Mark Sharpe gets sharper

In today's Tribune, there is an editorial titled "County Kills Plan To Phase Growth Without Hearing From Public" Read the editorial for full details.

"Hillsborough County commissioners, in a surprise vote at a workshop last week, killed a proposal to encourage higher density growth in selected parts of the unincorporated county."

and

"Never was there a better time for leaders in this county to engage the community on a vision for growth that would preserve our quality of life and meet the needs of the 400,000 people expected to move here over the next 20 years."

and


"The commission's own policy approved two years ago requires a system for focusing growth. Commissioners asked the city-county planning commission staff to develop a system that would help minimize suburban sprawl, encourage transit and cut down on the public costs of growth.

The planners held a series of public meetings throughout the county and compiled some 3,000 comments. They found a consensus view that compact growth was needed in select areas to put people closer to jobs, bus lines, major highways and other infrastructure.

Using money provided by the county commission, the planners hired a consultant to draw the map, with its three tiers of growth. The appointed city-county planning commission approved the map in January and sent it to elected officials for debate, fine-tuning and possible submission to the state Department of Community Affairs for approval.

The map would have changed no zonings or land-use designations. It would have only guided where the county should offer incentives for more units per acre than currently allowed. However, several commissioners misinterpreted the map as a requirement that growth go near neighborhoods that don't want it."

However

"Commissioner Ken Hagan made a motion to scrap the proposal, along with a package of "livable cities" amenities. Commissioners Jim Norman, Kevin White, Brian Blair and Al Higginbotham agreed.

Commissioners Mark Sharpe and Rose Ferlita voted no, although both had questions about the map. Ferlita complained after the meeting that "people did not have the opportunity to weigh in. We chopped them off."

This is something I have been seeing time and time again. Rose and Mark stand opposed to Jim, Kevin, Brian and Al.

I had my doubts about Mark Sharpe when he was part of the Intolerant Six and voted with homophobic Ronda Storms regarding gay issues. However since then I have seen him vote on the right side of issues many times. It has been him and Rose for the people, with the the boys on the sides of developers. Mark Sharpe has gotten sharper. Democrat Kevin White, however, seems to be consistently side with the developers who funded his campaign.