Citizens for Responsible Growth - St. Pete Beach Florida

St. Pete Beach Florida News

"Treasure Island, which has seen the greatest loss of hotel rooms to condos because of a ban on tall buildings, lost about 259 hotel rooms in 2004"
St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 15, 2006

Our opinion of local affairs.
By
Gary Becker

The St. Pete Beach based citizen activist group, Citizens for Responsible Growth, has been continuing their assault on anything that may benefit any nasty property developer. You've heard about those nasty developers who are at this very moment sitting in some cigar smoke filled back room with other nasty developers planning the destruction of the planet.

You also probably know about CRG, as they call themselves, because a week doesn't go by that CRG doesn't take out a quarter page ad in the St. Pete Times Neighborhood Times section. You've seen the ads which list all the bad things developers do including wanting to turn our beaches into one continuous concrete canyon.

Now don't get me wrong, CRG and it's members/supporters have every right in the world to support and advertise whatever issue they want. But I also have the right to my opinion and the right to express it.

In a recent CRG ad in the St. Pete Times it was stated that CRG supports low density, low height family friendly hotels. Well, who doesn't? But, how, in today's economy do you make a low density, low height family oriented hotel successful? I don't know so I emailed CRG and asked if they had a business plan to make low density, low height family oriented hotels make money.

After about a week I received a rather rudely written answer from one of CRG's leaders. In the email he pointed out that I should be aware of the successful condo/hotels on Treasure Island and the soon to be opened Residence Inn all of which are models of successful low density, low height family friendly accommodations.

Funny thing is, how can anyone claim to be successful in keeping low height buildings when two story family owned motels are torn down and replaced by six story investor owned condo/hotels? How do you claim success by pointing out $200.00 a night accommodations as being family friendly? How do you claim low height, low density success by pointing out the opening of a national chain hotel that is housed in a 10 story building?

The answer is simple, CRG has the right to claim anything they want. The voters have the responsibility to get a clear view of the issue and that's what this website is all about.