Why is the MSBIA's Florida House proposal even being considered? An email exchange

Florida House, Sarasota

Below is a recent email exchange with Sarasota County administration regarding Commissioner Mike Moran's motion to consider a proposal from Jon Mast, president of the Manatee / Sarasota Building Industry Association (MSBIA), the local Building Industry lobby. Jon Mast and his wife, Teresa Mast, have written to the Board and appeared before them at various points in pursuit of this proposal.

As already reported, the lobby and marketing organization is asking to buy the Florida House and move it to the Southwest Quad parcel. However, this parcel is under a conservation easement granted by the county in 2019 to the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast and to Sarasota Audubon. The Board discussion of the proposal has been reported in the Sarasota News Leader and the Herald Tribune. 

Despite the constraints on the SW Quad parcel, the Board approved Moran's motion, agreeing to consider the Mast proposal, fast-tracking it rather than choosing to examine other options presented by county staff (four options are shown at the end of this post).

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5.4.22

Dear Ms. Casanova,

This is in response to your email to Ms. Lucas, which is quoted here:

Thank you very much for your email. I am not sure where you received information that caused you concern, but the recent information that was provided on Facebook and other locations is not correct.

The county entered into a conservation easement in 2020 on the SW quad that provides for both conservation and for a portion to be used for the County Government needs. The SE and NE quads also have been protected by the same conservation easement. The conservation easement was initiated by county commission, and they approved it in 2020 to protect the buffer with the celery fields.

I am sorry you were misinformed by others, but there is no plan for private sector development on the SW quad or the other two protected quads.

Thank you again for emailing the County.

Kind Regards,

Desiree Casanova

County Administration Office

Today I reviewed the video footage of the brief Board discussion of 4.26.22, instigated by Mr. Moran's wish to make a motion for Staff to begin discussions with the MSBIA, which has, with no discussion with or support from citizens, peppered the Board with messages indicating its desire to take control of the Florida House and relocate it.

Mr. Moran opened the discussion, seeking to direct Staff to open a negotiation with the MSBIA regarding the Florida House. A few moments later, Mr. Ziegler said he's fine with such a motion, but he's heard "rumors" that MSBIA wishes to relocate to "the Celery Fields." He said he did not know if this was the case, but he would not favor a motion that included this element of the MSBIA's desire.

Other Commissioners weighed in, Ms. Detert opposing this motion, then it came back around to Moran, who proceeded to make the motion without honoring Mr. Ziegler's point about foreclosing the option of relocating to the SW Quads Parcel. All except Detert approved the motion.

Two facts: 

    1. Mr. Ziegler misspoke in referring to "rumors." As the news has reported, communications from the MSBIA - basically Mr. and Mrs. Mast - specifically wove into their builder lobby's proposal the intention to relocate to the SW Quad parcel. This was their choice after Mr. Mast had earlier tried to situate the Florida House on the NW parcel, owned by the County. If Mr. Ziegler were more meticulous or attentive, he'd understand that "rumors" was not what the Board is dealing with.

    2. Any commissioner could easily have amended Mr. Moran's motion in line with Mr. Ziegler's point, but did not. In directing Staff to open discussions with the MSBIA, the motion makes no mention of excluding the Quad parcels.

This is not unlike various other board discussions that deal with topics that affect our community. When dealing with a specific plan for a stop sign or a setback, the Board will spend hours on picayune details, but here, when a very sensitive community asset is being singled out by the local area's largest developer lobby as the target location of a property it does not own, nor has ever had any interest in participating in (according to those intimately familiar with the history and work of the Florida House), the Board simply goes "yeah, sure," and moves on. 

I'll leave it to you to decide whether this is slipshod oversight, or the Board's way of protecting the interests of the Masts. 

Either way, the community is now alerted to a present threat to public land under the 12.6.19 easement. You can "say" it's protected, but the fact is, when the Board had a clear chance to qualify its motion to avert this possibility, it chose not to do so.

I hope this helps you and Staff to understand this community's concern.

Respectfully,

Tom Matrullo

Citizens for Sarasota County

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Response received 5.5.22:

Good afternoon Mr. Matrullo

 

Thank you very much for your email.

