What is the price of progress in a state like Florida where developers are king and progress is measured by how many houses can be built on a tract of land?

In a recent post I wrote about my dismay at changes that were coming to an especially scenic area across from the walking and biking path where I take my dog every day.

I lamented the clearing of land across a lake that I love, a lake that has soothed me when I needed it, and has been a delight for many years.I’ve watched the clearing of the land for the last week or so. At first it seemed judicious, and then the heavy machinery moved in. Overnight huge mature trees were uprooted and piled like so much trash along the bank across the lake. The piles of debris are easily viewed from the walking and biking path. Large swaths of land are now visible, forming lots on which houses will sprout like mushrooms.

Other residents, people I see almost every day on my walks with my dog, have remarked on the change.  The consensus is that the once beautiful, calming view has been destroyed.

When I am rational about this change, I realize that my neighborhood was just as lush and green before houses were constructed as the tract of land I am lamenting.

I am sure  buyers will come along in a few months, excited about the lovely view from their new homes.

Meanwhile, I will see this construction as more scars upon the land.

Yes, we pay a heavy price here in Florida for the autonomy developers have been granted.

Ah, progress!