Developers Pat Neal, Rex Jensen and others claim they're just getting started here, when home builders have already clear-cut tens of thousands of acres of habitat, agricultural lands and open space in the last few years alone.
Skye Ranch townhomes under construction, Clark Road
This Board of County Commissioners serves as a rubber stamp for their efforts, which has released without accountability, many thousands of tons of CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, replaced the function and value of the land, the carbon sink and storm water attenuation properties of the land with impervious surface.
Research shows the short andlong term effects of such irresponsible actions to be:
Dramatic increases in the heat island effect.
Dramatic increases in toxic pollution in storm water runoff into impacted water bodies and the Gulf of Mexico.
Increased destruction of wildlife habitats and wetlands, exacerbating the extinction crisis.
Extreme increases in releases of methane and CO2, contributing to the climate change crisis.
More than 25,000 homes approved in one area of NE Sarasota Cty
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton
New per 1,000 existing 2021: 36.2
New per 1,000 existing 2019: 23.6
Total new units authorized 2021: 15,924
Total new units authorized 2019: 10,009
Percentage change in housing units authorized 2019–2021: 59.1%
Median home price: $471,267
2022 cost to build a house
United States
New per 1,000 existing 2021: 12.
Recent FDH: No swim advisory issued for Palma Sola South.
County Commission approves scope of work for process, which will include broad public engagement, staff says
A graphic shows the three ‘Quads’ parcels (outlined in red) originally under consideration for sale as surplus land. The Southeast and Southwest Quads (Nos. 1 and 2) are not on the market, at commission direction. Image courtesy Sarasota County
Supporters of the ecotourism that has flourished at the Celery Fields in the eastern part of Sarasota County have urged the county commissioners for more than two years to approve only compatible uses if they allow development on adjacent, county-owned property known as the “Quads.”
Last fall, the board members listened to a consultant staff had hired to determine how the county should market one of those parcels, to maximize the county’s proceeds from a sale. Afterward, then-Commissioner Paul Caragiulo suggested that the commission have staff undertake an in-depth analysis of the Quads in the current context of neighboring properties, including residential areas.
This week, county Planner Steve Kirk presented a proposal for a scope of work designed to accomplish what Caragiulo had sought. The commissioners unanimously approved it.
Staff expects the work to be completed and brought before the commission in October or November, Kirk said on Jan. 30.
Additionally, one of the leaders of a Celery Fields advocacy group — the Fresh Start Initiative — voiced support for the outline of the CAP process county Planning and Development Services Department staff had outlined in a memo to the board.
“The excellent planning memorandum clearly indicates that this holds promise for a new vision of these public lands and the Celery Fields area,” Tom Matrullo told the commission. Noting that the scope of work will examine the gamut of appropriate issues — mobility, buffering, “[p]ossible and reasonable development limits,” building heights and setbacks, and limitation of incompatible uses — Matrullo added, “All of this is music to the ears of our communities.”
These are potential uses of the Quads, as indicated in a county staff presentation on Jan. 30. Image courtesy Sarasota County
Among the potential uses of the Quads that Matt Osterhoudt, director of Planning and Development Services, and Kirk outlined in a Jan. 29 memo to the commission are a hotel, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, affordable or workforce housing, a park, and civic or cultural amenities, Matrullo pointed out.
However, Matrullo did ask the board members, “as fiduciary stewards of our public lands, “to ensure the scope of work is open, transparent and inclusive.”
Speaking on behalf of residents of the area around the Celery Fields, Matrullo recommended that the commission make it “unambiguously clear that no preference or deference will be given” to any group during the public engagement process staff has outlined. He added that his coalition’s goal is for “all citizens [to be] equal stakeholders.”
He further asked that staff make sure every public meeting during the analysis be advertised broadly and that it be open to everyone who wants to attend it.
During his presentation, Kirk explained that staff plans “multiple forms of engagement at various stages of the study process.” Among the people staff will seek to involve, Kirk pointed out, are surrounding property owners and tenants, neighborhood and citizen organizations, and users of the Celery Fields.
