIC support of development on the island that would have been anathema to PIC members a decade ago.

LKHO would represent all property owners and give a voice to non-resident taxpayers that has never been available to them before.

LKHO could clearly define the interests of island property owners with a strong single voice. LKHO members could be effectively polled to ascertain views on tourist development, beach management, vision plan content, revisions to the Comprehensive Plan, development of the town's public lands such as Island Park and Quick Point and a host of other community functions.

LKHO could have an elected representative attending commission meetings and conveying LKHO's positions of various vital commission decisions. This representative would carry a big stick being the representative of a large majority of the community's taxpayers.

Currently the town is run by a town manager and a commission that is mainly composed of appointed or unopposed residents. Perhaps in a more vital political environment the commission might be more responsive to home owners. What I see presently is a great deal of commission discussion about how to fiddle with our long-standing land use codes to provide a way for the developers to expand their operations on Longboat without ending up on the losing side of court decisions. My idea of forming a homeowners political pressure group would force the current developer oriented commission to include all property owners in their discussions.

LKHO, if it came into being, would be a strong voice for those non-resident taxpayers who are presently disenfranchised. I can not see any other means of exerting force on the town government to become strong advocates of non-resident taxpayers. I see absolutely no discussion from the commissioners about the plight of homeowners and non-resident taxpayers. Instead of tightening the town's fiscal belt, the commissioners raised taxes at a time of almost universal economic distress and a devastating decline in home values.

Now the town wants to embark on a $50+ million beach renourishment program that many feel is unneeded and unwarranted. The $50+ will go directly to the bottom line on your taxes. Right behind that is the pension plan conundrum that has been kicked down the road for years by a commission that has never been able to get a clear understanding of what is at stake. What is at stake is a $30+ million ad velorum bond that will increase real estate taxes even more. When a town government encumbers its constituents with excessive taxes, the cost of living in that community becomes more expensive and less attractive to perspective home buyers.

LKHO may seem a bit crazy to some. To others it will be crazy like a fox. I believe it is time for our property owners to unit and become an effective part of the political process. If  you are tired of not having a voice in Longboat government, property tax increases and seemingly endless expensive bond referendums, you might think about becoming a little bit LKHO yourself.

If you feel that having a homeowner oriented political pressure group similar to LKHO is a good idea, add your comments to this article, talk to your neighbors. If enough homeowners express an interest in forming an organization them perhaps it will happen. I believe such a group would be good for our community.

To Advance or Not to Advance

One cost of advancing the Longboat Key beach project to 2011 from the scheduled year 2012, on a $45 million bond at 3%, is $1.3 million in yearly interest on the bond a year early.

So far the town manager’s sole reason for advancing the project is the Port Dolphin sand and the possible loss of up to $5 million in payments from the pipeline company, if Port Dolphin decides to construct the pipeline.

The following considerations should be part of the cost/benefit analysis of advancing the project one year.

1. The taxpayers will receive one less year of value for the current $26 million bond or $660,000.

2. The taxpayers will have one fewer years when they are not paying for a beach bond.

3. The taxpayers will pay $1.35 million dollars interest on the new bond one year early

4. Exactly how many cu/yds of sand from the Port Dolphin borrow-sites will be used on the proposed beach project? We should know this.

5. Is there a sand transportation differential between the sand coming from the north end of Anna Maria Island and the sand coming from the more distant Port Dolphin borrow-sites?

6. How is the town reimbursed by Port Dolphin, by the yard or as a lump sum? The town manager has stated that the town may receive up to $5 million so I expect there is some sort of yard/dollar formula.

7. The beach consultants say 2 of 5 sections of the beach on Longboat Key will receive the darker courser Port Dolphin sand. If the total project is 1.8 million yards of sand, then perhaps approximately 2/5ths of that amount will be taken from the Port Dolphin sites or 720,000 yards of sand.

8. By advancing the project by 1 year, to receive possible compensation form Port Dolphin, each yard of the 720,000 yards from Port Dolphin will have an added cost of $1.80 to cover the added early interest on the $45 million bond.

9. I estimate that the town has already spent over $500,000 fighting the Port Dolphin pipeline, so there is another $1.40 added on to the cost of each yard of sand coming from the Port Dolphin sites. These are only approximations and are not represented as actual amounts. However, we should know the actual figures before we move forward.

If the Port Dolphin sand does have hidden costs in the range of $3.20 per yard, is it worth advancing the beach project one year, even if we do recive some money from the pipeline company? Remember we will be getting one less year of life from the current beach bond which makes that taxpayer transaction 14% more costly, while at the same advancing payments on the next beach bond by one year.

