SCANNING Sarasota PLANNING

Jono and Julie Miller have long been among Sarasota's leading environmental advocates. For years, Jono taught environmental studies at New College, and recently authored The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm .  Julie also taught at New College, and has served as a commissioner and chair of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC), among many other positions .  Both Julie and Jono are constructive observers of what is happening to our ecosystem on the Gulf Coast. Together they host Our Changing Environment  at 9 am every other Tuesday on WSLR . Julie and Jono both have attended SCAN meetings and invited a member of SCAN to chat about what we have found in meetings around the county. They asked Tom Matrullo some very good questions about the objectives of SCAN, the changes in planning methodology that we've seen over time, and the potentially deleterious impacts of recent developer initiatives upon iconic places like Siesta Key Villag

Old Miakka residents are concerned about a brand new proposed development of 504 acres. This evening, April 29, 6 pm:  -  a Zoom workshop is scheduled, register at this link. The workshop is online only, and is open to anyone. Front Page Herald Tribune : Pat Neal's 3H Ranch , a plan for Clark Road east of I-75 to build  more than 6,500 homes, 250,000 square feet of commercial space, 120,000 square feet of office space and more than 400 acres of green space across 14 interconnected neighborhoods Many will recognize all the signs of a Wealth Machine in this story from Derek Gilliam:  Documents show close contacts between major developers and Sarasota County officials  (If link fails,  text is here ). This coming Wednesday May 1,  1000 Friends has a free May Day Webinar   - a lot of very experienced wildlife advocates will be on hand. If you are unable to attend the live event, you can register and they will send you a link to view it afterwards. Thank to all who presented at our 4

 This is the last in the 1000 Friends four-part series on wildlife corridors: REGISTER NOW! Dear Thomas, For decades, Florida has led the nation in land conservation initiatives. This includes science-based regional landscape conservation including wildlife corridors, comprehensive GIS conservation priority analyses and databases, and significant state funding to protect conservation and agricultural land. But there is always room for more in the “tent” of conservation and need for additional tools and strategies to achieve conservation goals while fostering sustainable communities. Register now  for next week's webinar, being held at noon, Eastern, next Wednesday, May 1.  Planning to Protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor: Building a Big Tent   will focus on reaching out to new constituents for conservation.  Urban3 Founder and Geoaccounting innovator Joe Minicozzi will address how land use choices have significant impacts on the bottom line for local governments and taxpayers alik

Shared via the Siesta Key Condominium Council Inc. Having trouble viewing email? Click here to  View as Webpage Mega Hotel Myths and Bridgegate Siesta Key Condominium Council (SKCC) Mission Statement:  To provide member Condominium Associations, their owners, residents and renters current information applicable to Condominium living in the legislative, legal and insurance arenas, through a series of meetings/speakers and to support efforts that promote:  safety ,  economic stability ,  environmentalism , and the  beautification  of Siesta Key. Mega Hotel Myth:  Does Siesta Key need mega hotels? Research indicates no accommodation shortage.  According to the Sarasota Hospitality Market Report, “Over the last year, Sarasota’s average monthly occupancy rate has been 68.9%, which is notably higher than the national average of 63.0% for the same period. The RevPAR in the Sarasota hotel market experienced a 6.1% decrease over the past 12 months as of December” (3/7/24). It also noted a trend

     Sarasota Audubon Society       Protect Siesta Key Keep the Country Country "In the run up to an election where the results could produce radically different scenarios for our area’s future, grassroots groups have been popping up to play whack-a-mole with every emerging threat. But this year, there’s a new phenomenon: These groups aren’t just multiplying, they’re uniting."  Forget clever slogans and bright T-shirts: We need teamwork to create a better Sarasota - Carrie Seidman The urgency of the issues facing Sarasota County requires organizations to think outside of their usual comfort zones - they need to CONNECT Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast 1000 Friends of Florida Control Growth Now Suncoast Waterkeeper Right to Clean Water Sarasota Bay Estuary Program ECOSWF Healthy Gulf Manasota 88 Sierra Club Manatee-Sarasota Group Venice Audubon Florida Birding and Nature Festival Friends of the Pelicans North Venice Neighborhood Alliance Inc .  Warm Mineral Springs En

This evening, April 18, the Sarasota County Planning Commission will examine several proposals to change land uses, Comp Plan provisions, etc. Among these proposals is a whopper: 3H Ranch. The complete agenda is here. 3H Ranch proposes a Rezoning Petition , to construct a 6,576-unit housing project on the Hales property 2,727 acres south of Clark Road, east of I-75 and west of Sky Ranch:  UPDATE: The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Neal plan without stipulations, despite strong community testimony of safety issues and other negative impacts.  Two news stories on the Planning Commission decision from the Herald-Tribune and WSLR: Massive development with thousands of homes proposed for 2,700 acres in Sarasota County Pat Neal's "Village" Gets Zero Push-back 3H Ranch south of where Lorraine Rd meets Clark Rd GENERAL INFORMATION Project Name: 3H Ranch Address: N/A Location: South of Clark Road, east of I-75 and west of Skye Ranch PID Number: 028200400, 029100