Commissioner Nancy Detert told Kirk she is interested in uses of the property that the commission could pursue. Kirk replied that staff would consider all the possibilities without making judgment on how appropriate any of them might be.
“I think part of the study will be looking at the specific conditions of these parcels and the area,” he added. “Out of that, I think, will come some facts that may illustrate what the appropriate uses might be. … Certainly, the public input is going to provide us lots of information and direction for that.”
Detert referenced the fact that when the CAP — known as the I-75/Fruitville Road Major Employment Center Critical Area Plan — was approved in 1985, the area it encompassed was planned largely for industrial uses — “things nobody wanted to look at.” “Now,” she continued, “you have homes out there,” and the residents are asking for a variety of different uses.
An area in transition
These are facets of the analysis staff will undertake for the I-75/Fruitville Road CAP. Image courtesy Sarasota County
As Kirk explained to the board on Jan. 30, the I-75/Fruitville Road CAP encompasses 395 acres. Eighty percent of the area has been developed, mostly with light industrial and office uses, along with some other buildings.
The Quads are all zoned Open Use Rural, a designation, Commissioner Alan Maio noted, that no longer complies with the county’s land-use development guidelines.
About 2.4 acres of the Northwest Quad, Kirk continued, is the site of a future fire station. The design and rezoning process for that project is expected to be back before the board for approval in June or July, he added.
“I do not want to see this [analysis] delay the construction of the fire station,” Maio told Kirk. Funding already has been programmed out of the revenue from fire assessments county property owners pay, Maio added. The firefighters assigned to that station, he pointed out, are in “trailers, [and] extremelyexpensive, extremely expensive, equipment [is] under some sort of Quonset hut or tent.”
Maio said he realized staff had to follow the county’s process for the design of the fire station and the rezoning of the site for the new facility. Still, he added, he was concerned that the June/July timeline could get pushed back to August/September.
As Kirk continued his presentation, he noted that the Northeast Quad has sufficient stormwater capacity, so stormwater retention planning would not have to be incorporated into any uses of the other Quads.
Because of the stormwater pond on the Northeast Quad, he also noted, no construction can occur on that parcel.
These are additional elements of the scope of work approved by the commission on Jan. 30. Image courtesy Sarasota County
As for the Southeast Quad: The commissioners in November 2017 agreed to remove it from the county’s surplus lands list, which was designed to ensure property the county does not need can be sold. The board members agreed that, because of its proximity to the Celery Fields, it should not be marketed.
The Northwest and Southwest Quads remain on the surplus list, Kirk reminded the commission.
In 2017, advocates of the Celery Fields fought an application for a construction and yard waste recycling facility, which was proposed for the Southwest Quad. On a split vote in August 2017, the commissioners voted to deny the necessary petitions for that project.
Earlier, an application for a 60,000-square-foot wholesale restaurant supply warehouse on the Northwest Quad was withdrawn. That occurred after questions arose about the fact that not all the owners of the company that had petitioned for approval of the project had been disclosed, which was a violation of county regulations. However, the applicants’ agent, Sarasota attorney Charles Bailey III, cited community opposition to the plans as the main reason his clients chose to back away.
In late November 2017, in the aftermath of those situations, Commissioner Maio won his colleagues’ approval for the hiring of a consultant to determine the best marketing strategy for the county to sell the Northwest Quad, so the board could get as much money as possible for the property. The board at that time was looking to plug revenue gaps in its budgets for the next several years.
However, after listening to a representative of the consulting firm in October 2018, Commissioner Caragiulo cited ongoing concerns about the insufficiency of the road infrastructure in the area of the Quads. In fact, questions about the traffic in and out of the proposed construction and yard waste recycling plant was one of the primary reasons Caragiulo said he decided to vote against that project in 2017.
