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Suncoast Pasco News

Relative terms

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2009

Pasco County's residential construction and real estate markets have been hammered to the canvas and show no signs of getting back on their feet. So Pasco officials anxious to reshape the county to their liking appear ready to pounce.

The county is considering an overhaul of growth rules that would force future residential growth into urban cores. The idea is to combat suburban sprawl and produce a county in which mass transit would be more attractive than it is at present. The more urbanized areas of the Suncoast are considering light-rail transit systems and Pasco wants in on the act.

Pasco County didn't have zoning until the mid-1970s, so there are plenty of reasons to second-guess the way the county, especially West Pasco, has evolved. On the other hand, it's always important to be on the same page when it comes to defining terms. What the advocates of rigorously planned growth call sprawl could be considered people choosing to live where they want.

Few people are moving to Pasco County these days, but economics, not the supposed nightmare of sprawl, is the reason. We already have urban cores on the Suncoast people could live in if they choose. Choose should be the operative term in this case.

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