The Virtual Hearing was successful in getting the Army Corps (USACE) to open a Comment Period on the construction permit for the Velella Epsilon Fish Farm off Sarasota’s coast.
Please send comments to the Army Corps expressing your objections to the permit and requesting a public hearing at the email below by Nov. 4. Comments “must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing”:
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, Florida 33610-8302 or preferably by electronic mail at: OceanEra_VEAquaculture@usace.army.mil within 30 days from the date of this notice (i.e. November 4, 2020).
The decision whether to issue or deny this permit application will be based on the information received from this public notice and the evaluation of the probable impact general navigation pursuant to Section 10 of the RHA.
QUESTIONS concerning this application should be directed to the project manager, Katy Damico, in writing at the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, Florida 33610-8302 or preferably by electronic mail at : OceanEra_VEAquaculture@usace.army.mil or, by telephone at (813) 769-7076 or (813) 467-6603.
There are a few more days for the public to add thoughts and voices to the overwhelming opposition to offshore fish farming near Sarasota's beaches. (Sample testimony)
The federal government recently moved to speed the development of industrial fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico by designating an “aquaculture opportunity area.”
But what “opportunity” is it really creating?
Offshore aquaculture consists of floating pens filled with tens of thousands of fish – and waste, excess feed and various chemicals freely polluting the surrounding environment.
When those facilities are damaged during extreme weather, they can rupture, allowing the fish to escape and disrupt our local ecosystems.
If this isn’t enough, the Army Corps of Engineers is poised to issue a permit for a new fish farming facility in federal waters off Sarasota called Velella Epsilon, without making the application public. This comes in spite of strong opposition from Sarasota, Holmes Beach and Sanibel.
The facility may increase red tide, and pollute beaches and waters that are the backbone of our local economy.
On Sept. 30, a coalition of residents, government officials, business owners and environmentalists will participate in a virtual people’s hearing to give the public a voice in the permitting process, and make our opposition loud and clear.
The farm, the first in a proposed Gulf aquaculture opportunity area, poses grave danger to marine life, the ecosystem, tourism and the economy. Fish waste, pollution and feed may increase red tide blooms.
A coalition of concerned citizens will hold its own hearing on September 30 - and the input will be sent to the Army Corps.
Calling all fish harvesters, restaurants, tourism/entertainment industries, retailers, and more!
If you are a business owner/operator in the Gulf of Mexico, we hope you will consider signing onto this letter on behalf of coastal businesses to public officials demanding that they prioritize Gulf businesses, support your recovery from Coronavirus devastation, and call on the government to halt the development of new industrial aquaculture facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. You can sign on and read the full letter here. Deadline is Friday, Oct 2.
Industrial aquaculture facilities push external costs of operation onto the ocean ecosystem and coastal economies, from direct discharge of toxins to privatization of the ocean. For the Gulf of Mexico, this means extra nutrients to feed the red tide and increased competition for limited marine space (and much more). The industry has its sights set on the Gulf of Mexico as the first place it wants to operate in the U.S. – starting with a project off the coast of Sarasota, to be followed by a larger “Aquaculture Opportunity Area” to host up to 5 facilities in the region. This could devastate Gulf businesses that have already been struggling to recover from recent natural disasters and devastation from the impacts of COVID-19.
Join us in telling public officials to support local and coastal businesses in the Gulf, and stop pushing a harmful new industry in the region! Deadline is Friday, Oct 2.
About a decade ago, the state of Florida recognized that nutrient levels were increasing in our waterways and that typical stormwater ponds installed to mitigate nitrogen runoff were not as effective as had been presumed.
As a result, the Department of Environmental Protection, along with all of the state’s water management districts, engaged the University of Central Florida and a technical advisory committee to update the stormwater regulations to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff to our waterways including our bays, the Gulf and the ocean. (See this revealing study)
This is important because these nutrients are the fuel that feeds the harmful red tide and blue green algae blooms.
The state’s effort culminated in drafting legislation and a 400-page statewide stormwater treatment rule manual which was slated for public hearings and adoption in 2011.