This graphic explains part of the history of the I-75/Fruitville Road CAP. Image courtesy Sarasota County
The commissioners subsequently agreed to allow the Fresh Start Initiative, representing 50 homeowner associations in the vicinity of the Celery Fields, to propose potential uses for the Quads.
At the end of a Sept. 14, 2018 presentation, the Fresh Start group pleaded with the board to pursue commonsense planning for the Quads, given the international popularity of the Celery Fields as a bird-watching park.
Then-Chair Detert responded that no decisions would be made that day, as more extensive commission discussion would be necessary.
Sarasota County Planning Dept. is looking for input on its effort to make the development and zoning regulations more consistent and user friendly. Here's its latest update:
Sarasota County wants your input!
2nd Preliminary Draft of the UDC Now available
Sarasota County is creating a Unified Development Code (UDC) that updates and brings together the land development and zoning regulations, which control the development of all properties in the unincorporated area of Sarasota County. The new code will be more user-friendly and allow the public to more easily find the rules that apply to a property.
Sarasota County is committed to keeping the public involved and up-to-date throughout this process. A UDC Project web page has been established for this purpose at www.scgov.net (Keywords: 'Unified Development Code'). The proposed UDC ultimately will be subject to the full public hearing process and presented to various groups, advisory committees, and the Sarasota County Commission for consideration.
Sarasota County staff have been working with the consulting firm of Calvin, Giordano & Associates (CGA) to create the UDC. Phase I of this 3 phased effort began in March of 2017 with a discovery process conducted by CGA that involved discussions with various representatives of the community, public review bodies, and county staff. Phase II engaged the community through 3 public workshops in September, October, and November of last year. Phase III will involve the full public hearing review process that concludes with the Board of County Commission taking action on a final draft of the proposed UDC.
CGA has prepared a 2nd Preliminary Draft of the proposed UDC, which is a full draft of the UDC, and it is now available for public review on the UDC Project web page. The County fully anticipates that the UDC will continue to evolve as it makes its way through the development process, including organizational changes, additional updates, and more refined editing.
There will be an additional draft of the proposed UDC prepared by CGA that responds to comments received on the 2nd Preliminary Draft. As review comments are received and modifications are made, it is anticipated that there will be a revised draft of the proposed UDC submitted for further review by mid-March of 2018. A formal review draft will subsequently be prepared by CGA for the full public hearing process by the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners. This formal review process is anticipated to be initiated in May of 2018.
You may provide your comments directly on the UDC Project web page or by submitting them to the Planning and Development Services Department at planner@scgov.net.
Input received will be addressed by the consultant as the UDC Project moves forward.
Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, religion, or genetic information. Persons with disabilities who require assistance or alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), or who wish to file a complaint, should contact Sarasota County ADA/Civil Rights Coordinator, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, Florida 34236, Phone: 941-861-5000; TTY 7-1-1 or 1-800-955-8771, E-mail: adacoordinator@scgov.net.
Thank you for your time and interest in this effort!
It is time that health and safety be at the front end of ANY building proposal and approval process. Although there are other health and safety needs, the traffic issue needs to be on the forefront. Nothing should be considered or approved without a thorough look at the proposed impact on traffic. The data is there but hasn't been used in that fashion. It's time that the County and the FDOT traffic and accident data be studied together for this purpose.
It must become a priority component of the building approval process.
If you have thoughts on how to make this happen, I am all ears.
This step is a win win for all. The developers can't say it's a costly study because it isn't and the data just needs to be pulled in that fashion so the planners shouldn't complain either and the residents and visitors all benefit. And instead of spending additional tax payer dollars to modify high accident intersections and roads after a tipping point of accidents occur, new building will be approved on the merits of it not adding further burden to high traffic/ high accident areas.
I have yet to hear any good reason why this shouldn't happen.
The only feedback I have gotten is that one entity feels this change fits better with another entity. In other words they say, I don't know what to do with this and it looks like it's someone else's problem to fix. Please take this on!
SARASOTA - It's no surprise immense growth is coming to downtown Sarasota, but the comprehensive picture of new hotel and residential development entails staggering increases headed to the heart of the city in coming years.
