Stop Kicking the Can Down the Road on Flooding

This piece was submitted anonymously:

Sarasota County has a flooding problem. We’ve all seen it—streets underwater, homes threatened, and storm after storm making it clear that our drainage systems aren’t keeping up. County leaders know it too, which is why they brought in a stormwater expert, Stephen M. Suau, to take an independent look at the issue. His advice? Stop approving rezonings that increase housing density in 100-year floodplains unless there’s solid proof the development won’t make flooding worse.

Sounds like common sense, right? But here’s the problem: The county keeps allowing developers to put off proving that their projects won’t create flood issues until after the zoning has already been approved. This backward approach has led to developments that don’t take flood risks seriously until it’s too late.

And now, we have another test of whether the county will finally listen to reason. On February 12, commissioners will vote on a request to rezone 50 acres on Raymond Road, right next to the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility. Under its current zoning, only five homes can be built there. If the rezoning is approved, that number jumps to 170 homes—in an area where 64% of the land sits in a 100-year floodplain.

Let that sink in. More than half the property is in a known flood zone, and yet, instead of requiring the developer to prove—before approval—that this won’t cause flooding problems, the county is poised to say yes now and worry later.

This is exactly what needs to change. If a developer wants to build in a flood-prone area, they should have to prove up front that their project won’t make things worse for surrounding properties. That’s not some radical new policy—it’s already in the county’s land development regulations. But time and again, the commission has allowed developers to defer that key flood analysis until after the increased density has been granted.

We don’t need to look far to see why this is a bad idea. Just last year, major flooding hit Sarasota, and media reports confirmed what flood maps have long shown—this area is vulnerable. The county’s own Planning Commission already voted against this rezoning, with Commissioner Donna Carter stating bluntly, “I don’t think that is a buildable property.” She even suggested the county buy the land and add it to the Celery Fields instead.

So here’s the bottom line: If Sarasota County is serious about stopping development-driven flooding, they must deny this rezoning. If the developer truly believes they can build without creating new flooding problems, then they should prove it first—not after getting approval.

Enough with kicking the can down the road. It’s time for Sarasota’s leaders to enforce their own rules and put flood safety before developer profits. On February 12, we’ll find out if they’re willing to do that.