If you oppose paving over Rural Sarasota, be online Monday, March 27, 6 pm

 ALERT: THIS MONDAY, 6 pm, online:

Neighborhood Workshop for proposed Lakewood Ranch Rezone  -  March 27, 2023 at 6pm (Online only)

NOTE: As of now, the Comp Plan chapter penned by Rex Jensen and Pat Neal has not yet taken effect. Yet Rex and Pat wish to power along their expansionary plans for thousands more "dwelling units" in East Sarasota.

Pat Neal

Rex Jensen

Do the developers simply assume the County will crater to their wishes? They're probably right. The public has a chance to weigh in on Monday - the workshop is online only - no chance to meet in person, see plans, talk directly to the players.

Lakewood Ranch wants to rezone from rural to RSF-2/PUD to develop 1,718 dwelling units and related buildings. This is just the first part of the 4,000 acres in the comprehensive plan amendment that has been legally challenged and is not in effect.  The land in this rezone petition goes from the end of University Parkway at the north down to the entire north boundary of Bern Creek Ranches.  LWR doesn't care that this rezone is not legally authorized because of the pending challenge. 

 

Please participate in the online workshop and voice your concerns.  This rezone is incompatible with adjacent rural homesteads and agriculture. We need maintain our opposition to this development and to the breaking of all the promises the County made to us about protecting rural life.

 

The sign in for the online workshop is: https://bit.ly/LWRSEREZONE

     -- Or call in at 833-436-6264, Conf ID: 419 985 011#

From Becky Ayech, one of the Old Miakka leaders opposing the change to a higher density:

Lakewood Ranch Southeast is holding a virtual Neighborhood Workshop on March 27 at 6pm.

Below is the information from the county's webpage.  The link at the bottom will take you to the file on record.  It shows a map.  They say part of the land is OUA, but on their previous request that is being challenged, they said all the land was OUE, OUR and Hamlet.  Interesting.

Neighborhood Workshop: Lakewood Ranch Southeast Project Areas 1, 6, & 7

Date: 03/27/2023 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM  
Contact: Katie LaBarr, AICP (941) 907-6900

Link to Monday's meeting: https://bit.ly/LWRSEREZONE

Video: Workshop on the public lands at the Celery Fields May 14, 2109

Critical Area planning workshop about the "Quads" -- 38 acres of public lands at the Celery Fields, Sarasota FL.

Fresh Start: A Community Initiative for our Celery Fields

This letter signed by neighborhoods near the Celery Fields went to the Sarasota County Commission on Oct. 12, 2017.

To the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners

RE: Celery Fields District

Dear Commissioners:

On August 23, 2017, you listened to hundreds of residents and visitors who deeply care about the Celery Fields. Some call this area the Siesta Beach of East Sarasota County. Viewed in its larger context, the Celery Fields offers the prospect of becoming a unique gateway to Sarasota. Thanks to the Commission for protecting this potential --  we now want to work with you to actualize it.

Fresh Start is a group of  HOAs, businesses, and citizens who believe a shared approach can create an original opportunity for Sarasota County.

The quad parcels are situated at a key intersection that connects five distinct but related communities:

• The Palmer Blvd. neighborhoods and schools
• The Industrial Parks
• The Packinghouse District
• The Celery Fields Preserve and Sarasota Audubon
• The Fruitville Initiative

Our residents deserve a voice in shaping the future of these public lands. To that end, we invite the County to develop with us a community-based consensus for the district. We propose an open workshop that would allow ideas and goals to be shared, analyzed, and refined. Together, we can:

• Enhance the great ecological and recreational value already latent in this area.
• Serve the needs of residents, schoolchildren, local businesses.
• Allow to evolve a useful, attractive, intelligent, multi-faceted hub.

Working in concert, we can make something good here. To begin, we ask that the County:

1. Remove the Quad Parcels from the Surplus Lands list for the present;
2. Hold a community-based workshop to develop a consensus vision plan.

We’ll soon be scheduling meetings with each of you to discuss this initiative.

Respectfully,

Fresh Start

(Signers listed below)

The East Sarasota Celery Fields Area

=====

Signatories for Fresh Start

Palmer East Group

Enclaves, Carlos Correa, President

Laurel Oak, Charles Young

Meadow Walk, Gary Walsh, President, David G. Johnson

Eagle Trace

Palmer Lake

Regent Lake

Palmer Glen

Palmer Reserve

Sarasota Golf Club Colony

Palmer East Working Group: Glenna Blomquist, Paula Berkowitz, Carlos Correa, Peter Gemma, Jonny Howell, David G. Johnson, Wendy Loomis, Matt Moffitt, Robert Rovnak, Gary Walsh, Charles Young.

Fruitville 210 - Gary Heffner, Chairman

Cedar Hammock    

Cedar Hollow    

Chatwick Court

Coffman Manor   

Deer Hollow

East Richardson  

Eastpointe    

Forest Creek

Fox Creek

Fox Creek Acres 2

Georgetowne

Goodwill    

Greystone

The Groves  

The Meadows

Newburn Village

Palm Oaks

Peaceful Vista Homes

Pine Valley Ranches

Pleasant Acres

Racimo Ranches

San Palermo

Southpointe Meadows

Swartz Subdivision

Vereda Verde

The Woods

Wyndham

Save Richardson Road East (Sarren)

Scott Featherman, MD
Joey Anderson (also on the Board of Fruitville 210)
Jane Archer
Margaret Lewis
Judith K. Earl

Aberdeen Pines, Mary and Lee Hasselbring

Bent Tree, Bob Zack

Gator Creek, Bob O’Neil, Treasurer

Lake Sarasota Community Group

Keith Russo, Chairman

Ellie Himes, Treasurer

Joy M. Mayer, Secretary

Joanna Kilmer

Jami Caseber

The Hammocks, Julie Williams, President; Marguerite Malone.

​Sarasota Audubon, Rob Wright, Conservation Chair

NCCA, Steve Baran, President, 640 Apex Rd.

CeleryFields.org, David G. Johnson

​Citizens for Sarasota County, Adrien Lucas, Cathy Antunes, Tom Matrullo

LINK: Add your name to the Fresh Start Petition

. . . for the future of the Celery Fields

More Photos