Sarasota Livin'

Interesting article exploring some options being looked at by Sarasota County.

But 30 years ago, the Sarasota County Commission instituted a growth barrier roughly along Interstate 75, keeping urban development to the west, and with a few exceptions allowing only rural development to the east. That is the restrained supply.

Any first semester economics student could predict the outcome: increasing prices.

Neither Manatee nor Charlotte counties, nor Hillsborough or Lee counties for that matter, have such a restraint on land. Not surprisingly, they all have lower land prices.

Granted, there are other factors involved with our land prices in that most Florida real estate is rising. But we cannot deny the simple economic effects our decisions have had to create the highest land prices in the region.

I favor the village concept for growth East of I-75. Any development that is just endless subdivisions is plain bad ... the problem with even Lakewood Ranch is being trapped by just one road in and out ...University Parkway ... and out is very bad already... that is the definition of sprawl.