Sarasota Baptist's planned development: Careless? Indifferent? Dangerous?

The Lake Sarasota community wants its children to be safe, but a housing development proposed for Hand Road by Sarasota Baptist Church (Proctor Rd.) poses potential design dangers that have been ignored by the developer and by Sarasota Baptist.

Read on to learn why this project has come to be seen as CARELESS, INDIFFERENT, and DANGEROUS by residents familiar with the complexities of Hand Road.

Nowhere in the proposal are these issues of concern to parents and residents addressed:

• Neighborhood children walking to Lakeview Elementary cross Hand Road at a blind curve to and from school each day.
• Parents and teachers are tied up driving to and from Lakeview Elementary on Hand Road every weekday morning and afternoon.
• Buses of children converge on Oak Park School on Hand Road at 9 a.m. 
• Everyone in Lake Sarasota knows to avoid Hand Road during school opening and closing every day.
• Lago Road to Hand Road is a straightaway heading into to a blind curve.
• The plan proposes two entrances/exits onto Hand Road.
• Sarasota Baptist fills with hundreds of cars every Sunday morning.

When informed about the new construction, a crossing guard who has guided children at the curve from Lago to Hand Rd. for the past three years said, "That’s crazy! The road can’t handle any more traffic."

Why CARELESS?

• The plan produced by Bo Medred of Genesis Planning & Development Inc. seems fundamentally flawed -- nowhere does it address these unique conditions. 

• Sarasota County has a rule that a traffic study is only triggered when a certain number of new homes are to be built. The plan from Sarasota Baptist and David Weekley Homes seeks permission to build 141 homes, but they proffered a commitment (binding?) to build no more than 87 luxury homes, which is below the technical trigger for a study.

• Despite "NO" votes from two members of the Sarasota County Planning Commission, that board recommended approval without ever taking up the question of WHY, given the complex conditions and the presence of children walking to school, NO TRAFFIC STUDY HAS BEEN REQUIRED.

Pember



•  Moving the discussion away from fellow board members' safety concerns, Planning Commissioner Colin Pember said, "'I don’t think traffic’s an issue,' . . . eliciting laughter from the audience members." (Sarasota News Leader) He then drove the vote to recommend approval of the project. Pember is the Division Director of Land Acquisition at Pulte Group.

Why INDIFFERENT?

• Efforts to raise these issues with Pastor Michael Lewis of Sarasota Baptist went without a response. When a co-worker of Pastor Lewis was contacted, she assured us that Lewis had received emails of concern from Lake Sarasota (sent via the church site), but indicated that he would not be available to take calls or to speak with residents. Emails sent to him via his site have gone unanswered.
• When local residents brought intimate knowledge of traffic conditions that raise concerns, the Planning Commission voted for the plan without any stipulations or recommendations to scrutinize our safety considerations.

DANGEROUS:

• Hand Road is a major access driveway for our kids and parents every day (8am and 3pm). It's an extremely important access for safe and protected access for young ones, and the currently proposed site plan reflects two additional roadway connections, and 160+ additional vehicles which will create increased safety risks. 
• How is the developer and the County and/or school board mitigating these concerns?
• The proposed development would create two entrances/exits - both on Hand Road - one near to the curve from Lago Road to Hand:

• Sarasota County Transportation states that only an "operational analysis" commissioned by Medred has been done. It does not address the volume of cars, the walkways children use, or the straightaway on Lago leading to the sharp curve to Hand Road. And, it doesn't use actual traffic counts, only misleading estimates. For example, it states that the traffic levels on Proctor Road have not increased in the past three years - anyone hearing this who lives or drives along Proctor would laugh out loud.

On Tuesday Nov. 28 the County Commission will consider and possibly approve this project. To watch the meeting, go to this site, look for Nov. 28. On Tuesday a link to the meeting will be next to the agenda link. This is Item #38 on the agenda. If you can make it to the public hearing, please come and speak.

The safety issues outlined above are only part of the issue raised by this project. For more, see this series of observations raised by residents, including a professional planner.

Parents and children walking to school on Hand Rd.