 

I have provided the link to the board assignment below:

https://www.scgov.net/home/showdocument?id=55559&t=637871927228885579 

 

Thank you for your feedback and effort in making the county better.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Desiree Casanova

County Administration Office

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The link Ms. Casanova shared goes to a full staff report on the Florida House, which includes some options staff thought worth considering: 

                                    Image courtesy of the Sarasota News Leader

Planning Commission to consider plans for Quads parcels at Celery Fields

 

The Quads 2021

The Sarasota County Planning Commission is set to consider the county's proposed Critical Area Plan (CAP) for the area that includes the Quad Parcels and Celery Fields on May 6, 2021. 

The plan proposes rezoning the Quads to Government Use (GU) and delineates constraints and recommendations to preserve the aim of encouraging birding habitat and an open gateway on Palmer Avenue to East County.

County Planner Steve Kirk put a lot of thought into this presentation, which seeks to honor the intent behind the county's grant of a permanent easement over three of the four parcels (outlined above) to the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast and to Sarasota Audubon, which has had s strong commitment to the Celery Fields, and which will manage the future redevelopment of these parcels. 

Here's my email to the Planning Commission:

As one of the founding members of the Fresh Start Initiative, a community group that spent 10 months gathering community input and recommendations for the Quads parcels, I invite the Planning Commission to now weigh in on the CAP as it now stands. 

1. The Critical Area Plan seeks to realize the vision of a Gateway to East County, with an open viewshed, new Audubon-guided bird habitat, and stresses compatibility of architectural style, setbacks, building height, and more. However, while these constraints will certainly enhance the three parcels under easement, the Northwest Parcel has 4+ acres of developable land that will simply be labeled GU. This acreage could be developed by the County or sold to a developer, with options for light industry, commercial, or residential uses.

Wide range of options for the NW Parcel

It would make perfect sense for the Planning Commission to strongly recommend that the NW parcel's 4+ developable acres have binding language stating that any proposed use must be found compatible with the larger vision for the Quads and Celery Fields Area.

For example, a four-acre warehouse serviced by giant 18-wheelers on the Northwest parcel would hardly be consistent with the purpose of the perpetual easement, or for that matter with the roads and residential neighborhoods on and near Palmer Blvd.

The Fresh Start group did present a few community suggestions for the Northwest parcel. One that would both be consistent with the easement vision and offer practical help to motorists would be a bus loop enabling schoolchildren to get on and off buses without stopping traffic both ways on Palmer. 

  

The loop could have a pavilion with tables where children could sit out of the rain or strong sun, and perhaps eat a snack. Snacks could be provided by a rotating series of food trucks on an area set aside for this purpose.

Not only would this use be an asset for our children and help the flow of traffic, but it would also fit with the fact that the Northwest parcel, as public land, already holds a brand new fire station in suitable Old Florida style.

2. Another noteworthy element of the permanent easement reserves an option that would allow the County to construct a building on six acres of the Southwest parcel. While the Board has spoken of using the land for a history museum, nothing in the CAP specifies this use. This would seem to leave open the parcel open to some other Government Use. 

GU allows a great many things, including firing ranges, bus terminals and asphalt manufacturing. It would be a valuable enhancement to the Planning Commission review to recommend binding the use of the Southeast parcel to consistency and compatibility with the "Prime Directive" of the permanent easement -- protection of bird habitat in the Celery Fields.

Finally, it would be helpful to remind our community that Sarasota Audubon has taken on the task of shaping the parcels under easement. It will be raising funds for the purpose and we all should be both grateful and mindful that the commitment of Audubon deserves the support of all those who love the Celery Fields.

Very truly yours, 

Tom Matrullo

Audubon's Dubi: Quad Parcels are Public Lands Forever

A letter from Jeanne Dubi of Sarasota Audubon -

Audubon has set up a special account for the restoration of the Quad Parcels. 

Donate to the SAS Quad Fund here

March update on Conservation efforts for the Quads parcels

News from the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast: 

Via a conference call on Thursday, Christine Johnson updated progress on the Quad parcels and other projects.

