Sarasota Livin'

The SOS Blog seems to have the transcript of the Planning Board meeting where they discussed the "density bonus" program. Thanks to SOS and Kate Lowman for putting it out there for us all to read. I listened to the whole "show" on channel 19. Afterwards many people commented that Planning Board member Robert Lindsay called it correctly.

In many ways I agree...

First he lays out part of the problem... we are building mostly very expensive condos -- the "rich" require lots of service staff to support them. The good part of that is the jobs it creates and the "multiplier effect" that spending has for the local economy. It may also be partly responsible for the great arts community we have. The bad part is those service staff can't afford to live close to the jobs.

He is correct one affordable unit for 10 expensive ones won't help too much. Unless you are the lucky person to get it..

Robert Lindsay (Planning Board Member)
...WE ... GET ONE ATTAINABLE UNIT FOR EVERY 10 EXPENSIVE ONES WE BUILD. THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO TOWN AND (CAN) AFFORD A 2 MILLION-DOLLAR CONDO ARE TYPICALLY GOING TO NEED PROBABLY A REVERSE RATIO, MORE LIKE TEN SUPPORT PEOPLE FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM. SO WE'RE NOT MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DENT IN THE PROBLEM IF WE BUILD A HUNDRED OF THESE -- A HUNDRED EXPENSIVE UNITS THAT ARE GOING TO REQUIRE A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION TO SUPPORT THEM. PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS, LAWYERS, LAW CLERKS, ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE. SO IT'S NOT REALLY DOING A WHOLE LOT.

His next point is the government cost to control the program will take "real money" unless we think outside of the box and find some not-for-profit to do it for less..

THE OTHER THING IS THAT ... WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DIRECTOR OF THIS PROGRAM. THAT PERSON IS GOING TO HAVE A SECRETARY, FLOOR SPACE, PROBABLY A CITY CAR. ... MORE COSTS LATER FOR ARCHIVING ALL THIS STUFF, ON AND ON. ... SO I THINK YOU CAN EASILY SEE ...THE COST OF THE PROGRAM WINDING UP ...IN THE CITY'S BUDGET, IF YOU TAKE IN ALL THE FACTORS OF FLOOR SPACE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, SOMETHING OVER A MILLION BUCKS A YEAR. WELL, AT A MILLION BUCKS A YEAR, THE LOW END OF OUR PROJECTED GAIN HERE IS 230 AFFORDABLE UNITS.

WE CAN JUST ABOUT MEET THAT BY HAVING THE CITY WRITE A CHECK TO SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR $50,000 GRANTS TO DESERVING NURSES FOR THEIR HOUSING. SO, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO GO THROUGH THIS HUGE EFFORT HERE. WE CAN JUST SOLVE IT WITH SOME CASH AND NOT HAVE TO SIT HERE THROUGH ALL OF THIS. ...

Certainly Mr Lindsay is more of an expert on City Land Use than I am... It seems we currently regulate the size of the building, the lot coverage and the amount of parking required / unit... do we need to really regulate the number of units in a building?? I may never be able to afford a 3,200 sq ft CONDO (or really want one that big).... I could afford and be happy living in 1,000-1,200 sq ft -- why not allow developers to build what size units the market wants. Just keep what is built inside the "box" that the current zoning creates.

THE SOLUTION HERE IS VERY SIMPLE, REALLY. ... THE WHOLE CITY WAS BASED ON A DENSITY AND LOT SIZE BASE FORM OF REGULATION A WHILE AGO. WE CHANGED TO A FORM-BASED REGULATION WHEN WE WENT WITH DUANY'S PLAN WHERE WE REGULATE THE PHYSICAL CONFIGURATION OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD REALLY CARE WHETHER THE DEVELOPER BUILDS 800-SQUARE-FOOT UNITS OR 8,000-SQUARE-FOOT UNITS. RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE NO INCENTIVE TO BUILD SMALLER. ... IF YOU ELIMINATE THE REFERENCES TO DENSITY, THEN A DEVELOPER, ... HAS THE OPTION TO BUILD THE SIZE OR MIX OF SIZES THAT HE THINKS WILL SELL AND BE THE MOST PROFITABLE. AND MAYBE WE'LL GET SOME 800-FOOT STUDIO APARTMENTS FOR THE SINGLE ...YOUNG PROFESSIONAL. AND SOME 1200-FOOT APARTMENTS FOR A RETIRED COUPLE.... ... THE SIMPLE THING (IS) WE GO IN THERE AND ELIMINATE REFERENCES TO DENSITY IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE AND DOWNTOWN BAYFRONT. AND THAT PRETTY WELL WILL PROBABLY CURE THE PROBLEM AT LEAST IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WITHOUT THE CITY SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY AND PUTTING ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND EVERYBODY ELSE THROUGH ALL THIS PAIN.

Amen to not putting the neighborhoods through the pain of frequent comp plan changes. It is too much work for volunteers to stay on top of all of the nuances of these changes.