Please see the related Sarasota News Leader story on the Planning Commission hearing.

Hi Hat hearing to be postponed after procedural errors were identified by a citizen

A Public Hearing for a giant development in North Sarasota that had been scheduled for March 23, 2021, will be postponed after several rather glaring errors in the procedures used to publish the hearing and to allow for public participation were spotted by a former county attorney.

East Sarasota attorney Susan Schoettle-Gumm wrote to Jim Turner, the land use lawyer and family member of the owners of Hi Hat Ranch, citing certain violations of required procedures. Turner soon replied that he would request that the hearing be postponed in order to address the issues. 

One concern was the amount of time allowed for public awareness. Hi Hat Ranch is a complex project involving 12,000 acres and perhaps 30 years of developmental actions. Citizens were surprised when they saw they had been given just four days - from Friday afternoon, March 19, to noon on Monday, March 22, to receive, read and digest, and formally comment and testify. Elsewhere counties typically provide necessary documents two or more weeks in advance of public hearings.  

The errors included four violations of county requirements:

1. Noticing the proposed amendment as both a privately initiated amendment and a public initiated amendment in both the legal notice and the postcard. 

2. The Hearing has to be within 60 days of the Planning Commission's decision (the PC is Sarasota's Land Planning Agency) and today, March 23, is the 61st day.

3. The staff report and supporting documents had to be made available to the public two Fridays before the hearing. on the proposed development  The County only made them available on Friday, March 19 -- 5 days before the scheduled hearing.

4. The hearing Agenda listed two items, but only allowed one opportunity for Public input.

The exchange between Schoettle-Gumm and Turner was cordial. After receiving her email, Turner replied: 

While I believe most of the procedural issues you have raised are not fatal to the process , I have made the decision to postpone the Board hearing scheduled for tomorrow to ensure these issues are addressed. We will appear before the Board at the scheduled time, explain the situation and then reschedule.

A full copy of Schoettle's letter is here, and an image of the key points is below.

March 22 letter from Schoettle-Gumm to Jim Turner

Citizens who have followed or participated in many public hearings have suggested that the "public" component of Public Hearings has diminished. Citizens often prepare detailed analyses and are allowed 5 minutes - sometimes just 3 minutes - to present their findings. 

Bending requirements such as merging two distinct matters into a single opportunity for public comment could ignore significant issues and relevant data."Another example of how this County cares nothing about following the rules—breaking several, not just one," was one longtime activist's comment.

More on the Hi Hat Proposed Development here and here.

Flying Blind: Citizen Comment for Hi Hat Public Hearing

Anyone wishing to testify regarding the Hi Hat public hearing can do so until Noon Monday, March 22 at this link. Comments are limited to 1,500 characters (not words).

Below is a complete comment submitted to the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners regarding the March 23rd hearing on Hi Hat, a 10,000-acre proposed development. Submitted on Sunday, March 21, 2021 by Tom Matrullo, co-founder of Citizens for Sarasota County. An excerpt of this comment was submitted to meet the 1,500-character limit.

To the members of the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners:

As you address the giant Turner family Hi Hat Ranch project on March 23, 2021, it’s important that you consider the concerns raised by the Miakka Community Club. These include thoughtful, informed observations about water, the ecosystem, the environment, roads and traffic, all warranting close attention. Surely you have read Ms. Ayech's letter; for ease of reference it is linked here.

 

It’s necessary to consider the larger context here as well. It’s virtually impossible to do this, however, as the data necessary to fully grasp this context is not compiled in a manner that allows you -- or the public you serve -- to accurately see the future your actions are bringing about.

 

Hi Hat Map

Have you driven through the Hi Hat lands recently? It’s not simply a rural area of great natural beauty; it's also a vast segment of the county that lies between major roads -- Fruitville to the North, Clark to the South, and Bee Ridge (when extended eastward). There is also a major FPL Power line extending northward through the property from Clark to Fruitville.

When a project of the scale and complexity of Hi Hat Ranch comes to you, the impacts are manifold; they are likely to permanently alter the character of East Sarasota County.

