Sarasota Livin'

Bayou Oaks neighborhood wants this 5 acres to become part of North Water Tower Park but the owner wants to build affordable housing. Read the SHT article Read the SHT article . I guess Sarasota should be happy with either.

"SARASOTA -- This city of rapid development and soaring real estate values finds itself trying to balance two goals: preserve what natural habitat it has left and create more areas for affordable housing.

Those objectives have clashed over a five-acre patch of forest in the north Sarasota neighborhood of Bayou Oaks.

The Nature Conservancy and the Bayou Oaks Neighborhood Association think the small forest would be an ideal spot for a serene and shady public park. The City Commission agrees and wants to buy it.

But there's a snag -- the landowner disagrees.

"I don't want to sell it," said Harvey Vengroff, a developer who owns the property.

Located on busy Old Bradenton Road, just minutes from downtown and college campuses, the undeveloped land is a prime location for new homes that city employees, teachers and other moderate-income workers could afford, Vengroff said."

Sarasota needs more people like Harvey ... but also needs more forested park land...