Quads: The CF has met three times with County staff and there is confidence they will have permanent easements in place by the beginning of summer on the three parcels (1,2,4) which the County has agreed to give in perpetuity.

• Parcels 1 and 4 - the Eastern quad parcels - are to be left natural for the most part. Johnson did say there could be some work to bring the canal that runs between the SE parcel and the Celery Fields to a better level of development. I.e., it has paths where people walk, run, bicycle - these might be improved.

• Parcel 2 (SW) could have some development component that would allow for parking. One of the major issues with the entire area is how little parking and other welcoming facilities are there for visitors.

Once these easements are in place, the property will be left to the CF and Audubon to develop and maintain. It is anticipated there will be no county funding. Here's where the community is likely to be invited to step up and help out.

The Foundation is also working toward solutions for other properties, including the giant Orange Hammock near North Port. The latest on this 5,500-acre site is that the CF has until June 1 to come up with $1.5 million for it. Johnson said this is a key project in that it not only means fewer homes, but also protects drinking water, serves as animal habitat, protects against floods, and still offers recreative and eco-tourism uses. Amazingly, Johnson says the CF is already 41% on its way to the $1.5 million needed. More here.

Updates on other projects, including Bobby Jones, the Felts preserve, and more - can be found via links here.

Celery Fields looking West

Coming right up

The WTF wall

Monday, Nov 18: Jim Gabbert's Waste Transfer Facility (WTF), approved by Charles Hines, Al Maio, Christine Robinson, Caroline Mason and Paul Caragiulo in 2015, has a nice wall around it. However, there's a glitch. Mr. Gabbert is seeking to move his stormwater partly offsite and underground. But since he has a binding site plan, this change amounts to asking for a substantial modification -- a Special Exception to his 2015 Special Exception. County Zoning says any substantial modification has to go back to the Board. Mr. Gabbert's attorney this modification is not substantial. See Rachel Hackney's free SNL story about Monday's Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing. This should be interesting: 6 pm at 1660 Ringling Blvd.

Bob Waechter

Tuesday, Nov. 19: The Board of Sarasota County Commissioners once again takes up redistricting. With time running short, it has to decide either to select a Bob Waechter map or another, or drop the entire process, which now is opposed by three civic groups. The Board has received advice from concerned citizens (video below), and now from Gerald Webster, Ph.D. Mr. Webster draws on a lifetime of experience with voter litigation to advise the Board not to pursue redistricting before the 2020 Census. The Board begins deliberating at 9 a.m.

For now, Hurrah!: The Board's Nov. 6 decision to preserve the Quad parcels near the Celery Fields for passive recreation came as a genuine surprise to citizens who had spent nearly three years addressing the issue with the Board. No better organization than Sarasota Audubon to protect the bird sanctuary. But those citizens, while hopeful, are wondering whether anything about the way the Board thinks, plans, listens and decides has really changed: was it a genuinely civic decision, or more like politics as usual? Media and, for now, euphoria, are here.

Sarasota Audubon joins Conservation Foundation to save Rural Heritage at Celery Fields

An update to this post is here.

PLEASE HELP SAVE THE  CELERY FIELDS CONSERVATION AREA The  Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast  has launched a campaign to help save and maintain rural/farm-type lands east of the Celery Fields. They are negotiating with Big Cat Habitat to put that land under conservation easement (in other words, never to go for development). They have also committed to buying the land east of East Road and north of Palmer which is currently a stables and a big pond--opposite the entrance to a housing development. This piece of land, known as Graceland, is up for sale for $2.55 million. (All of the above does not address the Quad, although the CFGC is firmly behind the idea of no development. That is another fight that SAS is engaged in). The Conservation Foundation must raise $650,000 in community donations by June 30, and another $650,000 by September 30 in order to meet their contract deposits, demonstrate community support, and keep this one-time opportunity alive.  MATCHING DONATIONS Sarasota Audubon has pledged a 5% match for very dollar donated by its members to saving Graceland (topping out at $5,000 in matching funds) There are several ways to donate: Sarasota Audubon or  Conservation Foundation or you can mail a check made out to SAS to 999 Center Rd, Sarasota, FL 34240. We will pass all donations on to the Conservation Foundation. We deeply appreciate your generosity.  Your children and grandchildren will thank you.   Yours in conservation, Jeanne Dubi, Acting President, and the SAS Board of Directors Christine P. Johnson, President CFGC