With the election of Rick Scott, this was abandoned under his short-sighted sound bite: “Environmental rules kill jobs.”
Fast forward to 2018 and the consequences of the ever-increasing nutrient fuel for harmful algae is all too clear.
Siesta Beach 2018
Not only has our environment been tragically impacted but so has our economy. Tourism is down, fishing and boating are down, restaurants are limping along, and real estate values and sales have been impacted.
Elections and resulting policies have consequences. We need to elect leaders who understand that Florida’s enviable quality of life and economy are dependent on a healthy environment. And the implementation of preventative measures such as the Statewide Stormwater Treatment Rule will reduce future taxpayer retrofit expenditures.
Sarasota Stakeholders of the Celery Fields are asked to attend a peaceful protest prior to the Planning Commission meeting.
Following the protest, Celery Field Stakeholders are asked to attend the Planning Commission meeting where we will witness the process and those who wish will voice their opposition to the county’s proposed rezoning and sale of surplus public lands for “Gabbert’s Dump” on our property adjacent to Our Celery Field owned by Sarasota County and the people of Sarasota County.
A peaceful protest will begin at 4 p.m. in front of the BOCC building on the Ringling Boulevard sidewalk.
Please bring signs, we will have some signs on hand but colorful signage is encouraged.
This may be a long meeting, you are encouraged to bring water and a snack.
We thank you advance for your civic participation whether in person or via email.
Together, with you, our efforts are a non-partisan effort. Political party affiliation plays no part in this community wide effort to demonstrate to our Planning Commission, County Administrator and Board of County Commissioners' that we oppose this egregious plan and we expect them to uphold Zoning's fundamental purpose to protect a community's health, safety and welfare.
The Rally begins at 4 PM, please join us in front of this building on the sidewalk.
PARKING: Public parking may be found behind the County Building, we encourage carpooling.
Planning Commission Meeting
June 1, 2017 @ 5PM
The Planning Commission Meeting begins at 5 p.m., located in the Commissioners’ Chambers. Mr. Medred will present the TST Recycling Dump project to the Planning Commission.
We will have a 3-5 minute opportunity to speak during public comments to the board. However, our speaking time may depend upon how many of us sign the speaker cards.
If you wish to speak, look for speakers' cards. The cards are available on either side of the chamber as you walk in. Fill out the card fully, then take the card and leave it with the clerk seated to the right of the dais.
If you are interested in speaking and are unsure about what you wish to say, please view some topics for consideration below.
QUALITY OF LIFE:
traffic congestion with introduction of new truck traffic to dump
diminished air quality
impact to home values
road safety
impact to Tatum Ridge Elementary children commuting by bus or by parent
impact to local neighborhood traffic commute times
ENVIRONMENT:
pollution will harm threatened and endangered birds, fauna, insects, fish and wildlife of park will be in harm's way with location of dump
integrity of Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility will be impacted by additional burden of "filtering" fugitive airborne concrete particulate and leaching of dump materials
birds listed as threatened or endangered remain fragile in numbers
noise pollution will mask bird calls, birds use their calls to find mates
COUNTY GOVERNMENT:
County failure to recognize changes to the area using antiquated zoning and land use designations going back one quarter of a century
failure to recognize value of Celery Field's eco-tourism as a growing and sustainable revenue tax base for the county
failure to protect the investment of county dollars ($30 Million +) invested to build the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility, observation mound, bird walks, park trails and preserve area
failure to adhere to Sarasota's Zoning Mission Statement that Zoning's fundamental purpose is to protect a community's health, safety and welfare.
Proposed Land Use Change for: Critical Area Plan Amendment Rezone Petition No. 17-01 to Rezone approximately 16 acres from ILW (Industrial Light Manufacturing/ and Warehousing) with Stipulations and OUR (Open Use Rural, 1 Unit to 10 Acres) to ILW with Amended Stipulations, and Special Exceptions No. 1765 to Allow a Recycling Facility in ILW Zone District.
