Jon Mast’s defense of the building industry (“Regarding Commissioner McCann’s Guest Op/Ed”) appropriately highlights the hard-working local tradespeople who live and work in Manatee County. No one is demonizing the plumbers, electricians, or landscapers who build our community.
However, Mr. Mast’s assertion that "new growth is what generates the funding necessary to improve infrastructure" flips reality on its head. These tradesmen have ample jobs, can work on reconstruction, water plants, well digging, drudging, HVAC repair, and landscaping. To say that they can only work on “new” construction or go without work is a known falsehood.
For years, residents have watched development outpace our infrastructure, leaving citizens to deal with flooded streets, gridlocked roads, and overcapacity schools. If new growth truly paid for itself, Manatee County wouldn't be constantly playing catch-up. While impact fees help, they rarely cover the true long-term costs of expanding public services to sprawling new developments.
Furthermore, claiming Florida's environmental regulations are the "strictest in the nation" rings hollow to residents watching wetlands continually replaced by retention ponds. It isn't "hostile rhetoric" to demand that our elected commissioners prioritize the quality of life for the people who already live here over the profit margins of corporate developers. We don't want to stop growth; we want growth that doesn't destroy the very environment that makes Manatee County desirable in the first place.
Balanced growth requires mutual sacrifice and accountability. Builders cannot expect open-door approvals while taxpayers bear the burden of the infrastructure deficits left behind. If the Suncoast Builders Association truly wants a collaborative relationship with the community, it must support the commission when it implements smart-growth boundaries and demands higher infrastructure standards from developers. Only then will we achieve the true collaboration Mr. Mast advocates for.
Dr. Bob McCann
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rayfusco68
Well said.
Friday, May 29 Report this
Cat L
Absolutely.
I'll add the Florida USED to have some of the most strict environmental regulations, but Rick Scotts admin removed 85% of them. Since then, it's been getting steadily worse environmentally. The list of damages since then is long and depressing. Along side this, there is NO education to teach all the new residents how to care for Florida, as it is a unique and delicate place. I am tired of watching as people who swear they "love" Florida, destroy it.
Friday, May 29 Report this
mcmplm
How do you contain the rampant growth ? Overbuilding will create excess supply which in itself will slow the growth.
Also, we are already seeing signs of net migration to Florida slowing which will further reduce demand. Higher for longer mortgage rates and AI job dismissals are two additional growth retardants.
One county governmental power worth discussion... Limiting annual growth of new construction to 2% of the total county appraised value.
Saturday, May 30 Report this
oracle_of_experience
We’ve seen the results of the premise that growth pays for itself - if it were true (which it isn’t) - we’d have uncongested and well maintained roads, effective storm drainage and sewage systems in times of storms, sufficient water for a myriad of uses in wet and dry cycles. We’d have strong and forward looking land planning on a countywide and regional scale not haphazard piecemeal development. We would see infill and recycling of urban cores versus sprawling tendrils of developments far into the interior beyond services. The tradesmen will adapt and adjust their skillsets to a different sustainable model were it to become an option. Also of note most of the workers that drive the new construction are foreign based. I see absolutely no problem with this per se but many of the pro growth infer that slowing or stopping growth will cause huge impacts to local residents. These workers tend to move where the work is and adapt to the trends local or otherwise. Why not try stopping the unchecked growth for two election cycles or so and see how it goes? The true beneficiaries currently- the developer “bosses” - will surely survive!
Sunday, June 14 Report this