Sarasota Livin'

Sarasota Herald Tribune article by Dale White on A surgical approach to controlling growth

Citizens for Sensible Growth is collecting voters' signatures to hold a November 2006 referendum on two proposed county charter amendments.

The amendments would increase the electorate's and the County Commission's oversight of major land-use policies.

The proposals are nowhere near as drastic as a building moratorium, the group's organizers say. At the very least, they think they will have an attentive audience.

...

One of the group's initiatives would require the County Commission to get voters' consent if it wants to shift a growth boundary to open more land for urban development.

Citizens for Sensible Growth also wants voters to approve a measure that would require at least a 4-1 vote of the County Commission on any amendment to the comprehensive plan that would allow a landowner to later apply for rezoning to a denser or more intense land use.

They seem like two good ideas to me.

If nothing else I think it is time again for a good healthy debate on growth issues. I am sure it will come up in the next county commission elections. I also agree with Commissioner Shannon Staub quoted in the same article ...

Commissioner Shannon Staub said she has mixed feelings about the initiatives, especially the one that requires voter ratification of County Commission decisions about the urban services boundary.

"I presume they feel that people have a mistrust of the County Commission," Staub said.

Yet she also thinks that the proposals will spark a long-needed dialogue among all factions in the county about how best to manage growth.

"Maybe the discussion of the pros and cons will be healthy for the community," Staub said.