Digest for the week ending 4.6.19

Bee Ridge wastewater treatment plant

The FDEP (Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection) has issued a Consent Order to Sarasota County. It requires Sarasota to move to Advanced Water Treatment, to rid our canals and bays of nitrogen-rich discharges that feed Karenia Brevis -- Red Tide.

        How did we get into this mess? NPR has a clue.

        FDEP Draft Consent Order

        Cathy Antunes talks to Waterkeeper Justin Bloom about the mess.

The upcoming planning workshop about the future of our public lands near the Celery Fields (the Quads) is open to new ideas -- alternatives to heavy industry included -- but don't plan to propose them at the workshop -- Send them in advance, says lead planner Steve Kirk.

This coming Monday, CONA Sarasota will look at a new city of Sarasota transportation plan. 

Celery Fields Recreation Area

SNL: Bed Tax revenue up in County

‘Bed tax’ revenue up more than $1 million in the county year-over-year through February

April 26, 2018 by Rachel Brown Hackney, Editor & Publisher

Courtesy of the Sarasota News Leader

Each month has seen an increase since fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2017

While some visitors make their way toward the parking lot, many others gather at Siesta Public Beach for sunset in late February. Rachel Hackney photo

During a March presentation to the Sarasota County Tourist Development Council, Assistant Sarasota County Tax Collector Sherri Smith remarked that the latest Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue report showed collections already “up almost $750,000” compared to the figure for the same period of the 2017 fiscal year.

Make that a difference of more than $1 million in “bed tax” money year-over-year, according to the most recent Tax Collector’s Office report.

Through February, collections marked an increase of $1,049,576.68, compared to the revenue reported from October 2016 through February 2017. The February total of $2,858,212.83 was the highest thus far of the current fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1, 2017. Each month during the period reflected in the report has seen a higher figure than the previous month.

The past two years, the county set records for the total amount of bed tax it collected. The money is divided among a number of “pots,” with revenue going to cover initiatives such as beach maintenance and renourishment, as well as debt service on the bonds the county issued to help pay for the Atlanta Braves’ new Spring Training complex underway in the West Villages near North Port.

And the numbers could change. Audits and other revisions of the figures submitted to the Tax Collector’s Office each month by the entities that collect the tax can produce changes, Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates has explained.

In fact, the latest report shows an increase of more than $39,000 for the January TDT figure. The numbers released last month showed total revenue was $163,499.19. However, the new report puts the figure at $201,956.66.

Conversely, the figure for October 2017 dropped a bit, from $139,379.87 in the report issued at the end of February to $138,779.87 in the March Tax Collector’s Office report.

Overall, TDT revenue totals $9,691,173.77 for the first five months of this fiscal year.

A chart shows Tourist Development Tax collections through February. Image courtesy Sarasota County Tax Collector’s Office

The location with the accommodations that have collected the highest percentage of that amount through the end of February is the city of Sarasota, with 29.25%. Siesta Key was in second place with 28.19%.

Included in the figures are Airbnb collections from hosts who work through the internet-based accommodations service. The March 31 Tax Collector’s report says that, for current fiscal year, Airbnb revenue totals $454,285.21.

In an April 3 press release, Airbnb announced that all of its hosts in the 12 Florida cities with teams in Major League Baseball’s Grapefruit League saw “significant spikes in Airbnb guest arrivals during the preseason baseball training as compared to the prior 5-week stretch.” For this year, that Spring Training period ran from Feb. 21 through March 27, the release pointed out.

Among the data for specific cities, the release noted, Sarasota saw a “100% spike” in the number of Airbnb guests, compared to the figure for the 2017 period.

