Using 'wow' factor when it counts

Starting the week with three separate topics as we begin our delightful six-month 90-degree season…

— Talking with a friend over the weekend about the county’s growth. He’s in the pro-development crowd, and of the belief that so long as the county is approving quality development, that’s better than what we have now.

I’ve heard that from a few corners during the last year. The idea that somehow, we can stop poor quality development and approve only high-quality development.

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Frankly that sounds a little bait-and-switch. Look around the county. Outside of the Inverness Villages 4 debacle, do we have any developments of poor quality? They all look like $400,000 homes to me on nice streets with HOAs and walking trails. 

Using terms like “quality development” as a reason to vote for a project seems wishful thinking at best. It’s not the County Commission’s job to determine if the project is quality or not. It’s the county’s job to ensure the project is compatible in the community and conforms to development codes.

Many years ago, I attended a contentious zoning hearing in Inverness. I think someone wanted to put in a used car lot. The neighbors were worried about parking lot lights, but the City Council approved it in part because the businessman had a good reputation.

That property has changed hands several times since then. Last I checked, it sold used tires.

The point is commissioners get sucked into doing the exact thing they ask residents not to do: Make an emotional decision.

Developers play to the emotion. These businesses roll into Citrus County telling us what we need. They paint a rosy picture of how their communities will enhance our quality of life. Can we just call that what it is? Nonsense. Yes, the community MAY enhance our quality of life, but that is not the developer’s GOAL. 

The developer’s goal is to make money for himself and his investors. It’s not to make Pine Ridge more attractive to Pine Ridgers. 

Development approvals based on “wow” factors are a slippery slope. I agree we want only the best for our community. Not sure how to legislate that.

— I haven’t heard anything about the Adams Building in Inverness lately, and that has me nervous.

In all the space-needs chatter with the County Commission, judges, and constitutional officers, one idea we should remove from the table is buying that building. Five reasons:

1. The county shouldn’t be buying property.
2. Takes prime real estate off the tax roll.
3. The county already owns a shell office just waiting for commissioners to move in. It’s RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the Courthouse, where the board meets, and not a five-minute walk away.
4. If that space doesn’t work for some reason, the Inverness Government Center is a much more logical second option.
5. Repeat Nos. 1 and 2.

Let's cool ourr heels and wait for a space-needs study. We don’t want judges designing office space. And constitutional officers saying they need space for this, and they need space for that — again, not their expertise.

It’s always a bit disconcerting to hear these elected officials talk about needing more office space and all the associated costs. They’ve not done a good job of explaining the public benefit.

As for the building owned by former Commissioner Scott Adams, it should stay in private hands.

— Continued prayers for our friend Calvin Adams Jr. (no relation to Scott) following his scary accident Friday morning at the Sims Furniture store in Lecanto. 

I sure hope Calvin is OK and feisty as ever. We get all crazed on the campaign trail and forget sometimes that these candidates are our neighbors. Friday’s post on the Just Wright Citrus Facebook page of Calvin's accident brought over 90 prayers and comments, including from two of Adams’ opponents in the sheriff’s race.

Politics aside, Calvin Adams is one of the good guys in our community. Can’t wait to hear him barking at me again.

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