Hi, I am Dennis McDermott
Actually, that is a Walrus, not Dennis.
Walrus Enterprises is a ‘fictitious name’ registered with the Florida Department of State. The Walrus behind the curtain is Dennis McDermott, a retired community development banker who lives in Clearwater, Florida.
Dennis’ undergraduate education focused on Geography with a minor in Economics.
His interests in geography, economics and land use led him to become a student of cities, and he was fortunate to have spent some 35 years working in the field, primarily in small cities across New York State and Connecticut. He was involved in hundreds of programs and projects centered on improving the quality of life for residents, employees, and visitors in a diverse array of neighborhoods and communities.
The study of geography – at least at the college level – examines the spatial relationships between man and our physical environment, incorporating economics, governance, transportation, and – possibly most critical – ensuring inclusion of the Iroquois principle that the decisions we make today should help support a sustainable world for at least 7 generations into the future.*
None of us has access to a crystal ball, but we can use available research, predictions, and projections to look beyond just tomorrow or next week to embrace inclusion of intertwined variables into land use planning.
For example, arbitrary expansion of the overall number of hotel rooms on a barrier island subject to regular severe storm activity requires a clear and carefully tested evacuation plan.
By the same token, the concept of bringing all those new guests to that barrier island, together with the necessary hospitality and support staff needed to ensure a positive and memorable guest experience, requires extensive research and planning.
Is there any evidence that when Clearwater adopted “Beach by Design” in 2001, there were any serious attempts to include practical and sustainable transportation concepts into the plan?
Or, is there any evidence that over the ensuing 2+ decades, any innovative and forward-looking solutions to the transportation dilemma have been seriously explored?
The purpose of “Not Only in Clearwater” project is not derogatory or punitive.
The goal is to provide a real-world overview of how 2-dimensional thinking in a fast-paced multidimensional world can lead to serious (potentially fatal) land use planning decisions.
Although this project is centered on the City of Clearwater, the perpetual deficiencies illustrated here seem to haunt and plague many similar communities across the U.S.
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