Land is not a commodity: it is the basis of a commonwealth

Email sent 4.5.21 regarding an April 6, 2021 Board agenda item (#26) that would delete citizens' right to participate in land use planning processes.

Planner <planner@scgov.net>
cc:		Alan Maio <amaio@scgov.net>, Michael Moran <mmoran@scgov.net>, "Nancy C. Detert" <ncdetert@scgov.net>, christian ziegler <cziegler@scgov.net>, commissioners@scgov.net, Andrew.Stultz@sarasotaadvisory.net, Colin.Pember@sarasotaadvisory.net, Joseph.Neunder@sarasotaadvisory.net, Kevin.Cooper@sarasotaadvisory.net, Laura.Benson@sarasotaadvisory.net, Teresa.Mast@sarasotaadvisory.net, Neil.Rainford@sarasotaadvisory.net, Drew.Peters@sarasotaadvisory.net, Justin.Taylor@sarasotaadvisory.net, Frank.Strelec@sarasotaadvisory.net, rcutsinger@scgov.net, Jonathan Lewis <countyadministrator@scgov.net>
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To the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners and members of the Planning Commission:

The County's discussions of the 94-85(a) provision that allows citizens to procedurally address future land use conversations have, both at the Planning Commission and in the Board's earlier conversations, exhibited the full range of a nanometer. 

So captured by the business and development community's thinking are you, our elected officials, that you have failed to frame the subject so that it could honestly and openly be debated in depth in an open forum -- prior to simply deleting citizens from the Code with a stroke of your pen.

Please consider: We live here. We pay taxes. We care about what becomes of Sarasota County. The shaping of this land and its uses affects us all, despite the talk of "private property" that in truth is not relevant to the discussion.

Think how many times you have approved text amendments that affect lands never owned by those who proposed them. Perhaps you recall Mr. Bo Medred's text amendment that allowed demolition facilities to be more cosily located near private homes. You had no problem with the fact that Mr. Medred did not own any of the lands whose rules he asked you to alter. Mr. Medred later admitted in open session before the Planning Commission that his sole purpose was to "legalize" Quad Parcel #2, which Mr. Gabbert sought to use for a 16-acre open air debris demolition plant. Those of you who were present in 2016 found no fault with Ord. 2016-082 - it unanimously passed both your boards.

Kindly don't think this elision of our rights will slip by a dormant, covid-obsessed public. The deletion of citizens' powers by their own elected officials is usually not a crowd-pleaser.

Land use, planning and development evoke many rich perspectives that you have not brought to the table, so it seems "democratic" to allow others to do that. In the past, you have at times shown you are able to listen to good sense. Now would be a time to do so once again.

Do not delete this right of our citizens. If you wish to discuss it, hold a public forum and invite the folks who for so long have helped make Sarasota something very special. Take your time. Our community's future is worth that, don't you think?

Cordially,

Tom Matrullo

Sarasota 34241

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For more on this topic, see here and here.