Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

DOT hosts forum, presents options for Longboat Pass Bridge

For full article:

https://www.islander.org/2024/03/dot...t-pass-bridge/

People gathered at Christ Church of Longboat Key March 14 for a Florida Department of Transportation workshop on options for traversing Longboat Pass.

The meeting provided a platform for people to voice their opinions and concerns about three proposed replacement alternatives and a “no build” option for the Longboat Pass Bridge on State Road 789.

DOT program managers, consultants and elected officials engaged with people in the open forum.

The bridge, built in 1957 and repaired in 2005 and 2020, faces functional obsolescence and needs either replacement or rehab, according to the DOT.

The state proposes three new options for the 17-foot clearance bridge: a 23-foot drawbridge, a 35-foot drawbridge and a 78-foot-high fixed bridge.

All the new bridge designs have the same dimensions for travel lanes, shoulders and shared-use pathways that nearly double the bridge’s width from 37 feet, 5 inches to 76 feet, 8 inches.

Also in the review is a “no build” option.

However, many meeting attendees expressed the need for a new bridge.

Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier spoke to The Islander during the meeting: “Our local residents are not bashful about letting us know how they feel about things. We’ve got a good turnout here. People are active and interested.”

“It’s pretty clear that the bridge is about to outlive its lifespan,” Schneier added. “When I was first looking at the alternatives I gravitated to a new drawbridge.”

He said that due to the bridge’s role as an access to the Gulf of Mexico, a fixed span must be a 78-foot-high bridge.

Village resident Priscilla Von Ahnen quipped, “I am kind of anti-progress.” She was initially against a new bridge but said viewing the renderings helped to change her mind.

“The big one still looks too big, but I might go with the 36-foot version,” she said.

Longboat Commissioner BJ Bishop, however, is ready to go high.

“If we are going to do this, we might as well go with the third (alternative), the 78-foot bridge,” Bishop said.

North-end community raises concerns about new Longboat Pass Bridge

FDOT presented three possible build alternatives to replace the Longboat Pass Bridge. North-end residents are more concerned about the impacts.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...ridge-project/

The new Longboat Pass Bridge alternatives would be built just a few dozen feet away from Carla Smith’s bedroom window.

Her condo at Northgate is the closest to the proposed bridges.

She already keeps most of the windows in her house closed in the afternoons. She has to, she said, or else she’ll hear the constant commotion of cars entering and leaving Longboat Key.

Some days, she said the sound is “deafening.” She fears it will only get worse.

In the proposed bridge plans there’s also a pedestrian walkway, which will be almost at eye level with her window.

Ben Ghosh feels threatened, too.

He’s done his homework and marked the bounds of the 76-foot-wide proposed bridge with green tape around Northgate. Seeing the tape, Ghosh thinks that a new Longboat Pass Bridge would impact everyone in his north end community.

Northgate is one of the northernmost properties on Longboat Key, and it’s home for Ghosh.

With the Florida Department of Transportation’s proposed bridge projects for the Longboat Pass Bridge, Ghosh fears that his home and neighbors will be impacted.

The FDOT presented three new build alternatives to residents at a March 14 public workshop. All three alternatives would be about 76 feet wide and built to the west of the existing bridge. One would remove the drawbridge to become a fixed bridge.

[wondermint2]

Sarasota City Commission can't decide if developer can demolish historic home

For full article & photos:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...ec5e997f&ei=46

The future of a historic Sarasota structure is still uncertain after the Sarasota City Commission failed to reach a motion regarding its potential demolition.

The potential demolition of the McAlpin House — a 1912 historic home located at 1530 Cross St. — is in limbo until at least May 8, as the commission couldn’t decide whether to approve the demolition at its Monday meeting. Virginia-based developer Orange Pineapple LLC sought to demolish the house to clear the way for a new mixed-use development, and it insisted that preservation wasn’t possible after months of workshopping solutions.

Orange Pineapple purchased more than 3 acres — including the parcel where the 1,600-square-foot house lies — for $32 million last May, and it applied to demolish the house shortly after. Local experts and advocates have since called for Orange Pineapple to plan around preserving the house, which is notable for its connection to prominent Sarasota developer George McAlpin and the pioneering rusticated blocks he used to build it.

Orange Pineapple hasn’t yet submitted a site plan to the city, which means the future development is flexible. David Baber, president of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, said the new development should include the house.

“They haven’t even really finalized their plans for the building,” Baber said. “Certainly they can adjust it.”

The Sarasota Historic Preservation Board voted unanimously to deny Orange Pineapple’s application to demolish the house last July, and Orange Pineapple appealed the decision to the Sarasota City Commission the following October. The commission postponed a vote on the appeal for six months, directing the developer to continue to workshop solutions to preserve the McAlpin House in the meantime.

Despite a months-long campaign to find feasible new lots to move the house — including an offer to cover all relocation costs — Orange Pineapple has maintained that the house’s condition, size, orientation and cost of renovations make relocation impossible. Three house movers said it couldn’t be done, and 17 parties interested in taking on the house either tapped out or didn’t respond.

