SCANNING Sarasota PLANNING

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 ...

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...

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 ...