 

Here’s my major concern: If you wish to hold a formal hearing that includes the participation of an informed public, it is incumbent upon you and essential to the process that the public of Sarasota County be in possession of crystal clear information, in plain English, of the context -- the proportions of the bigger picture.

 

What would such a picture include? At minimum it would communicate a dynamic image through time of the unfolding development of Sarasota County -- those residential, commercial, and industrial developments that are planned, approved and underway; those that are completed, and those natural  assets which as yet are undisturbed. Proportions expressing, for example:

 

• The number of dwellings approved for construction in each of the five districts, and in the county as a whole;

• The acreage of land already committed to future development in proportion to the total developable land mass, and to the total lands reserved for public uses and for conservation; 

• The miles of future roads, their numbers of lanes, clearly mapped as needed to adequately serve that future population;

• An accurate, detailed and realistic accounting of all costs of these roads;

• An accurate, detailed and realistic accounting of all costs for those public services necessitated by private developments -- police, fire, emergency, hospital, schools, evacuation routes, hurricane shelters and all others;

• An accurate, detailed and realistic assessment of how many dwelling units are destined for the many large scale developments such as Skye Ranch, Wellen Park, Sarasota National, Grand Park, Grand Palm and Pat Neal's many other Grand projects, Palmer Ranch, SIPOC, the Fruitville Initiative, the Villages of Manasota Beach, Waterside at Lakewood Ranch and many more, as listed in the Planning Department document below.

 

 

Without this data-rich picture, we who live here are blind. 

 

Furthermore it has now been demonstrated that key planning maps (RMA1 and RMA 3) have not been updated in decades, despite repeated requests from residents and County promises to make them current.(1) Is this proper custodianship of the public realm?

 

In the absence of a shared public vision, a “public hearing” -- in which the people of Sarasota are purported to participate -- borders on charade. 

 

So here’s my key question: Do you yourselves have access to the aforementioned detailed current and realistic accounting, or not? If you do, then why have you not done your utmost to share it clearly and openly with the people you were elected to represent? If you do not yourselves possess this information, then how can you claim to understand in any clear, rigorous and informed way the many impactful consequences that lie ahead? 

 

Over recent decades, public planning in Florida has jettisoned the essential elements of integral vision, thanks in great measure to the abdication of constructive regional and state attention and review. Random, piecemeal process has taken the place of a comprehensive approach candidly shared with all. Without that picture, the future of Sarasota is unknown. 

 

In this time of crippled comprehensive provision for our future needs and quality of life, each of you has a special responsibility to charge developers with moulding projects that contribute to our quality of life -- not just for their tens of thousands of future customers, but for all who live and work here. Without such a thorough, thought-out vision, we the people are adrift, experiencing the chronic nightmare of Sarasota County’s relentless blind growth.

(1)Herald Tribune, March 21, 2021, Residents call on Sarasota County to update rural planning maps before it’s too late.

 

 (2) See Rhodes, Robert M. (2020) "Florida’s Growth Management Odyssey: Revolution, Evolution, Devolution, Resolution," Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy: Vol. 4 : Iss. 1 , Article 11, 56-69.

Update: Fish Farming company seeks permit to operate in Gulf off of Sarasota: Public Hearing Jan. 28, 2020

Update: Sign a statement from the Center for Biological Diversity opposing this effort to open our region to commercial fish farming. 

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A company known as Kampachi Farms LLC is seeking to operate a commercial fish farm in federal waters approximately 40 miles off the coast of Sarasota County. An EPA public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2020 - details below.

Kampachi Farms Pod on surface

The EPA-Region 4 will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed issuance of an NPDES permit (FL0A00001) for the Kampachi Farms LLC-Velella Epsilon marine aquaculture facility. 

The draft NPDES permit authorizes the discharge of industrial wastewater from a marine net-pen aquaculture facility located in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico at approximately 45 miles southwest of Sarasota, Florida (near 27° 7’ 20.51”N, 83° 12’ 1.37”W).