[wondermint2]

Sarasota city attorney to prepare a potential ordinance to track political lobbying

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sa...ec5e997f&ei=50

Nearly six months after Commissioner Erik Arroyo first raised the proposal, Sarasota leaders will explore an ordinance to regulate political lobbying in city hall after several ethics issues have come up.

City Attorney Robert Fournier was directed by a 3-2 vote Monday to present a model ordinance to the board. He told the Herald-Tribune that while his mandate from the City Commission lacks specifics and there are many questions from opponents of the proposal to consider, he wants to keep the language as simple as possible.

Fournier said he will probably have something to present to the commission in a few months.

A “Lobbying & Transparency Act” was first proposed by Arroyo at an Oct. 2 meeting. Two days later, in a letter to city officials, Arroyo outlined why Sarasota should join the more than 450 cities and counties in the state with a formal lobbying process.

The commissioner envisioned a registration requirement for anyone paid to lobby the city and a requirement that they disclose their client. The information would be kept in a digital, publicly accessible database.

Both of Arroyo's pushes for a lobbying ordinance came as he faced scrutiny for potential ethics issues. He was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in 2023 for his failure to register a charity before accepting contributions.

The investigation was closed after state authorities found "there is no evidence to prove that Erik Arroyo willfully committed a crime" in connection with the charity. The commissioner told the Herald-Tribune he had "clearly made some technical errors" in registering his Sarasota City Foundation, which had accepted donations from local developers.

[wondermint2]

Free block party, food truck rally and more fun things to do in Sarasota area this weekend

For the full list:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tri...ec5e997f&ei=53

Our roster of fun April events in Sarasota and Manatee counties kicks off this weekend with a winning mix of festivities. These include a free block party in downtown Sarasota and another one, with tickets starting at around $50, in the Rosemary District to celebrate the opening of the Sarasota Film Festival.

There's also a food truck rally in Lakewood Ranch and opening weekend for The Bradenton Marauders minor league baseball team at their historic stadium found near the Village of the Arts. In addition to the five featured events, a beloved Bradenton hangout will bid farewell on Saturday.

Bunny & Pirates, a craft beer pub, wine bar and listening garden at 12404 Cortez Road W., Cortez, is holding a Grand Finale Celebration with live music and food trucks starting at 3 p.m. Saturday before permanently closing. For more information, visit facebook.com/bunnyandpirates.

[wondermint2]

Architecture Sarasota debuts 'Moderns that Matter' exhibit

Striving to preserve the legacy of the region's designs, the Sarasota 100 documents a century of places that shaped Sarasota's identity.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...derns-exhibit/

[wondermint2]

The Ringling Museum to open new Greatest Show on Earth Gallery

Interactive and immersive exhibits cover Feld Entertainment's ownership of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...-show-gallery/

[wondermint2]

Top residential real estate sales for March 18-22 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...tate-longboat/

A home on Lido Beach tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Douglas Libertore, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 160 Bryant Drive to Thomas and Jane Freeman, of Sarasota, for $8,995,000. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,486 square feet of living area.

[wondermint2]

Top residential real estate sales for March 18-22 in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Palmer Ranch, Osprey, Nokomis

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...tate-sarasota/

A condominium in Ten35 tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Cynthia Bontrager, trustee, of Bristol, Indiana, sold the Unit 501 condominium at 1035 Seaside Drive to Gary Beltrani and Lori Beltrani, trustees, of Sarasota, for $5.1 million. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,631 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.95 million in 2023.

[wondermint2]

Commission votes to allow additional freeboard with possible expansion

Longboat Town commissioners debated over how much optional freeboard to allow after a change in FEMA flood maps changed for Sarasota County.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...nal-freeboard/

At the April 1 regular meeting, Longboat Key town commissioners voted to pass an ordinance allowing for property owners to include up to 3 feet of freeboard — two optional feet on top of the required 1 foot.

An option to allow two more feet of freeboard — 4 feet total — was also on the table, but commissioners needed more research and development for that ordinance.

Base flood elevation (BFE) is the estimated level of surface water expected during a 100-year base flood event. Freeboard is a safety feature of floodplain management and is added on top of the BFE height to equal a property’s design flood elevation.

[wondermint2]

Venice Fire Rescue swears in newest 4-legged member, ‘Misty’


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L5CwgPNhNs

Venice Fire Rescue has welcomed a new member to the team. Her name is Misty and she is a two-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever.

The new station dog was sworn into her post last week at Venice City Hall. Misty is specially trained to sniff out stress hormones and respond to help ease those symptoms.

K9s for Warriors out of Ponte Vedra trained Misty as part of their “Station Dog Program.” The nonprofit has provided service dogs to disabled veterans for years, but along the way, they’ve learned there’s a great need for more dogs like Misty among first responders.

For full article:

https://www.wfla.com/news/sarasota-c...ber-misty/amp/