DR HORTON at the PLANNING COMMISSION Nov. 21


If you care about the Celery Fields as a healthy public amenity for humans and wildlife, tell the Sarasota County Planning Commission that you oppose Rezone Petition RZ 23-30. The Petition would give DR Horton the opportunity to build 170 homes on the Smith Farm property, yards away from the Raymond Road Boardwalk and a critical nesting area:


Smith Farm is the light green - steps away from the
Raymond Rd. Bird Walk and Nesting Area.

Virtually the entire Farm property is a floodplain. Below, the FEMA map indicates that a very large portion of the Farm, showing in blue, is AE - which means it's in the 100-year floodplain. The grey area is in the 500-year floodplain:


Smith Property: FEMA Flood Map 


According to the Comprehensive Plan, the county is not supposed to approve dense housing in a floodplain. The reasons might be obvious after this hurricane season:

Smith Farm under feet of water the day after Debby


THREE THINGS TO DO:


1. WRITE to the Planning Commission (planner@scgov.net) before noon of Wednesday, November 13th.

  • The Planning Commission Hearing is set for November. 21, 2024. Your email to planner@scgov.net must be received before noon of November 13th to be shared with Planning Commissioners prior to the hearing. For reasons best known to the County, the planning staff report to be heard will not be released to the public until Friday, Nov. 15th.


  • In your email, you can urge the Sarasota County Planning Commission to RECOMMEND DENIAL of Rezone 23-30 – Smith Farm Properties. RZ 23-30 is a request by D.R. Horton, a developer known for building high-density housing, to rezone the property to allow 170 houses in a flood zone. The current zoning allows 5 houses.



2. JOIN SCAN's Preparatory ZOOM Nov. 13th:

  • For those with questions about to expect when speaking at public hearings, SCAN will host a brief Zoom Meeting 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13th. This is the ZOOM link:


  • Even if you don’t wish to speak, it’s important to have as many people as possible show up in person. 



3. ATTEND the Planning Commission HEARING NOV. 21st:
  • The Anderson Building holds 169 persons. Doors open to the public at 4:15 p.m. 

NEW CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC ACCESS to this Hearing:
  • This Public Hearing will not be broadcast live over the Internet, and there will be no televised feed at the Anderson Building for overflow attendees. Planning says a recording will be released later.
  • SCAN has raised concerns with County Planning that with such limited access, many who care about the Celery Fields could be shut out of the hearing.

Celery Fields looking West from the Top of Mount Celery



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