The Longboat Pass inlet management study may produce findings that preclude needing as much sand as projected in the currently proposed beach project. Why encumber the residents with additional taxes that may not be required after the completion of the inlet study.

The interim sand placement at the north end alleviates the necessity to act this year as all the other beaches are performing on schedule for the original 2012 beach project.

If Port Dolphin is the sole reason being advanced as the driving factor in advancing the beach project by a year, I say we should know a lot more about what we will actually receive from Port Dolphin and then run a cost/benefit analysis. Uninformed decision-making usually has its problems.

The town and the taxpayers might save a lot of money if an alternative beach maintenance technology is evaluated and found to be effective in acquiring sand, at no cost through accretion, and then retaining the sand for extended periods of time.

All Together Now

The median age of Longboat Key residents is 68. We are an upscale residential community composed  for the most part, of retirees, many of whom spend only a few weeks a year on the island. Whether we like it or not that is our major demographic, and we as a community must deal with what we are.

I read a comment in one of the newspapers some time ago that used the term "Deadboat Key". I have spoken to several real estate sales people who have said that younger home buyers do not want to live on Longboat because it is "unfriendly" and there is nothing to do. Is that true?

I live in the village. Here, the residents are out and about in the neighborhood. It is a friendly welcoming enclave of modest homes. Every month we have a village get-together and potluck dinner. Anyone is welcome. The village has several activity groups and a lively social network. I have lived in the village over 25 years and it is the best place I have ever lived. Most of my friends and neighbors share my appreciation for the kicked-back friendly intimate lifestyle we enjoy.

I believe Longboat needs to become more user-friendly. Even though some people do not want our island to be known as a community of affluent retired people, that is what we are if you look at our population.

I have always supported the tennis center because I believe it enriches the lives of hundreds of our residents and offers a popular social activity to visitors and perspective home buyers.

Even though tennis is a good physical activity, along with golf and of course swimming in the beautiful gulf, many of our residents may be interested in less strenuous activities such as Bocce Ball and other outdoor activities requiring less stamina than tennis. Our climate may discourage many residents from participating in the more active social activities such as golf or tennis much of the year. Perhaps a few town Bocce Ball and shuffleboard courts with shaded seating might allow residents to get out more and find social interactions year-round.

I want to promote many more community activities that draw the residents together, provide more social activity choices and improve our image as a great place to live and buy a home.

The town has an infrastructure fund with proceeds from the tourism taxes collected by the counties. Perhaps a small portion of those funds might be used to create and promote social activities on Longboat to be enjoyed by all. Other communities such as "The Villages", an upscale planned retirement community on central Florida, have a robust social activities infrastructure that is well attended and supported by the residents.

Here are a few ideas I have that might be worth examining:



Bocce Ball courts can add utility to our existing parks at relatively little cost. Shaded seating affords residents the opportunity to exercise and meet other island residents in relative comfort year-round. Perhaps the town could organize league play and even an invitational tournament that would attract off-island players to our island as the triathlon drew hundreds of contestants to Longboat for a day.

I have a friend who moved from Longboat to "The Villages" several years ago, and is still happy with their decision. My friend loves all the community social activities that are available. Weekly dances in the village squares are very popular as are outdoor activities. We have ample room in one of our parks to install an outdoor dance floor with appropriate LED lighting. Add a DJ and you have a starlit evening to enjoy.

Longboat has no centralized organization to promote and manage community activities. Perhaps we need one. It is a lot of effort for our residents to sponsor activities which tend to be restricted to a particular condominium association or neighborhood. Perhaps we might all enjoy more community-wide activities. The St. Jude's luncheon and various other fundraising functions are always well supported.

If the town managed weekly potluck dinners in the park then they would be able to manage attendence each week. If the town installed numbers of shaded outdoor picnic tables and benches in the public areas, perhaps more people would organize activities in the parks. With a median age of 68, I doubt that many of our residents want to have to stand in the hot sun to be a part of an otherwise enjoyable community social gathering.

I believe our community needs to find more ways to come together and to offer an expanded living experience to residents and visitors alike. Perhaps local government is the most able to create and organize community resources in an intentional effort to grow our community.

We need to be a part of the competition to attract the baby boomers to Longboat. The current retiring generation has different asperations than the people who built our community a generation ago. The boomer's aspirations are more active, and if one looks at "The Villages" they want an increased sense of community.