A chart shows TDT revenue collections by location through February. Image courtesy Sarasota County Tax Collector’s Office

The press release added that Sarasota Airbnb hosts welcomed 12,000 guests for Spring Training and earned $1.1 million from them.

The Baltimore Orioles conduct Spring Training in Sarasota.

Fifteen Major League Baseball teams hold Spring Training games in 12 Florida cities, primarily in Central and Southwest Florida, the release added.

News Leader 4.26.18: County Budget in good shape

County budget in good shape at midpoint of fiscal year

April 26, 2018 by Rachel Brown Hackney, Editor & Publisher

courtesy of the Sarasota News Leader

Major revenues up 9.1% compared to same period of 2017 fiscal year and expenditures staying in check

A chart shows the status of specific Sarasota County revenue sources at the midpoint of the current fiscal year. Image courtesy Sarasota County

Major Sarasota County revenues were up 9.1% compared to staff’s projection for the midpoint of the current fiscal year, and overall expenditures were at the 37% mark, county staff reported to the County Commission this week.

Those numbers were part of a review of the status of the budget for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1, 2017.

“We’re glad we’re in the black and doing better than we expected,” Chair Nancy Detert said.

During their regular meeting on April 25, the board also approved an amendment to their 2018 fiscal year budget to reflect spending reductions they approved on Jan. 31. Formally, those changes will save the county $1,974,885 for the remaining six months of the current fiscal year.

Altogether, the Jan. 31 decisions represented $5.3 million in annual recurring expenses that will be reflected in the 2019 and subsequent fiscal year budgets, County Administrator Jonathan Lewis reminded the board members on April 25. Those included plans to leave vacant positions unfilled.

Among specific funds Kim Radtke, director of the county’s Office of Financial Management, reviewed this week, she noted that revenue from the county’s 1-cent sales tax — approved by voter referendum in 2009 for infrastructure projects — was 8.9% higher than expected; revenue from the county’s five separate gas taxes was up 8.8% compared to the budget projection; and the combined county utility revenues were 8.1% higher.

Revenue from the 5% Tourist Development Tax (TDT) — the “bed tax” — was 17% above the staff projection for the midpoint, Radtke said.

However, the figure staff used for its April 25 presentation did not encompass the latest report from the Sarasota County Tax Collector’s Office, which reflected revenue collected through the end of February. That report showed the TDT revenue was up $1,049,576.68 compared to the same period of the 2017 fiscal year. (See the related article in this issue.)

A chart shows the status of expenditures by Sarasota County departments at the midpoint of the fiscal year. Image courtesy Sarasota County

No department operating under the aegis of the County Commission had spent 50% of its budget by the midpoint, Radtke added. Twelve of them were more than 10% below the 50% level, she pointed out. “County staff did a really good job of being conservative,” she said, before the County Commission took measures during its Jan. 31 budget workshop.

In regard to other facets of the midyear budget, Radtke noted that the Sarasota County Fire Department/EMS fund had spent 42% of its projected expenses for the 2018 fiscal year; and the Medical Benefits Fund had paid out 47% of its projected expenses.

The General Fund expenses were at the 44% level.

The Solid Waste Fund had the smallest outlay of any major county fund at the midpoint of the fiscal year, according to a chart provided to the board: 27%. The Utilities Fund was at the 29% mark.

Among other trends worth noting, County Administrator Lewis pointed out that the number of building permits the county had issued by the middle of the fiscal year was up 18% compared to the same point in the prior fiscal year. The total was 19,273, he said. “I think that’s a significant number …”

The count of commercial permits was 78% higher than the figure at the midpoint of the 2017 fiscal year, he added, with 64 having been approved.

A chart provides county statistics for the midpoint of the current fiscal year. Image courtesy Sarasota County

For single-family residential construction, a 4% decrease had been recorded through March, compared to the figure as of the end of March 2017, according to a chart Lewis showed the commission. Of those permits, 54% were issued in North County; the remaining 46%, in South County.

However, the total number of permits for multi-family units was up 62% through the midpoint of the current fiscal year, compared to the figure for the midpoint of FY17.

Yet another statistic Lewis cited was the 3% increase in calls to the county’s Contact Center as of the middle of the current fiscal year. That total was 90,724, a chart said. “That’s a huge volume,” he told the board.

