Selby Gardens is and will continue to be a tremendous net benefit to the community. 

Since 1975, Selby Gardens has been a much-loved part of Sarasota’s fabric and the scientific work conducted at the Gardens is world-renowned. As a member of the Board of Trustees at Selby Gardens, it is our duty and responsibility to make strategic decisions that will ensure the Gardens are properly stewarded well into the future.

I recognize the land where Selby Gardens sits is ripe for high-rise development, and just as those who have served on the Board before me, we have thoughtfully kept the land away from such dense high-rise development, knowing that the real value of having green space in downtown is a tremendous net benefit to the community. The necessary rezoning for the new Master Plan that must occur to keep this land as a botanical garden in perpetuity is a small price to pay to keep away high-density development. 

Norbert P. Donelly is a member of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Board of Trustees.