City economic and planning leaders detailed planned development for the Downtown Sarasota Condo Association on Tuesday night, amid several questions from downtown residents about just how much growth the city can stomach.
For starters, hotel projects under construction or approved by the city will add 1,000 more rooms to the nearly 2,000 already in the downtown area, said Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County.
That will mean the city must generate about 125,000 additional visitors each year to sustain its current occupancy levels, she estimates.
"Before anybody complains about traffic, let me share with you that my hotel occupancy on weekends in July is the same as it is in March," Haley said. "But I don't have a lot of traffic complaints in July, because our seasonal residents aren't here."
But the number of residential units, either rentals or condominiums, will increase by even more, said Norm Gollub, downtown economic development coordinator for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
About 6,500 residents live in about 4,100 downtown apartments and condos now, he said. More than a dozen additional projects on the way will add another roughly 3,200 residential units to the area, possibly bringing as many as 5,700 new residents downtown, he estimated.
“Much of this is the result of pent-up demand from the recession," Gollub said. "I don't honestly know how much. Once some of these projects are complete, market demand will drive the other projects, but we'll see.”
A U.S. Census Bureau study released last week revealed the Sarasota metropolitan area is the 11th-fastest growing metro area in the country, with Sarasota and Manatee counties adding more than 20,000 people between mid-2014 and 2015.
Last year, the city of Sarasota processed a record number of building permits — about 8,400 permits with a total construction value of about $350 million, said Gretchen Schneider, the city's general manager of planning and development. Many of those are single-family home renovations that owners are now able to tackle as the economy rebounds, and the city is already on track to break that record number of permits again this year, she said.
Despite the surge, Sarasota is only just now approaching its pre-downturn population of about 55,000 residents.
"We're still not back to where we were in '07," Schneider said. "Yes, it's increasing, but it's not going to go gangbusters."
All that growth has caused its share of issue and consternation among local residents, who most often gripe about traffic congestion and the changing skyline. But the city and Sarasota County are working through those issues, with plans to add more than a dozen roundabouts throughout downtown to eliminate lengthy traffic signals and re-instituting suspended impact fees to try to fund improvements and slow the rate of growth.
"Sarasota is becoming an urbanized community with the rules put in place 20 years ago that allowed this," Gollub said. "What's being done now is the struggle of keeping the community vibrant and alive, not overwhelming. ... It's not the Sarasota of our youth, but with our help, our guidance and our input, we can make it the Sarasota that's sustainable."
=========================
Another Condo Bust Looms in Miami
Developers, seeing sharp drop in sales, inventory surge, take steps to avoid a ‘bloodbath’
Condo developers are now cutting back on projects as sales slow.
PHOTO: CHARLES OMMANNEY/THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES
Developers have started canceling projects, slashing prices and offering incentives such as private-jet access to spur sales, an ominous echo of the housing crash that pounded South Florida especially hard.
Easy financing and rising prices prompted developers to build about 21,000 condos in the downtown Miami area from 2004 to 2008. Many of those units sat empty for years.
Developers say this time they have insulated themselves by requiring buyers to put down 50% deposits by the time buildings break ground and by canceling projects instead of moving forward as the market slows.
Still, it may not be easy for some to sidestep the damage. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the number of Miami Beach condo transactions declined nearly 20% from a year earlier, while inventory jumped by nearly a third, according to a report from appraisal firm Miller Samuel Inc. The median sales price slipped 6.6%, according to the report.
“The condo market has peaked,” said Neisen Kasdin, a real-estate development lawyer at Akerman LLP in Miami. “Sales velocity has slowed down considerably.”
Many of the forces buffeting the Miami market are also hitting luxury markets in New York, Southern California, Australia and London. A strong U.S. dollar and weakening local currencies, dropping oil prices and global economic turbulence have crimped the buying power of foreign investors.