Residents call the center for a variety of reasons, he explained. For example, some need general information, he said, while others check on the status of work permits.

Social media contacts also are on the rise on a monthly basis, he pointed out. So far this fiscal year, county government’s Facebook page has seen the number of “likes” rise each month, reflecting a 10.5% uptick compared to the same period of the 2017 fiscal year.

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Three options for new FPL Power Line Routes East of I-75

FPL will build a new power line onto its grid by 2020 in East Sarasota. From 28 possible routes it began looking at, it's down to three. One goes right through the Quad parcels at Apex and Palmer Roads.

Information about the proposed 138kV lines was on display Tuesday evening at the Conference Center behind the Girl Scouts building on Catttlemen Rd. near Proctor Rd., Attendance was very low during the hour or more that I was there. It seems FPL contacted folks within 500' of the three proposed routes.

Each of the three possible routes connects the Howard substation at Proctor by I-75 with the Bobwhite station on East Fruitville Rd.

The reason for the new line is to bolster the East Sarasota County grid -- with developers from "the three ranches" -- Lakewood Ranch, Hi Hat Ranch and LT Ranch on East Clark Rd. -- planning tens of thousands more homes, FPL sees good reason to get ready for it now, its representatives noted.

All three routes

The three routes basically run along one of the three major West-East routes east of I-75:

Blue route

• 
  
• One marked in blue runs along Clark, then up through an existing easement through the Hi-Hat Ranch property, then west along Fruitville to Bobwhite:

Green route

• A second in green runs up next to I-75 from Howard, then along Bee Ridge to the Bee Ridge Extension, jogs south and skirts residential communities before connecting to the north-south Hi Hat easement.

• The third option, in yellow, shows the line going north alongside 75, then running along Palmer Blvd. East to Apex - splitting the Quad parcels - then north on Apex to Coburn to Fruitville where it turns east to Bobwhite.

Close up of line running along Palmer and up Apex Rd.

More photos here.

Asked why of 28 possible routes these were the three t"finalists," FPL reps spoke of costs, feasibility, easements etc.

The few who attended the event were invited to fill out small polling cards prioritizing what was most important to them. It would seem possible for FPL, an electric company, to poll and inform more widely and efficiently through electronic means.

Rae Dowling, area manager for FPL, said she'll be happy to field questions and hear from residents. Her email is Rae.Dowling@FPL.com, and office phone: 941 316-6266.

Board acts on surplus public lands at Celery Fields

This a bare-bones report of the Board's actions today, Nov. 28th, on three parcels near the Celery Fields known as "the Quads." The Commissioners and Interim Administrator Jonathan Lewis deliberated at length as to how they might realize funds from the sale of the parcels to address a $5.4 million shortfall in the County's budget.

Public parcels at Apex and Palmer Blvd.

Each of the three parcels brought a somewhat different decision:

• SE Parcel - #1 (immediately adjacent to Celery Fields). 
• Take off surplus temporarily - with stipulation that community bring possible uses to staff -- passed 5-0.

• NW Parcel - #3 (with temporary fire station). 
• Leave on surplus list - rezone it to a comp plan-compliant district using an independent consultant  --passed 5-0.

• SW Parcel - #2 ("Gabbert" parcel - most difficult to decide). 
• Remain on surplus list - community organizations to come back with realistic options for use before put it out for sale -- 6-month timeline - pass 4-1 (Detert voted no, unhappy with timeline stipulation.)

The Board also voted unanimously to sell a property at Washington Blvd. and Main Street without restrictions. It's currently a parking lot on the NE corner of Washington and Main St.

This particular sale is projected to realize approximately $4 million).




Jonathan Lewis's Recap of this portion of the meeting:

A joint statement from the supporters of the Fresh Start Initiative -- a proposal for a workshop that would establish a community-based consensus for these public lands -- was read into the record.

The Board's decision showed a willingness to receive suggestions from the Community. This is not quite the same thing as developing a coherent, informed long-term vision for the entire Celery Fields area, but it's a beginning.