SCANNING Sarasota PLANNING

 A number of developer proposals are coming - here's what we know so far: Tues. Oct. 22 - Lakewood Ranch will try for the third time to get approval for 1,399 more homes in NE Sarasota - this is part of what Rex Jensen wishes to build, and what Old Miakka wishes to quash. See the attachment from Stantec . Mike Huchinson's notes are here. Thurs. Oct. 24 - Sarasota Water Engineer Steve Suau will offer findings on the unprecedented flooding of inland communities after Debby. Dozens of homes in communities such as Laurel Meadows flooded, and the Board at its first meeting after the storm had no answers - nor much in the way of questions. The live and in-person presentation is at Selby Library. SCAN hopes to also record. Details here. On the corruption of flood zone planning , see this editorial from the Washington Post. Thurs. Nov. 7 - DR Horton will present its astonishing idea of building 170 single family homes in a floodplain immediately next to the bird nesting...

Washington Post Editorial:   As hurricane seasons worsen, taxpayers subsidize people to live in risky areas Laurel Meadows after Debby Helene and Milton spotlight a federal flood insurance program drowning in debt By the Editorial Board October 18, 2024 at 4:59 p.m. EDT Hurricane Helene likely caused more than $30 billion worth of damage. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton inflicted almost $50 billion more. With six weeks left in this hurricane season, the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is already out of money. And more tropical storms are swirling over the Atlantic. Who pays for all of this? Because private home insurers generally find this sector of the business unprofitable, the federal National Flood Insurance Program shoulders the burden of providing homeowners inundation coverage — and it has problems. The NFIP is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency — the same body fighting misinformation and dodging vigilantes as it tries t...