SCANNING Sarasota PLANNING

Thanks to the efforts of a resident of Sylvan Lea, which is adjacent to the  Smith farm (outlined below) where DR Horton wishes to build 170 homes, people who care about the future of the Celery Fields will have an opportunity on March 7 to address county Parks and Land Acqusition people . See the email below from Michelle Sizler, who got in touch with the county. Thanks to Ms. Sizler's efforts, all who wish are invited to attend this March 7 meeting and to address the advisory committee. The "Think Tank" room is on the 3rd floor of the County Admin building at 1660 Ringling Blvd . Here's Michelle: ==== Good evening, I wanted to get you up to speed with what we have going on with Sarasota Parks and Recreation and request your help in calling others to action.  Myself and a few other neighbors in Sylvan Lea recently sent in an application to Sarasota County Parks and Recreation to nominate the Raymond Rd farm to be acquired under Land Acquisition Program. With addition...

Longtime Sarasota activist Cathy Antunes interviews Lourdes Ramirez and Susan Schoettle-Gumm on her WSLR show, The Detail.   Both guests are founding members of SCAN - Sarasota Citizen Action Network, working to put the voice and vision of the public back into a planning process that has devised  many ways to exclude us . Lourdes has been a strong advocate for protecting Siesta Key from mega-hotels and overdevelopment. She recently won two court battles against hotel developers, but Benderson Development is coming back with proposals that would change the rules that were the basis of her victories. Her new website is ProtectSiestaKey.com Susan is a former Sarasota county attorney who is working with Mike Hutchinson and Eileen Fitzgerald to protect the last remaining rural community in Sarasota. Old Miakka's lifestyle is older than the county itself, now facing plans from developers Rex Jensen and Pat Neal who wish to add 5,000 homes to Lakewood Ranch - a plan that would consum...

  Additional Speakers Portion of the Q & A following Jon Thaxton's talk  (12 min) Continued Q & A  (3 min) Introduction of Mike Hutchinson of Old Miakka  and David Iannotti with a perspective on Warm Mineral Springs

  Dear Thomas, We are more than halfway through the 2024 Florida Legislative Session, which is slated to end on Friday, March 8 th . Fewer and fewer bills are making it through the process, yet several concerning bills for community planning in Florida are moving ahead. SB 1628  /  HB 1547  – Local Government Actions A couple of weeks ago, we alerted you to SB 1628 / HB 1547, which hands individual businesses – including foreign corporations – a way to defy the will of local leaders and their constituents by suspending local ordinances. City or county ordinances can be a way for local governments to regulate land use decisions in adherence to their comprehensive plan. The bill increases the burden on local governments to draft business impact statements for additional categories of ordinances, and could create a chilling effect for local oversight of businesses. Concerns have been raised that this unfunded mandate is unco nstitutional.  SB 1628 was temporar...

  Growing effects of light pollution upon migratory birds DarkSky.org US Fish & Wildlife Dark Skies Initiative Dark Sky Defenders

  The elected officials of Sarasota County never use the words "climate change." They're still obeying Rick Scott's ban on anything that would slow the pace of growth statewide. The west coast of Florida will see an increase in flood risk in the coming years, according to  First Street . 

Former Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton will speak about Growth and Balance this Wednesday, Feb. 21 -- details below in Lourdes' message.  Be sure to RSVP to this email address:  SarasotaCitizenAction Network@gmail.com     Hello Neighborhood Leaders! We wanted to let you know that after a successful first meeting, SCAN (Sarasota Citizen Action Network) has arranged for former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton to give a presentation on Growth and Balance at our upcoming meeting on February 21st. Jon's presentation was extremely popular at the recent Eco-summit, where he shared his thoughts on the County's growth and concerns about environmental stewardship over the past 50 years.  Please send us an email at   SarasotaCitizenActionNetwork@ gmail.com  if you are interested in attending.   Name of the event: Growth and Balance presentation by Jon Thaxton Date:  February 21 Time:  6 - 7:30 PM Location:  Jacaranda Library 4143 Woodmere Park B...

SCAN Mission Our aim is to promote good governance and to enhance the public health, safety, and preservation of the quality of life for residents, visitors, and property owners countywide through educational awareness, advocacy and public testimony. We affirm these principles of public-oriented planning: Sarasota County can accommodate sensible growth managed in a responsible, equitable and sustainable manner. It can protect existing property rights while ensuring no harm occurs to neighbors, neighborhoods, or to the overall community health, welfare, and quality of life. The County's Comprehensive Plan shall remain the statement of public policy that embodies the values and vision agreed upon by the people, county staff, the developers and the Board. Any changes should be based upon sound planning principles. Development proposals should undergo diligent and rigorous review to protect public health, safety, and welfare. Public notices of impactful projects must ensure that all i...

                           What, Why, and Who are SCAN? SCAN -- the Sarasota Citizen Action Network -- arose from a growing concern that public planning in Sarasota has lost perspective, proportion, and a public vision. Many areas and neighborhoods in Sarasota County are threatened by the impacts of incompatible development. Voices of residents are not reflected in repeated approvals of development and comprehensive plan amendments. SCAN's mission is to amplify residents' voices across a network connecting citizen groups and residents across the county, because w e -- residents of Sarasota County -- don't have a hundred planning issues -  we all share one .  To stay informed, please join SCAN's email:  SarasotaCitizenActionNetwork@gmail.com . At this moment, three beloved iconic places are facing proposals from powerful developers -- plans that would drastically transform what makes them uniq...