Sarasota County needs new approach on development
This column by environmentalist Jono Miller first appeared in the Herald Tribune: Sarasota County needs new approach on development Jono Miller Guest columnist Animals are able to implement some amazing plans – just consider weaverbird nests or beaver dams. But as humans we can record our intentions on paper, whether it is a clipped recipe, a kitchen remodel blueprint or a detailed trip itinerary. We’ll never know if a particular beaver dam ends up meeting the beaver’s expectations. However, we humans do know when things don’t taste right. Or when the cupboard shelves haven’t been properly aligned. Or when the trip itinerary actually ends up taking us in the wrong direction. That’s sort of where Sarasota County is with a development theory known as 'conservation subdivision.' On paper this approach seemed to hold a lot of promise: instead of evenly spreading homes out across a rural parcel, they would be concentrated, thereby leaving plenty of open space for the residents and ...