Our view

Longtime Longboaters may still be in shock. For sure, we’re still bleary eyed. Is it a dream?

Certainly, 10 years ago, even five years ago, we never thought we would read such a news story on Longboat Key. To wit, from last week’s Longboat Observer, page 3A:

“The Planning and Zoning Board believes future amendments to the Comprehensive Plan should include height modifications for Whitney Bech Plaza and the option for residential use in a new town-center overlay district near Bay Isles Road.”

The story went on to say — again, shockingly — the board reached consensus on the idea of allowing Whitney Beach Plaza to build as high as 65 feet and that a developer should be allowed up to 20% of any project there be devoted to residential units.

This is remarkable, almost stunning. Especially given the posture and history of Longboat Key toward commercial development over the past quarter-century. The late Mayor Kit Fernald, the duchess of the Key’s strident anti-business forces in the late 1980s and early 1990s, most surely would be marshaling her forces and political tricks if she were here today.

We see, too, that former Mayor Jim Brown, in his weekly commentary in the Sarasota paper, is hoping Longboat’s new generation of commissioners and planning board members won’t swing too far toward pro-growth and pro-development.

No one should worry about that. Longboat Key’s property owners and taxpayers, not to mention its commissioners, would never adopt the Houston model — no zoning laws. The old currents still run deep here, and there are still a lot of people who continue to repeat the mantra — “keep Longboat Longboat.”

But while wanting to keep Longboat Longboat, many Longboaters are showing widespread acceptance that standing still certainly won’t keep Longboat Longboat. Keeping Longboat Longboat means it must move forward, revitalize and stay fresh. “Revitalize” being the key word.

It’s the same as maintaining your home. You cannot let it stand for 30 years and expect it to become as valuable as the home next door, where the owner has reinvested and updated his infrastructure. Or it’s like the beach. We have to keep pouring sand on it or watch the town’s properties wash away.

To this end, it’s refreshing and welcome to see the planning and zoning board members open their minds to new thinking. We have been advocating for this posture — of allowing for much more creative market-driven development flexibility — for 15 years.

A caution: While it’s a welcome change to see the planning and zoning board members recommend more flexibility and overlay districts to be added to the town’s comprehensive plan, care should be given to avoiding new rules that will unnecessarily limit possibilities.

This is where former Mayor George Spoll’s idea of an economic revitalization task force could play a valuable role.

How it might work:

Before the planning board sends proposed comprehensive plan revisions to the Town Commission, a commission-appointed revitalization task force could be charged with researching how other communities have crafted legislation that led to successful redevelopment and revitalization.

The task force could learn first-hand from developers who specialize in redevelopment what kinds of legislative “frameworks” give them incentives to invest.

The task force could learn what must be expunged from the town’s existing codes or how codes should be crafted to avoid deleterious unintended consequences.

The mission, in the end, is to re-craft the town’s comprehensive plan in a way that would attract and spur the kind of commercial revitalization that fits the Key and keeps it moving forward.

The time for this is now. The appetite, urgency and momentum are there. They shouldn’t be squandered.

+ Good news for the Colony
Patience. It will happen.

For everyone who wants to see a rejuvenated Colony Beach & Tennis Resort teeming with vacationers again, take it as good news that the Colony unit-owners association has identified 14 credible contenders to redevelop Longboat Key’s most historic jewel.

It will happen.

This reminds us of the early 1980s on Miami Beach, when that island’s two most famous resorts — the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc, the fabulous creations of architect Morris Lapidus — languished and deteriorated. They were bygones of another era, victims of bankrupcties and owners who did not keep them up with the times.

But their histories and locations were too rich and priceless to die. The Steve Muss family restored the Fontainebleau to its original luster, and famed Miami developer Tibor Hollo took on the renovation of the Eden Roc.

These two landmarks continue to thrive today. The same will be true for the Colony. Patience. It will happen.

+ Mayoral discomfort
Who should be mayor? Should it be the Longboat Key commissioner serving his or her last year in office — a good tradition that reigned for many years? Or should it be the commissioner whom his peers believe is the right person for the job at that particular time?

We have seen it go both ways — for good and bad. Both approaches inevitably engender ill will, as it did with the bypassing Monday of Commissioner Bob Siekmann for mayor.

But after watching this ceremony year after year, we’ve concluded: Let it follow the American way — majority rules.

Advice for Mayors
Longboat Key Town Attorney David Persson broke from tradition at the Monday night swearing-in session of the Longboat Key Town Commission. He issued an opinion, which he often does, but it was an opinion on the outgoing mayor’s performance, which he rarely does.

Persson has sat in his town attorney seat for 21 consecutive years of swearing-in ceremonies. He has seen a lot of commissioners and mayors come and go.

He was complimentary of the whole bunch by and large. But he made a special complimentary note Monday night of a quality and characteristic in outgoing George Spoll.

Persson credited with Spoll with having the guts to say “no.”

The town attorney noted that in his observance of municipal proceedings, including those of other cities for which he has served, Persson has witnessed too often how mayors and commissioners are afraid to be decisive, especially when it comes to some of the goofy ideas that citizens often suggest to their commissioners.

“Rather than say no, they appoint a committee or a task force and the wheels of government grind on,” Persson said.

Spoll, said Persson, wasn’t afraid to say no and wasn’t afraid to make a decision. “I hope that is infectious,” Persson said.

Nice compliment. Great advice.

The few, the proud - a personal note
It’s 10 weeks of pure hell — a freezing, cold hell of frostbite, 12-mile “humps” in blizzards, crawling through frozen creeks and sleeping three hours a night.

But on that last day March 18, when the 184 candidates (out of an original class of 275) graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School and were commissioned as second lieutenants, their joy was glorious.

You cannot put into words the admiration and respect that overcomes you when you see and hear what they endure to be the fiercest, most efficient protectors of freedom in all the world.

It’s emotionally draining to witness — the traditions, formality and seriousness of purpose; the geometric precision; the reciting of the oath to support and defend the Constitution; mothers hugging their sons; the pinning of the bars; and the “first salute,” when the drill seargeant who mercilessly tore the candidate to shreds for 10 weeks stands at attention and extends his sign of respect.

When we informed one of our son’s mentors, Longboat Key resident and retired Marine Col. John Saputo, that “Candidate Brian Walsh” became 2nd Lt. Walsh, the colonel responded:

“Please put that in the Observer as a reminder to the rest of his generation that this Country is theirs to preserve or lose ... ”

Indeed, but we can be reassured there are 184 new Marine officers — as well as hundreds of thousands of U.S. service men and women — who are committed to do all they can to protect and preserve. They are awesome to behold.

— Matt Walsh, Editor