JUNE 23 @ 9AM HOLD FOR POSSIBLE PUBLIC HEARING* SRQ BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION
*PLEASE NOTE, DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PREDICT THE FUTURE VOTE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE ASK YOU TO HOLD THE JUNE 23 DATE IN THE EVENT THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED.
WE WILL NEED KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE UPCOMING SCHEDULE.
IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE JUNE 1 MEETING:
We encourage you to email the Planning Commissioners' and share with them why you are against any development on the Celery Field "Quad" properties and that you oppose Mr. Gabbert's "dump."
A letter sent to the Sarasota County Commission by Adrien Lucas:
Good morning Commissioners,
I am dismayed that I have to begin my day by writing you about the surplus land you are trying to sell off that surrounds Our Celery Fields. With the lands that Mr. Medred and Mr. Bailey are trying to purchase for their clients, plus the new "surplus" acreage that just went up for sale next to the Celery Field, I can only imagine who the next "player" will be in orchestrating the purchase of this new piece of land. Upon watching county footage where some of you agreed to sell Mr. Gabbert four acres, it was with complete amusement to see Bob Waechter make an appearance to give his two cents to some of you about how he found the sale agreeable and should happen. Meanwhile, no one in the area had received notice nor could they see the sale sign that had been posted behind signs. It is a very puzzling process you are all becoming involved in, I can only remain hopeful that you will be listening to the voters of Sarasota who are against the county surplus land sales that are next to Our Celery Fields.
Please take the time to watch the video clip I have provided in this email in its entirety. There are more meat and potatoes of information in this educational video for everyone to use, a jackpot of Celery Field history. How can the proposed types of development and sale of county "surplus" land that surround this preserve ever enhance the Celery Fields or the local neighborhoods? They cannot.
Restaurant Depot, is a members only club. How many people live in Sarasota County? How many people in Sarasota County own restaurants? A "member's only" club open only to restaurant owners does not benefit this particular area one bit.
TST Ventures/Gabbert Recycling: Mr. Gabbert's right-hand real estate man, Bo Medred has stated a few times, "This recycling center will cut down on illegal dumping," it's a bit of a stretch. Can Bo Medred prove this claim? Has he provided a study to support this claim? Mr. Medred speaks as if this is a proven fact for Sarasota County. I am certain that if we, the voters of Sarasota, have to appeal decisions in relation to these sales, that we will have to support every claim that we make. These burdens should fall upon Mr. Medred and Attorney Bailey who has not fully disclosed the owners who wish to purchase the acreage for Restaurant Depot. We all have a public hearing on March 1st to attend because our Planning Board members failed to ensure that Attorney Bailey follow the rules of our charter. (Anyone can watch that complete hearing here.) It is even stated in the Herald Tribune published on February 14th that the Sarasota County Charter requires persons or entities applying for rezoning to disclose the true ownership interests. If Attorney Bailey has submitted an amended ownership disclosure form, I want to see it.
Our Celery Fields preserve is more than just an important working filtration unit for our county, the educational component with children/students, 7 acres for people to walk/run/bird/walk dogs, MAJOR ecotourism, 400+ bird species recorded - many who are listed endangered or being watched, butterflies (many who have very low population counts), rats and mice that owls and birds of prey eat, photographers, the fish that live in the waters...I could rattle off the amazing and wonderful things about Our Celery Fields all day. (Here's another site made by people who also care.)
I encourage you to watch this video before the March 1 public hearing meeting for Restaurant Depot.
Producer Darryl Saffer talks to Jeanne Dubi, president of Sarasota Audubon about the exciting developments at the Celery Fields, including the new education center under construction. Barry Rossheim brings his Venice High School Zoology Club to the Celery Fields to participate in the Backyard Bird Count.
Please do not vote in favor of Restaurant Depot being built on the property next to the Celery Fields. We need our elected officials to be champions for the county. How about it? The benefits to Sarasota are numerous and can only grow if you don't mess this up for everyone. It would be so nice to have leadership we can trust and admire in protecting and growing Our Celery Fields preserve area to accommodate bigger ideas that benefit all.
And if you have a minute, we'd love for you to join us:
