Sarasota County's populace to double
Quote Originally Posted by Doug Sword, Herald-Tribune
SARASOTA — Forget the housing crunch; Sarasota County's population will still double in the next 30 years, said Arthur Nelson, co-director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, double what it was in 2000.

Nelson dismissed arguments that Florida has become unattractive to retirees and that its taxes are too high.

Similar arguments were made in the 1980s and the early 1990s about Florida, preceding housing booms in the state, he said.

"This too will pass," he said.

Nelson's presentation to county commissioners Tuesday kicked off this year's effort to rewrite Sarasota County's redevelopment code.

In particular, officials expect the middle part of the county along U.S. 41, which was largely developed about 30 years ago, to be redeveloped in the coming years.

The county wants to emphasize New Urbanism in its redevelopment plans, with enough density to encourage public transportation and redevelopment schemes that reduce the number of car trips.

For those who think recent news of foreclosures, high insurance costs and high taxes will make Florida less popular as a retirement destination, Nelson pointed to a 2007 study that projected buying and selling trends for people at age 65.

The study looked...
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