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Sierra Club Conservation Group: Protecting Florida’s Future Together

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Sierra Club Conservation Group Event Details Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Selby Public Library – Conference Room (Downstairs, Southeast Corner) 1331 First St, Sarasota, FL 34236 Admission: Free and open to the public Team Statement: Staying Focused on What Unites Us We welcome people from all walks of life. Our meetings are a non-political and religion-free zone, allowing us to focus on our shared goal: protecting the environment. Respect, inclusion, and collaboration are at the heart of everything we do. Let’s work together to build a future where Florida’s land, water, wildlife, and communities can thrive. Our group includes people with a wide range of perspectives and beliefs. That diversity is valuable — and it’s essential we respect it. Let’s focus on what brings us together, not what could set us apart. Topic: Greenbelts: Sarasota Manatee Wildlife Corridors and our archaeology in Manatee and Sarasota  Guest Speaker: Dr. Uzi Baram. A Sarasota resi...
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DR Horton Mediation to Continue October 1

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At the opening of the September 11 mediation of DR Horton's effort to reverse a 5-0 Board decision to deny its proposed 170-home project adjacent to the Celery Fields, Horton offered a revised plan: 122 homes, all behind a large retention pond: DR Horton's revised proposal for Smith Farm About 20 residents spoke at the hearing, run by a Magistrate, Mark Barnebey . None of the speakers supported the Horton proposal. The 50-acre Smith Farm is largely a floodplain - many who live in the area spoke of how tons of fill would be needed to elevate the homes - leading to potential flooding of surrounding neighborhoods. Other speakers focused on the impacts to the birding and recreation area of the Celery Fields - how the traffic from so many homes on a narrow winding road, coupled with the noise, lights, and intensity of activity would negatively affect a prime bird nesting and feeding area on Raymond Road, where a birding platform is often busy with visitors from around the country an...
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Is Sarasota's Commission being coerced into raising Stormwater rates?

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At 9 a.m. this Friday, September 5, the County Commission will hold its fourth Stormwater workshop. This discussion will include an administration proposal to increase our annual stormwater assessment to the tune of an additional $5 million per year. But wait: Didn't the county raise our annual stormwater assessment just a couple years ago to bring in over $10 million in additional revenue? Do we not have federal grants of which $75 million is allocated for stormwater maintenance dredging? Aren't Sarasota County customers  already paying  more per capita for stormwater management than any other county in Florida? County administrator Jonathan Lewis says we need another increase. But last year, Stormwater "forgot" it had $15.7 million sitting in another account.  Here's an odd thing: When the Board meets on Friday to consider another increase,  there is no non-increase option. Lewis has only put before them the choice between a higher or lower increase.  Why is t...
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SCAN meets to discuss our dwindling open spaces - and two more events

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SCAN Meeting on Aug. 27, 2025  5:30pm at Jacaranda Library. Large Meeting Room What can we do to preserve our dwindling open space and environmental habitat in Sarasota County now and in the future? Development is putting growing pressure on remaining undeveloped lands in Sarasota County - whether it's conservation land, open space, environmental habitat, preserves protected by covenants or recorded restrictions, golf courses, or other land that contributes to the green space and habitat in the County.  Most of the "easy" to develop land east of the Urban Service Boundary is already committed to approved Village development. The 2050 Plan's promises of increased true open space (not land used for stormwater ponds or utility/infrastructure) and connectivity of greenways/wildlife corridors have not been achieved. Action is needed to thwart the Browardization of our Sarasota County. As development pressure increases, every remaining acre of land becomes more valuable to ...
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Board to select from New Planning Commission Applicants

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Meet the contenders to become Sarasota County's newest planning board commissioners Christian Casale Sarasota Herald-Tribune As concerns with development have become the preeminent political issue in Sarasota, the County Commission will appoint new members to its important Planning Commission next week. The Planning Commission advises the county on important development issues, including long-term growth and land use. In recent years, the board has been seen as a pro-development body and a breeding ground for future county commissioners. However, the momentum may have shifted in April with  the appointment of Jon Thaxton .  Thaxton, a former county commissioner, is the director of policy at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and a public advocate against Sarasota’s explosion of development in recent years.  Planning Commissioners Donna Carter and Cullen Morgan have not applied for reappointment, so there are two open positions among the seven people who applied. The cand...
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Creative ways to preserve and protect land use at SCAN August 27

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A new spirit is enlivening the land-use planning processes in our area, as  this Craig Pittman article makes clear .  Pittman looks at a radical shift in the approach to planning in Manatee County -- a similar awareness is present in Sarasota. The developers do not run the show as they once did. At the same time, there is increased pressure on our conservation lands and open space. What programs and efforts are working to preserve environmental lands, habitat, floodplains and open space at the state, county and local levels and how effective are they? SCAN's next meeting is Wednesday, August 27 at Jacaranda Library. We'll start at 5:30 pm -- f you have an issue you wish to talk about, this is the time to talk about it. Beginning at 6 pm, four speakers will share their perspectives on land uses. Each approaches land from a different angle: Charles Hines Charles Hines - a former Sarasota Commissioner - will talk about his work with the Trust for Public Land, involving the ...
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July 1: Citizen Input: "Hire a New Stormwater Director"

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July 1, 2025 Budget Workshop Sarasota County Commission and staff hearing from citizens flooded by Hurricane Debby: The result: The Board directed Administrator Jonathan Lewis to hire a Director and Manager David Ochs:  "Please hire new blood"  Jay Crabtree  "You guys have listened to us"  “Through our own research and talking to experts, we've found that the county may be exempt from both state and federal permits,” said Seth Johnson, a volunteer with the South Gate Community Association. “Because they are pursuing a navigational dredge instead of stormwater maintenance, they could be completely missing this process that could get a shovel in the creek within a few months, rather than taking delay after delay from going through the federal permit process,” he told WUSF. Kerry Sheridan, WUSF/NPR Connie Neeley  "You don't just have a flood problem -  you have a trust problem" \ Kristy Molyneuaux "Stormwater leadership is broken" " Sar...
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