The facility would include a supporting vessel and a single floating cage in a water depth of 130 feet. The project would begin culturing a single cohort of approximately 20,000 Almaco jack and produce a maximum harvest of 88,000 pounds. A video of Kampachi Farms Velella project can be seen here.

Mote Marine has been identified to be the monitor of the proposed site and will be raising the hatchlings. 

A full account of the public hearing procedure and timing for public comments is here. 

The Sarasota hearing details:

• Date: January 28, 2020
• Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Location: Wave Center
• Mote Marine Laboratory
• 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236

All persons interested in the draft NPDES permit are invited to attend the public hearing. If you are interested in attending the hearing, the EPA encourages you to pre-register at least 72 hours in advance. You may also register to speak when you arrive at the hearing.

At one time, fish farming was in operation in state waters off the coast of Washington state, but now has been banned there.

Norway has been besieged by problems threatening its salmon:

Against the Current states: "Fish farming in open net pens is considered the largest man-made threat to wild stocks."

The Independent reported in May, 2019: "Eight million salmon killed in a week by sudden surge of algae in Norway."

Norway has banned new fish farming licenses, but existing fish farms continue to operate there.

A variety of articles reported by US News & World Reports, including one by NPR, describe fish farming. The reported results do not bode well for our Florida coastline, including an increase in nitrogen levels in an area already afflicted with poor wastewater controls and red tide.

A guest column by Florida environmental attorney Marianne Cufone raising concerns about impacts of fish farming on red tide and more was published in the 11.29.19 Herald Tribune: Off Sarasota’s coast, a new industrial threat.

Sierra Club Florida News announcement of the public hearing.

Friends of the Earth has addressed the dangers of fish farming.

The draft NPDES permit, draft Environmental Assessment, and other supporting documents can be found here.

The public comment period will be open through February 4, 2020. Information on how to submit comments can be found at that same website.

Public comment from the Suncoast Waterkeeper to EPA Sept. 29, 2019.

Again, pre-register here.

Hearing continued due to ownership opacity issues

The Sarasota County Commission's March 1 public hearing on a proposal to industrialize public lands near the Celery Fields in order to accommodate a low-wage, big-box wholesaler was continued until April 26 after Charlie Bailey, the attorney for the applicant, acknowledged that he could not name all the owners of his client, JDMH Real Estate of Sarasota LLC, which he said is the development arm of Restaurant Depot in Florida.

He had offered a list with some individuals, which also included the government of Abu Dhabi and trusts, including one or more involving families apparently based in South Africa.

The Sarasota County Charter states:

All persons or entities applying for rezoning, special exceptions, or variances shall disclose the true ownership interests in any property sought to be rezoned and shall further disclose the true parties in interest in any corporation, trust, partnership, limited partnership, or any entity of any type in their zoning application. 

Asst. County Attorney Roddy stated that in his finding the applicant has not yet met the Charter's standard. After considerable hemming, the Board voted 5-0 to suspend the hearing until April 26. Bailey said he would meet with Roddy to attempt to satisfy the Charter's requirements.

The room filled with over 200 people who came to oppose the re-zoning to industrial of the public lands. The proposed project would blight the area, bring trucks that would burden traffic on an already failed road, and destroy the potential connectivity of major assets in the area.

Nothing regarding the actual plan and its impacts was said, except for one man who told the commission that some time ago, an elected official had pledged to make the area around the Celery Fields into a great park. Forty-six persons had signed speakers' cards to speak on issues ranging from impacts on the environment to traffic, nuisance, and planning illogic.

Standing Room Only at the BCC

Charlie Bailey with list of owners at the BCC

Say NO to industry near the Celery Fields

This Wednesday March 1 is a public hearing that could industrialize public lands in a healthy space devoted to birds, clean water and air, to life.

There are much higher uses of these 40 acres we own at Apex and Palmer. Please join the effort to protect our birds - some of whom are already threatened - and our green natural space, our families and kids.

Come to the hearing Wednesday if you can, and share this flyer freely with anyone who cares - thank you.

(If you'd like a pdf file of the flyer, email us at sarasotavision@gmail.com and we'll send it to you).

