Resident offers vision roadmap

The Longboat Key Vision Planning Subcommittee was created with the goal of crafting a vision statement to serve as a road map for the town’s future. And, recently, a Key resident provided suggestions that Subcommittee Chairman Jack Duncan believes could offer a good starting point.

Lee Riley, who was recently appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, wrote that he has been a full-time voting resident of the island since October and has vacationed on the Key for more than 20 years. He offered this suggestion for a vision statement in a July 26 email to Duncan:

“LBK should continue to develop plans/agreements/relationships/projects that will stimulate land development/redevelopment and encourage service providers to do business on the island that will enhance the property values and achieve a desirable balance of affordable services for residents and tourists with a goal to improve the economy of the island in a manner that satisfies all concerned.”

In his email, Riley laid out six assumptions about Longboat Key, including his belief that Key residents and tourists consist of a mix of people who generally have the means to invest in their properties and have high expectations when it comes to services and amenities. He also noted six considerations, including the importance of highly qualified town personnel, fiscal responsibility and maintaining a balance of single-family homes, multifamily units and mixed-use buildings.

Riley listed a variety of goals for the town.

He wrote that over the next year or two, the town should make Publix, primary health care, pension-plan shortfalls, a cell tower and becoming a visible part of tourist attractions its priorities.

For the next three to five years, Riley wrote that goals should include redevelopment of Whitney Beach and the Longboat Key Club and Resort, replacing the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort and addressing pension-plan shortfalls and the Bayfront Park Recreation Center.

Riley listed beach renourishment and continued proactive maintenance and replacement of the island’s public facilities as goals for the next six to 15 years.

Duncan said that Riley’s suggestions offered good direction for the subcommittee.

“I think it shows an understanding of our need for a vision statement and what it needs to involve,” he said.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].

SUBCOMMITTEE
The Longboat Key Vision Planning Subcommittee continues to seek volunteers, particularly those who have never contributed at Town Hall. Interested Longboat Key residents should contact Commissioner and Subcommittee Chairman Jack Duncan at [email protected].