OPINION -- We all know there are well connected, powerful groups and individuals that would love nothing more than to turn back the clock to a time when Tallahassee was smaller, and their influence over the area was greater. For good or bad, there are people who don't want to see the community continue to add more residents, and spread urbanization any further that it has already gone. My view of our city is largely shaped by an internal gut feeling for the potential our area holds by virtue of its current makeup, status as Capital of what may soon become the 3rd largest US State, and its prominence in this vast, relatively undiscovered (or Over Protected) North Florida, South Georgia region.

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MY VIEW -- If you can think about what the Southwood area was before the development of the HUGE 4,000 residential, mixed-use master planned development commenced, it was nothing more than a sprawling cow pasture with some state offices nearby. Today Southwood is home to some of the city's more impressive buildings, homes, and potentially will develop into the next major commercial hub.

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MY VIEW - Without a doubt trees are a good thing. They provide clean air, habitat for birds and other animals, they offer shade, and compliment landscapes. Kids even sometimes use them for recreation. But what happens when trees go bad? When they obstruct the view of your favorite landscape or one's roots grow under the roads. When a huge branch falls through the roof of your car, or a storm knocks one over into your living room?

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MY VIEW -- It is no secret that Tallahassee is, and has been for a very long time a rather charming community. From her canopy roads, magnolia trees, Spanish moss, and antebellum homes Tallahassee has all of the charms that make for lovely postcards. Tallahassee's schools are top notch, parks are the best in the nation, and neighborhoods in residential areas of the city are safe and clean.

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MY VIEW -- As in fashion, and with car designs, what’s old is new again. The same can be said for urban design in our cities especially in the age of rapidly-rising energy costs, inadequate infrastructure, and efforts to “go-green”. In many corners of Tallahassee, we continue to see efforts to employ the methods of yesterday to develop new communities throughout our city. Evening Rose is one example that comes to mind as we look at what is being done in the name of smart growth.

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MY VIEW - Many of our residents may not be familiar with the area in question, Mahan Drive at Wadesboro Rd. Below is a map of the project area, showing within a 3 mile radius several suburban-style housing developments consisting of homes built on lots ranging in size from less than 1/2 an acre to well over 10 acres. Developer Rockaway, Jacksonville, FL, is proposing to build 382 homes on 509 acres which breaks down to about 1 home to 1.33 acres. Of that 509 acre project site, aprox. 1/2 or 255 acres are to remain natural -- untouched for the purpose of conservation.

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MY VIEW -- As a life-long resident of Tallahassee, I've lived in every corner of this city. From Apalachee Ridge on the city's south, Park Terrace in the north west, Kimberly Hills in the north east, Hayden Road in the southwest, each corner of Tallahassee has its own character, with feels both good and bad. No matter how beautiful you and I may think Tallahassee is, the reality of our situation is various areas of Tallahassee face a variety of obstacles to overcome if we are to ever achieve our ultimate goal in making all of Tallahassee's as lovely as it should be.

When we talk about the condition of Tallahassee's streets and neighborhoods, the story could very well take on the characteristics of day and night. I always tease by saying it's as if someone took a marker and drew an imaginary line down Monroe Street, and on the east side of that line they decided to keep everything neat and clean, on the west side of that line -- they spilled their waste.

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MY VIEW - At the close of 2007, 921,816 people had flown in and out of Tallahassee Regional Airport for the year. That was down a whopping 233,256 (20.2%) from the airport's record year of 2004 (1,155,072).  The decline in passenger traffic has been highly noted since the departure of discount carrier AirTran, who arrived in Tallahassee November 15, 2001 and announced its plans to depart July 20, 2004.

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