Restaurant Depot seeking approval for a truck-heavy 60,000 s.f. equipment supply operation.

Celery Fields

Two ways to help stop Mosaic

On January 26th, the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners will be holding a public hearing to decide whether or not to approve Mosaic Co.'s request to rezone 3,841 acres of land for phosphate mining.

The people of Florida and Manatee County are against the destruction of our land, the poisoning of our water, and the production of millions of tons of radioactive toxic waste, all for the sake of profit.

Mosaic's Wingate Facility
Photo: Hannah Morse, Bradenton Herald

Here are two ways you can help stop Mosaic:

1. CALL and EMAIL the Commissioners on Monday January 23rd:

On January 23rd we want to flood the phone lines and inboxes of the Manatee County BoCC to let them know that the public does not approve of the Wingate expansion, and we do not want Mosaic Co. in our community!

If you are not a resident of Manatee County you can call the general number: 941-748-4501 ext. 3716

Please send an email to all the commissioners as well!

priscilla.trace@mymanatee.org, charles.smith@mymanatee.org, steve.jonsson@mymanatee.org, robin.disabatino@mymanatee.org, vanessa.baugh@mymanatee.org, carol.whitmore@mymanatee.org, betsy.benac@mymanatee.org

If you are a resident of Manatee County, you can figure out your district from this map and call the representative from your district.

District 1: Priscilla Whisenant Trace
941-745-3701
priscilla.trace@mymanatee.org 

District 2: Charles B. Smith
941-745-3702
Charles.smith@mymanatee.org 

District 3: Stephen R Jonsson
941-745-3705
steve.jonsson@mymanatee.org 

District 4: Robin DiSabatino
941-745-3713
Robin.disabatino@mymanatee.org 

District 5: Vanessa Baugh
941-745-3703
Vanessa.baugh@mymanatee.org  

At Large: Carol Whitmore
941-745-3704
Carol.whitmore@mymanatee.org 

At Large: Betsy Benac
941-745-3714
Betsy.benac@mymanatee.org 

Suggested Call/Email Script:

Hello, my name is _________. I am calling to inform the (Board of County Commissioners/Commissioner ______) that I oppose Mosaic Co.'s request to rezone 3,800 acres of land in order to expand their phosphate mining operations in Manatee County.  

Phosphate mining produces millions of tons of radioactive waste per year which contaminates air and water. It also destroys ecosystems and land, which is never returned to its previous state. In the best interests of the people of Manatee County, I urge (the Board of County Commissioners/Commissioner ____________) to vote against Mosaic's request on January 26th.

Thank you. 

Mosaic New Wales

2. Attend the public hearing on January 26th -- sign up here:

Mosaic is asking again for permission to destroy another 4000 acres of our mother earth in eastern Manatee County. They will present their request to the Manatee County Commissioners on January 26th. The last time they did this they bused their entire company of 200 employees to the hearing, arriving at 7:30 am and filled the chamber.

This is a call to action, to those of you out there to join together in opposition to their request. We can no longer allow forces to divide and conquer us. The time has come to unite and prevail. We must recognize the urgency of the battles appearing before us and respond in mass protest. "Numbers of people are the currency of movements, while money is the currency of the status quo. "If we don't support each other in bolder ways, we are bound to continue to fail.

Please go to this link and sign up to attend. All we need is 180 people to be there at 7am to fill the seats, and then others to relieve them later on in the day. Come when you can and stay as long as you can. Bring a painting mask with "NO" written on the front to show solidarity to the cause of protecting our land and water from this corporate monster.

We must think of attending not as a casual "come if I can" event but rather an obligation to protect the rights of nature, and commit to a day of service and stewardship. Only a large gathering will draw a reluctant media and jolt an apathetic public to wake up to the damage this corporation is doing.

For more information or questions contact:

Jaime Canfield

941-704-7782

jaime.canfield@gmail.com

Voices heard at the Final Comp Plan Hearing 10.25.16

Some of the people's voices heard at the Final Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan hearing - apologies for inaccuracies,  just fragments. 

