SCANNING Sarasota PLANNING

Throughout all the Bendersonian efforts to scramble the Comprehensive Plan, to enable mega-hotels on Siesta Key, to ignore the evidence of our senses, of our science, of our sense of reality, one thread stands out: No one on the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners (with the exception of Mark Smith) says "climate change" -- ever.  This Thursday, June 27, we'll hear from Dr. Tiffany Troxler in the Geldbart Auditorium at Selby Library. We'll start at 4:15 pm and end at 6 pm. Tiffany Troxler Dr. Troxler is a Research Scientist and Associate Professor at the Southeast Environmental Research Center and the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University. Her research focuses on wetland ecosystems ecology, and informs management and restoration of coastal and freshwater wetland ecosystems . She is also the project collaborator and working group co-lead in the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER program. Troxler is Director and Associate Director for Scie

The Siesta Key Condominium Council Inc. has sent a strong letter regarding concerns coming before the Planning Commission this Thursday, 5 pm at the County Administration Building 1660 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota. It begins: Dear Planning Commissioners: The SKCC represents over 100 associations and 7,000 households. The Board of Directors believes the revised Comprehensive Plan and UDC amendments proposed are ill-advised and defeat the protections provided Siesta Key by the Comprehensive Plan and SKOD.  The Council's full letter is here Planning Commission Agenda for June 20, 2024 The Planning Commission Packet - background and correspondence Background supplied by a member of the SKCC:  The Planning Department originally stated these were Public/ County initiated amendments, but the hearing posting states it is County initiated. The process was initiated by a 41-unit time share on Siesta Key. Several stakeholder groups representing large numbers of Key residents were invited to expres

Herald Tribune columnist Carrie Seidman on the way Sarasota planning governance excludes the people it is supposed to represent. Originally published  by the HT in 2020 under the title: "County appointments deserve wider field, deeper scrutiny"      Former Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, an expert on the Florida Scrub-Jay and an advocate for protection of Sarasota’s natural resouces, was among nine applicants for recent vacancies on the county’s Planning Board. It was the 16th time his application has been rejected, dating back to the mid-’90s.   Carrie Seidman carrie.seidman@heraldtribune.com Within the Sarasota community, there are few people as informed, connected, community-minded and collaborative as   Jon Thaxton . A fifth-generation Floridian born on a farm near Osprey, Thaxton has earned broad-based respect for his reflective judgment and his willingness to cross traditional boundaries to examine all sides of an issue. His dedication to the preserving the na

From 1000 Friends of Florida : Managing Growth: Promoting a Sustainable Future Since its inception in 1986, 1000 Friends of Florida has been the state’s leading advocate for managing growth to promote a sustainable, livable and economically healthy future for Florida. This advocacy continues today, as 1000 Friends takes the lead on issues ranging from conserving natural lands and waters, to fighting to restore citizen rights. Background on the 1985 Growth Management Act Florida’s process of managing growth was born in the 1970s and 1980s when – much like today — the state’s population reached 1,000 new residents a day and environmental, water quality, transportation and other associated issues were paramount. Recognizing the serious ramifications for Florida’s quality of life and economy, state leaders put in place a host of new environmental measures over those earlier decades. Beginning in 1972, the state first took serious steps to start managing the many impacts associated with ram

Venice City Councilwoman Joan Farrell addressed the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners regarding Pat Neal's proposed 3H Ranch on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Neal's huge plan for 6700 homes extending south from Clark Road received an absurdly superficial review from the Planning Commission. County staff has issues with the proposal, and advised stipulations, but the appointed Planning Commissioners - the six who actually showed up - recommended approval of the plan with no stips . The Board of County Commissions (BCC) was all set to hear and decide on 3H Ranch on Wednesday, but Neal withdrew the item from the Board agenda.  Farrell, who was elected in November , had prepared a 5-minute presentation (normal for public hearings), but was given just 3 minutes for Open to the Public. It was 3 minutes of dynamite - start around 43:11 : This Commission should defeat the reckless and irresponsible development of the 3H Ranch, a Development of Critical Concern.  If approved, this devel

Lourdes Ramirez Property Rights versus Wants? The recent investigation by journalist Derek Gilliam of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune ( article link ) revealed that developers have overly generous access to county officials. These developers often defend their close relationship with taxpayer-funded planning officials by citing the strong property rights protections provided in Florida law and Article 5 of the Constitution, which states that private land may not be taken for public use without just compensation. However, the question remains:  is their development request actually a property right, or just what the developer wants?  As the late County Commissioner Nancy Detert once pointed out, "Property rights are what you have." Property regulations govern every inch of Sarasota County, including zoning rules that dictate what kind of structures a property owner can build and operate on their land. For example, if a property is zoned for commercial purposes, there is a long lis