At the same time, stock-market turbulence has made wealthy locals hesitant to undertake big purchases. Luxury-home prices in 10 global cities analyzed by broker Knight Frank LLP are expected to increase by 1.7% this year, down from 3% growth in 2015.
Carlos Rosso, president of condominium development at Related Group, Miami’s largest condo developer, said he sells about 20 units a week in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, versus about 100 a week last year. In response, the company priced its new Auberge development, a 60-story project in downtown Miami, at $600 a square foot, compared with the $850 a square foot it might have asked a couple of years ago.
If Related and its partners hadn’t decided to lower prices, they probably would have had to wait until the next cycle to start construction, Mr. Rosso said. The project launched two months ago and Related has sold about 70 units out of 350 so far.
“It’s a marathon and it’s not a 100-meter chase,” he said. “This is the part of the marathon where we are running a little bit slower.”
Other Miami developers have put on hold or canceled more than half a dozen projects planned earlier in the cycle, from the Ion East Edgewater, a 35-story tower planned by a local Florida development firm, to Krystal Tower, a downtown tower planned by a Brazilian developer, according to consulting firm Integra Realty Resources Miami. Overall, the pipeline of units in active projects in Miami has shriveled by 42%, according to a report released a month ago by Integra.
At the Aurora, a new 61-unit building off the Miami waterfront, the developer is offering buyers a free membership to JetSmarter, a service that allows members to use shared private jets for free.
Tim Lobanov, managing director of Verzasca Group, which is developing the building, said the perk has a retail value of about $12,000 and is part of the project’s pitch to appeal to New Yorkers. JetSmarter offers flights several times a week from New York to southern Florida.
The south Florida condo market is especially vulnerable to swings in the global economy because developers rely heavily on foreign buying, particularly South Americans, Russians, Europeans and Canadians.
Foreign investors have pulled back as the value of their currencies has dropped versus the dollar. Brazilians, for example, have seen the value of their currency against the dollar slip nearly 42% since 2014, while Argentines have seen their purchasing power in the U.S. decline more than 40%, according to Integra Realty Resources.
Miami developers said they are seeing increased demand from New Yorkers and Chinese buyers looking to buy second homes, but that is unlikely to replace the sharp drop in demand from South Americans.
“The depth of the Chinese market, or the European or Canadian market, is not enough to make up for the South American buyer,” said Anthony Graziano, senior managing director at Integra.
Construction in downtown Miami in November. As the condo market slows, developers are canceling projects and requiring bigger deposits when buildings break ground. PHOTO: JOE SKIPPER/REUTERS
‘I don’t see this as the bloodbath that we had last go around at all.’—Gil Dezer
While people across the industry acknowledge the market is slowing, they say low debt levels and a slowdown in new projects will prevent the massive oversupply they saw during the last bust.
“I don’t see this as the bloodbath that we had last go around at all,” said Gil Dezer, president of Dezer Development, builder of high-end Miami condos such as the Residences by Armani Casa, which has seen sales volume plunge to six a month from 20.
Overall, about 1,200 condo units in Miami were delivered last year, down from the peak of 10,000 units in 2008, according to Integra. But with more than 7,300 units under construction, inventory is expected to increase.
Most Miami developers have protected themselves by taking a page from the South American markets. Many now require buyers to pay a 50% deposit on the total cost of their units by the time the project breaks ground. Developers don’t break ground until the project is 80% sold, which means the deposits are enough to cover a significant portion of the construction costs. During the last cycle, by contrast, developers required only 20% deposits and allowed buyers to flip their units while they were still in contract.
Related and a few other developers have since loosened their deposit requirements to 30% from 50% to spur more deals. Mr. Rosso said Related does that only when it already has secured a construction loan and doesn’t need the additional deposits to cover building costs because the building is 80% sold.
Still, Mr. Rosso said the company doesn’t anticipate breaking ground on many new projects in Miami in the next couple of years and instead will be focusing on projects in places like Argentina and Mexico.
“A big part of the cycle is understanding when it’s time to launch new jobs and when it’s time to sell what you have,” he said.
