Help Save Old Miakka: Email the Sarasota County Commission

This email from Becky Ayech provides some of the background on Old Miakka, the rural NE corner of Sarasota County. Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2022-B would transform the land use in the Northeast to allow 5,000 more homes to sprawl eastward, basically paving 89% of what is now Old Miakka. 

The future of the rural area would be canceled - the opportunity for current and future generations to live on, learn from and love the land would be gone forever.

Ayech urges all who care about the county's history and legacy to write to the Board  -- the Commissioners' emails are below. It's fine if you wish to copy the text and send it as is. Becky writes:

It is important they know about Old Miakka. To know it is to save it.
PLEASE SHARE this email with your social media friends and ask them to email this to the County Commissioners.

The "drop dead " meeting is August 31st.  I do not yet have a time.

Becky Ayech

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Mike Moran  mmoran@scgov.net
Al Maio     amaio@scgov.net
Ron Cutsinger  rcutsinger@scgov.net
Christian Ziegler  cziegler@scgov.net
Nancy Detert  ncdetert@scgov.net

Subject:  OLD MIAKKA

Good day Commissioner,

Founded in 1850, the rural Community of Old Miakka predates Sarasota County. Nevertheless, this is a uniquely special place in Sarasota County. Special to the people who homestead there, special to all the residents of Sarasota and surrounding counties and special to Sarasota County.

In the early 80’s, John McCarthy, Sarasota Historical Department, wrote this:

The project focuses on the unique lifestyles and the values which Myakka residents shar… a portrait of the people who live in the small rural communities of Miakka and Myakka City.
 
In 1989, Sarasota County funded A HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY OF OLD MIAKKA AND SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE MYAKKA RIVER, SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA.
 
In 2005, the Board prioritized the Old Miakka Neighborhood Plan. County Staff set the boundaries of the Old Miakka study area. These boundaries have never been disputed. 

They are the Manatee County lines to the north and east, the Myakka River State Park and Myakka Valley Ranches to the south and west by Dog kennel Lane known now as Lorraine Road.

The community spans approximately 57 square miles or 36,590 acres.  The western edge is approximately 5.8 miles from the city of Sarasota and occupies the northeastern corner of Sarasota County.

“Old Miakka is particularly rich in local history. With historical records dating further back than many areas of Sarasota County, and the county itself, the area not only prides itself on its impressive history but also its ability to continue to preserve it.” This is a quote from Sarasota County Staff.
 
Many stories and articles have been written about the Community of Old Miakka:

• 1976 A HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE OF SARASOTA COUNTY FLORIDA
• 1986 Better Homes and Gardens
  
• 1987 Beall’s Sunday insert
• 1988 Publix TV commercial
• 2000 Old Miakka article by Linda Maree
• 2003, 2018, 2020 2019 Sarasota Herald Tribune articles
• 2019 Sarasota Alliance History and Preservation Coalition chose Old Miakka as one of the “Six to Save.” Spotlighting the most threatened historic properties, archaeological sites, and cultural resources in Sarasota County! The preservation community in Sarasota County wants to bring awareness to historical resources at risk.
• 2019 Recognized as a “This Place Matters,” part of the Place Matters national campaign that celebrates special communities in the U.S.
• 2020 Sarasota Magazine
  
• 2020 Bitter Southern magazine
• 2020 ABC local station Mike Modrick's story on Old Miakka

 
All these stories/articles are about what a uniquely special place Old Miakka is and how it needs to be preserved. NOT ONE said it should be paved over!

Linda Maree stated it best: 

“Heavy population density is not a component of true rural living, so we can’t all live in places like Old Miakka. But even us city folks like to know that the “country” is there when we want to visit it.”

Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2022-B is an intrusion into this 172-year-old rural and agricultural Community, i.e. Old Miakka.

The Amendment is NOTHING reasonably close to the lifestyles/homesteads in Old Miakka.

Keep the Country … Country for current and future generations to live on, learn from and love the land.

Deny CPA2022-B.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

______________________

(Your name)

Two programs at CONA, DEP Chief cites Celery Fields, Reviving Vision

On Monday Feb. 12, CONA Sarasota will offer two programs - one on Benderson's controversial Siesta Promenade project, the other on reviving our vision in Sarasota - perhaps because it's virtually forgotten?

Siesta Promenade 

  On Monday, February 12, 2018 please join CONA for a presentation by Sura Kochman, an organizer for the Pine Shores Neighborhood Alliance, who will present the latest plans for Siesta Promenade at the northwestern corner of Tamiami Trail and Stickney Point Road, Route 41 and Route 72, respectively .
       
  The location is bounded by commercial development on the three other corners of the intersection and includes the southern access road between the mainland and Siesta Key to the west, and to the east, Clark Road, which leads to Interstate 75. This already is a major intersection with extensive congestion.
       
  At our November 2014 meeting, a comprehensive analysis of the original proposal by the developer -- from the perspective of the neighborhoods  directly affected -- was presented  by Ms. Kochman. Then the project became stalled by public concerns and a boom collapse.
                                 
   The project was resurrected in 2017 and Ms. Kochman reviewed it again at our November meeting. Details are evolving during review by county staff, however, so she will assess the current iteration of the proposal, which is not progressing as expected.
     
  Since the entire community and many of our member organizations will be affected by this project, we will be following this planning process carefully throughout the public process and providing updates as warranted.

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Reviving our vision for Sarasota    

  Our second presentation, reviving our vision for Sarasota, will be a discussion by Alex Coe and Bill Zoller launching an effort to revisit the vision of the county, developed previously with much community involvement, but that seems to have been lost, in order to get us back on the track our community desires. Objectives and strategies will be developed for a return to community-driven decisions guiding our growth. Get back on board with us as we resuscitate the vision we are on the verge of losing forever. 
           
  A social precedes the meeting at 6:30.

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Environmental Protection chief talks sea level rise during Sarasota visit - and Celery Fields!

SARASOTA — New Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein spent a lot time talking about community Tuesday during a swing through Sarasota to speak to the Argus Foundation. 

Conservation efforts “really become powerful when you have that connection to the community,” Valenstein said, highlighting the Celery Fields in Sarasota as a prime example of the community rallying to protect a natural resource. 

Environmental advocates in the crowd say the DEP — an agency that often was accused of catering to business interests in recent years — is doing a better job of listening to the overall community under Valenstein. More here

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Speaking of the Celery Fields, our communities are asked to participate now in the Fresh Start Initiative. Deadline for proposals March 1st.


                                                    






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MOTE AQUARIUM REBIRTH PLANNED NEAR I-75, HELPING CITY ISLAND CAMPUS ADVANCE SCIENCE & ‘BLUE ECONOMY’ 

Mote Marine announces giant new Aquarium:

The new Mote Science Education Aquarium will be designed and located strategically to serve a much greater cross-section of residents and visitors in Florida, and enhance ocean literacy opportunities and impacts for all. More here