Sarasota Herald Tribune March 13th 2008 By Roger Drouin
SARASOTA — After battling a neighborhood revolt for three years, developer Ron Burks won his first significant victory Wednesday.
In a 4-0 vote, the planning board recommended that the City Commission approve a land-use change, which would allow buildings up to five stories high on Burks' 9.5-acre parcel adjacent to Payne Park.
About two dozen residents -- many wearing "Stop Sprawl" buttons -- were on hand to speak out against the project. But unlike at all the previous meetings, this one had some supporters as well.
"There has been a lot of mistrust between the developer and residents," said Myron Nickle, who lives a few blocks from the proposed project. "As this has developed, it has come to the point where it can be a vibrant and wonderful project."
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Sarasota Business Journal Feb 25th 2008
Charrette produces civil, constructive dialogue on development editorial published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
What happens when you bring people together to talk about development in Sarasota?
Usually there's bickering and finger-pointing -- especially when the proposed development is near neighborhoods.
But last weekend, between 100 and 200 folks participated in a town meeting -- technically, a planning charrette -- to discuss development ideas for 9 1/2 acres on School Avenue, in the heart of the city.
Before the charrette, debate over redevelopment plans for the School Avenue site had been bitter and divisive.
Not so during the charrette.
There were words from skeptics and critics, of course, but civil, constructive conversations replaced angry exchanges during the three-day event that ended Saturday. The visual-preference surveys, brainstorming sessions and other activities produced, in a single important word: consensus.
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By Roger Drouin Sarasota Herald Tribune
Letter to the Editor Sarasota Herald Tribune
Planning exercise might provide lessons on building consensus
Charrette will restart dialogue on Sarasota developer's plan
concerted action is the desired goal
Thomas Tryon wrote a column in the Sunday Jan 27th Perspectives section of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune featuring the Charrette process...
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When I recently interviewed Pam Truitt, chairwoman of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, and Kelly Kirschner, neighborhood activist turned city commissioner, they emphatically agreed on this point: Neighborhoods, developers and the community are best served when they engage in civil, constructive discussions and create a shared vision -- before plans go to public hearings conducted by elected officials.
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So, the School Avenue charrette might determine not only the future of this site, but the planning process in our region. If this charrette succeeds, it could also change the nature of civic conversations.