New Urbanism, Old Problems

REVIEW SUMMARY
What. Sarasota County's new urbanism plan for the gateway to Sarasota.
Issue. Can the county and private partners advance a complex development strategy for low impact development on prime real estate at the rural edge?
Impact. Property values could soar if vacant land becomes a major employment center.
By the Numbers. Click here.

It's not uncommon for Sarasota County commissioners to go against their Planning Commission — but in a case along Interstate 75, the county is also the applicant, a landowner and the ultimate decision-maker with a lot at stake.

Last month, county commissioners overruled the Planning Commission's denial of the 5,500-acre Villages of Lakewood Ranch South. That project of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch features a new urbanism style development not unlike what's proposed this time around for the Fruitville Initiative.