The art of compromise

David Weekley Homes had every right to expect opposition to its plans for residences on a failed 8-acre retail and warehouse site just outside downtown Sarasota.

After all, a previous development program had met with years of fierce opposition from a politically active neighborhood group. A plan to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter on a neighboring parcel stalled amid protests and administrative wrangling, too.

Instead, the Houston-based homebuilder is being lauded by neighborhood leaders and city officials for being inclusive, and for a proactive willingness to compromise on density and scale.