We can easily increase social interaction on Longboat in a number of ways. Certainly a community center will be a major asset in attracting new residents. In the meantime, there are many other activities that can be organized.

Perhaps the vision plan might address community activities more and pay less attention to the tourists.

Be a Booster for Beautiful Longboat

This week's Observer listed a 2009 - 2010 September home sales decline of around 45% for condominiums and 65% for houses.

Perhaps a little less gloom and doom by commissioners Brenner and Brown might be advisable given the negative September sales trends on the island.

I do not see that negative public assessments of our island will contribute to real estate sales. 

In a previous blog, and article in the LBK News, I argued that our community needs immediate help in the area of real estate sales, as opposed to the cure being proposed by Messrs Brenner and Brown, who advocate a long-range build-up of tourist lodging to the point where  retail stores will flourish. Who knows how long that will take given our economy.
http://lbk-folk.blogspot.com/2010/09/longboat-needs-great-marketing-campaign.html

I have been on this island since 1979 either as a visitor or resident. I never saw retail flourish. Demographics have changed over the years and the business environment has morphed into one that fills the current demand for goods and services.

It is all well and good to discuss long-range development on Longboat. However, given the current and projected economic conditions, along with the demise of the baby-boomer 401Ks, it may be more effective to look at more immediate ways to attract home buyers to Longboat.

I suspect most residents are not concerned with the distant in the future profits that will be made by developers if they are allowed to build hi-rise hotels on the north end of Longboat.

Residents need help today not a decade from now.

Every time a read another article about Messrs. Brenner and Brown, telling us we are a decrepit aging declining community, I feel sad that the very people who should be our most outspoken promoters appear to be our most prominent detractors.

These two gentlemen may be the best planners to ever grace our community, but I believe they may not fully comprehend what it is about Longboat that makes us one of the premier residential and retirement communities in America. Perhaps it is their urban background that contributes to their future vision of Longboat as a built-up tourist based economy.

I believe we attract discriminating residents because we are not a tourist based community.

I grew up in Larchmont New York. Elisabeth and I visited friends there in August. As far as I can tell very little has changed in the past sixty years. All the homes are at least eighty to ninety years old. The commercial area is small, ragtag and typically suburban New York. Retail have not expanded appreciably over many decades yet Larchmont homes are outragously expensive for what they are.

Larchmont appears to be prospering and filled with the young families that Brenner and Brown think we should be attracting. Believe me when I tell you there is a lot of money in Larchmont.

There are few tourist establishment in the Larchmont, yet the community prospers.


Having worked with New York State schools for a decade, I can attest that Larchmont has some of the top ranked schools in America. Why would an educated professional family move their children to Longboat Key, when our local schools rank poorly? Improve our local schools and I believe the affluent families will come.

Elisabeth and I recently entertained friends from Evanston, Ill. Their visceral and enthusiastic response to Longboat and the village was one of awe and great pleasure, realizing they had arrived in paradise. We walked to the Mar Vista and dined under the Buttonwood trees beside the water. Paradise!

Our guests spent three days with us. As I listened to the many accolades they bestowed on our community, I had a difficult time reconciling their perceptions of Longboat with the dure and alarming assessments coming frequently from our two planner commissioners.

I have never met anyone who did not love our aesthetically beautiful serene island ambiance. From spending time with many of these people, I have come to understand that there are "different strokes for different folks" and that people who fall in love with Longboat do not want to be in the hi-rise world of Boca Raton.

I encourage our planner commissioners to become Longboat Key boosters instead of detractors.

We need a great marketing campaign now if we are going to enable residents to sell their homes rather than their heirs.

Representative Government on Longboat Key

Representative Government: a form of government in which the citizens delegate authority to elected representatives.


A large percentage of our residents do not in fact enjoy representative government, because they are  non-residents or foreign nationals. These people cannot vote. They have no say about taxes or town codes or vision plans.


We are told by our representative government that this is the price one pays for having a second home in paradise. Yet the disenfranchised group pays a large percentage of our taxes. They are forcibly a part of a silent majority without voice or political power. No one asks them how they feel. A few individuals write letters. One or two attend town commission meetings. But in large part this group of unrepresented taxpayer residents go unheard.


Now we have a few commissioners who say over and over that the great majority of residents have approved the previous vision plan. Of course we do not know how the unrepresented taxpayer residents feel about the previous vision plan, or the new improved vision plan, because no one will ask them how they feel.


