A referendum on the Legacy Trail is on the ballot for November. It seeks voter approval to borrow up to $65 million over 20 years to use — with a state grant and possibly other funds — to enable county government to extend the recreational trail from Culverhouse Nature Park, which is on McIntosh Road south of Stickney Point Road, to Fruitville Road near downtown Sarasota.

The Argus Foundation has not taken an official position on the referendum but is studying the numbers and the plans with the assistance of The Friends of the Legacy Trail. It is a significant investment for the county.

While we are wrapping our arms around and contemplating the project, we want to raise a very important issue for the economic future of Sarasota County that must be addressed ahead of any referendum vote:

How are we going to protect the industrial and commercial properties abutting the Legacy Trail from mission creep?