If you spoke at the Oct. 25th hearing, you are welcome to send a full copy of your comments to sarasotavision@gmail.com and we'll post them.

The Comprehensive Plan was approved at the meeting.


Mr. D.

• "We need a clear picture of what we don't want."

Jono Miller -

• The plan needs measures/benchmarks/dates to track progress.
• Find better way to better engage the community on planning related projects
• Slow the Comp Plan update process down
• Staff is proposing vaguer language
• We’ve lost ⅕ of our beach - replaced with rock

Margaret C. - (shows images of torn up wetlands at Whole Foods site on University Parkway)

• Wetlands in process of being destroyed
• Not against development - do it in thoughtful, gentle way
• Environmental part of plan - “required” and “shall” being replaced by “may, voluntary,” etc.

Mike Cosentino

• I feel I’m protecting the biz community and the public from the County Commission 
• The only way to help us - make the County Charter like a phone book 

Woman -

• I would like to know how we keep natural parts safe from developers

Glenna Blomquist

• As a county we need rules that protect us from ourselves.
• Tallahassee has decimated state power to monitor local development
• My neighborhood - rezoned from 1 unit per 10 acres to 2 units per one acre - 
• Stringent language is lacking in the comp plan 
• The proposed plan may make our plan less protective
• Full text of Blomquist remarks.
• 
  

The Comp Plan Hearing:: 10.25. 2016

Michael C

• I want to believe changes are valid
• I do not hear why the controversial changes are needed or beneficial - I end with doubts.
• I respectfully request that the Comm address the criticisms the main ones - write an article, or be interviewed, answering in-depth questions.

Margaret Jean Cannon

• In 2010 - Sarasota came in 11th in growth - adding another city the size of Venice - we had been 18th
• Hypergrowth - challenges - look at 2050 plan 
• County mission statement - enhanced quality of life - 
• 1. protect the quality and integrity of our established neighborhoods
• 2. Storm surge
• 3. Looking at siloes - need traffic studies
• 4. “Should” and “shall” 

Linda Hunter

• I’ve lived here 26 years - love Sarasota
• I’m sure your goal was to protect the citizens
• Compatibility with neighborhoods
• Traffic - do you want to sit on 41, or drive on it?
• Environmental impact - Once you pave paradise, it’s gone
• Make intelligent choices
• The plan seems to remove a lot of your ability to protect our interests

Geraldine Swarmsted

• One member of Sierra Club - 2,100 members -
• I wish this were an update, not an evisceration
• Meetings when 19 people speak against something, 3 or 4 speak for, and it goes thru

Tom Matrullo

• "This new Comp plan is a behemoth. Few other than highly paid, specialized experts will master its intricacies." 
• Do you aim to govern? Or just “encourage?”
• "This is a moment of gigantism, and the new Comp Plan, in its size, complexity, and lack of clarity, looks strangely like the outsized growth it was supposed to control."

Dan Lobeck

• Density or intensity “may be lower” - it doesn’t talk about mitigation measures
• This is an evisceration of the neighborhood compatibility plan - you are taking away a very important provision
• Traffic - you are not required by state law to eliminate concurrency. If you do, your cty attorney has pointed out that you can limit a proposed rezone or special exception based on traffic considerations
• 1.3.12 - if you mean what you say, amend this to add “rezoning and special exceptions.”
• The people are right -
• Took out regs that affect mobility, environment - evisceration of 72? Policies.

Wade Matthews

• Conservation chair of Audubon Society
• We have about 1200 members
• What I hope you do is don’t approve this today
• Take some of the changes they have brought up
• Pervasive elimination of “shall”
• Majority of people don’t like the loosening of the comp plan
• Susan McManus - study - prime concerns of people of Sarasota Cty - principle concern is overdevelopment, congestion, too many people, 2nd issue is traffic
• I hope it’s not required that you make your decision today - deserves more time
• Take account of the clear feelings of the people of Sarasota County

Man from Osprey

• Your emphasis should be for the people
• Do not adopt this current update as it stands.
• Commissioner Robinson should recuse herself from this vote.

After the close of public comments, The Board of County Commissioners approved the Final Plan.