No matter that very few residents were given an opportunity to express their views about the old vision plan. No one really asked any taxpayers if they wanted to spend 100 thousand dollars on a piece of paper that will never see the light of day.


Only a few chosen people are being included in the new vision plan process. The old vision plan process at least included a few hundred business and real estate people and a smattering of regular residents of which I was one. The makeup of the new vision plan committee includes representation from the chamber of commerce and seems to be oriented mostly towards the business community on Longboat. I feel any vision plan should focus mainly on the residents who after all pay over 95% of the taxes.


I suspect we will be informed that since the previous vision plan was overwhelmingly approved by the residents, which it was not, because no one ever saw the old vision plan, the new vision plan need not be approved by anyone save the chosen group. After all isn't one vision plan is just like another vision plan?


I am amazed at what is now being created out of whole cloth.


I am wondering where representative government enters the picture. A sizable part of the residents have no representation at all, and now the residents who are able to vote are also being left out of the vision plan process.


The highly paid expert, who was hired to moderate the old vision plan process, told the town that the plan was not valid without carrying out a legitimate survey of the community. His words went unheeded.


Commissioners are now saying that the community approved the old vision plan, and by extension they approve the new vision plan.


What do you think?


I have been an active advocate of community participation in local government. That cannot happen if the government is not willing to engage the community.


Our current set of commissioners seems to ascribe to some sort of  "Noblesse oblige".

I cannot imagine that any sort of unvalidated vision plan, that may severely affect the fortunes of our residents, would be legislated into power without asking the people how they feel.


I believe we need a through examination of any proposed vision plan by the community at large. To me to have four or five commissioners impose some sort of illegitimate vision plan on the community is the antithesis of the spirit of representative government.

Amendment 4 - Vote Yes

Amendment 4, called Hometown Democracy, empowers voters to control growth and abuses by developers within their own communities.


Amendment 4 is the result of too many developers being able to control local town governments in Florida by buying elections of local officials.


The state of Florida has some of the most lax development laws in America.


Why should Longboaters care about Amendment 4 on the November ballot?


To begin with we are currently paying the price for over-development in the Florida market as is reflected in  the selling price of our homes.


In a world of supply and demand, Florida is experiencing the consequences of unbridled development and too many houses on the market. Other parts of the country are not experiencing devastating property value declines; communities that have regulated growth for the benefit of their residents.


Amendment 4 simply says that the people of a community, not three of four commissioners who are in office because a developer spent a lot of money to elect them, should be able to decide whether a development, that requires changes in land use, should be allowed in their community.


Of course developers, builders, chambers of commerce and the real estate community are against Amendment 4. None of these people usually reside in the community they want to develop for profit.


Ask yourself if the above interested parties would object to Amendment 4 if no one made money building developments.


Amendment 4 is vital if we are to control tourism and tall structures on our island.


One need look no further than the tragedy that has destroyed Panama City Beach. A very few years ago PCB resembled our own low-density residential/tourism mix community. Then the developers were able to influence local elections, A group of pro-developer officials were elected. Now Panama City Beach is little more than seven miles of shoulder-to-shoulder 22 story condo-tels that are vacant and bankrupt. Buss-loads of college-age revelers are brought in on weekends to have a good time and help pay the bills.


If you do not believe that the same could happen here - think again - it can.


As I write this article several commissioners are hard at work rewriting our land use codes and Comprehensive Plan to make our community more inviting for developers.


Do you want to live in a community where tourism controls our economy?

Do you want to see buss-loads of young people using Longboat Key for their parties?


Do you want traffic grid-lock every time you leave your home?


If you would not want to buy a home in a tourist town then you may want to vote for Amendment 4 to protect the value of your property.


There are a few myths being promoted by the developers and real estate community.


Myth 1: Amendment 4 will require many expensive elections
Fact:    Votes are held at normally scheduled election time.


Myth 2: Amendment 4 will cause many changes to our Comprehensive Plan.
Fact:    Longboat seldom addresses lands use changes.


Myth 3: Voters will not be able to understand proposed land use changes on the ballot.
Fact:    Proposed changes must be clearly described in 75 words or fewer.

Myth 4: New residential developments bring in more tax revenues.
Fact:    It costs the counties $1.30 to pay for each $1.00 received from new development.

Remember that 80% of your taxes are collected by the county. Longboat taxpayers are subsidizing developers in Manatee and Sarasota counties which includes development within our community.

Link to Amendment 4 - Yes web site. http://floridahometowndemocracy.com/

Please be well informed when you vote. It's your wallet.