Sarasota County does developer’s bidding
Once again, the Sarasota County commissioners have voted to subsidize the ambitions of billionaire developer Pat Neal, this time proposing taxpayer funds to connect his Wellen Park development to Manasota Beach.
Local taxpayers will foot the bill while residents of this rural area are left to absorb the consequences.
This project is not just about a road; it’s about a pattern:
One wonders if Mr. Neal will be satisfied only when the last gopher tortoise is erased, and when the very features that make this area livable are gone.
Supporters call this “progress,” but many experience it as a steady erosion of quality of life.
More development means more traffic congestion, strained infrastructure and fewer open spaces.
Once these lands are converted, there is no “undo” button.
The losses are permanent, and they are made so that one developer can profit.
Public funds should serve the public good, not bankroll private developments that degrade the environment and burden existing communities.
Sarasota can and should choose a future that values conservation, thoughtful planning and the voices of the people who already live here.
Marlene Kurban, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County officials bow down to big developer. Again. | Letters
Reporting by Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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