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MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners asked the county’s seven fire chiefs to consider merging their districts at an April 23 meeting.
Commissioners said they would support doing a study to look into the benefits of consolidating fire districts, adding that they would bring state leaders and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability into the conversation if needed.
Manatee County Administrator Charlie Bishop reminded commissioners that they have no authority over fire districts, which are special districts and governed by the state of Florida.
People who speak during audience participation at a Sarasota County Board of Commissioners meeting usually address items to be voted on.
But on Tuesday, several people wanted to be heard about something the Commission already did.
And they weren't happy about it.
The County Commission voted unanimously last month to end the county's payroll deduction program for charitable donations by employees and to cut off funding for any organization that makes referrals to "Planned Parenthood or any other organization for abortion services.”
The “whereas” recitals in the resolution that was adopted make it clear it was targeted at United Way Suncoast, which operates the 211 social service referral hotline.
The justification for the ban was that “abortion services are incompatible with the values of Sarasota County, and the Board of County Commissioners of Sarasota County has determined that it will not support any organization that makes referrals to Planned Parenthood or any other organization for abortion services,” the resolution states.
Julie Forrester told the Commissioners on Tuesday that axing funding for United Way Suncoast was a "disgrace" because "women's reproductive health is in line with county values."
No county residents were referred to Planned Parenthood by United Way Suncoast last year, she said, so the Commission was putting other programs the agency funds at risk "for something that didn't happen."
It's a bad precedent, she said.
She accused the Commission of "pandering to extremists" by needlessly getting involved in a culture war.
Richard Canarelli also used the term "culture war," saying that nothing prompted the Commission's action, which was carried out with insufficient study or time for research.
It's not good for business or residents, he said.
Jeffrey Lustig said defunding United Way South wouldn't have an impact on well-to-do people.
"Striking down on poor people to feel good about yourself is really bad," he said.
Anya Dennison said ending funding was "objectively" not in the best interests of county residents, and Xander Moricz reiterated that no county resident was referred by United Way South to Planned Parenthood in 2023.
Sally Nista was the only person backing the Commission's action, as she had done when the vote was taken.
“I do not want my taxpayer money to be spent on encouraging someone to kill a baby,” she said then.
She praised the board on Tuesday for its action after urging it not to spend county funds on undocumented immigrants.
Captains in Cortez have reported an increase in the amount of abandoned and derelict vessels in the area. Captain Kathe Fannon said most of the boats are coming from Bradenton Beach.
Fannon said the boats are being told to leave Bradenton Beach because they are abandoned and at-risk and make their way to an area out of enforcement.
Cortez is an unincorporated area of Manatee County that does not have its own municipal or local government. Fannon said that means nothing is being done about the vessels that also pose danger.
“Probably hazardous if you don’t know they are there. They are just randomly wherever they sink. You know, we don’t have a lot of depth here in Sarasota Bay so they can only go so far down and then they sit there,” said Fannon.
Fannon said it can become especially dangerous after the vessels have submerged under the water and people do hit them.
Cortez has a problem: No authority over growing anchorage
An influx of live-aboard boats and anchored vessels is testing the waters in Cortez.
Cortez also has seen an increase in abandoned and at-risk vessels, raising questions about the need for the sort of maritime enforcement employed in other communities.
In recent months, there has been an uptick in vessels in the village anchorage, including some at-risk boats that pose hazards to navigation and threaten the environment.
Karen Bell, who owns A.P. Bell Fish Co., 4600 124th St. Court W., and the adjacent Star Fish Company Market & Restaurant, said captains operating at the A.P. Bell docks must navigate around too many anchor lines and sunken vessels.
“It’s really hard for them to get through,” Bell said. “Most of the live-aboards are not anchored properly. Most of them don’t have the right size anchor much less the proper amount of scope. You literally have to weave in and out of that craziness.”
Bell said derelict and at-risk vessels break loose from anchors in storms and drift until they collide with other vessels or structures or run aground in the shallows.
She and others in the Cortez community have been in touch with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Manatee County about the need to police at-risk vessels and remove derelict or abandoned boats.
The FWC works with municipal governments to remove vessels in state waters through a derelict vessel grant program, which reimburses local governments.
Also, Sarasota, Bradenton Beach and Palmetto governments police waters within their municipal boundaries.
Cortez has no municipal or local government.
Police Chief John Cosby spoke to The Islander May 1 about Bradenton Beach’s derelict boat program, which started in 2013.
Kaleta’s stable of rental units dwarfs that of the other leading companies on the island, including Vacasa, Mike Norman Realty and Island Vacation Properties, which offer about 160-200 rentals each.
The island has never experienced a rental property management company consolidation of this magnitude, Varner said Jan. 26.
“This is a whole new dynamic to Anna Maria Island, a whole different ballgame, and I guess time will tell if that business model is successful or not here,” Varner said.
Larry Chatt, the owner of Island Real Estate, which manages 87 vacation rental properties, said he didn’t believe the consolidation would worsen the rental market for property owners or renters.
“I think it’s still relatively healthy for customers, guests and owners alike. I think there are enough companies in place that there’s still healthy competition to make sure that we lean into property management as well as lean into helping guests with booking stays on the island,” he said.
However, Chatt said he has concerns about the legal pressure a larger outfit could put on the cities to change ordinances related to tourism.
“The worry is somebody getting big enough to litigate their way through to create a short-term gain and not respect the long-term character the island has created,” Chatt said.
Current ordinances ensure a healthy mix of permanent residents and tourists and, if a larger outfit were able to upset the balance, the character of the island would be in jeopardy, Chatt said.
Kaleta is embroiled in five circuit court cases and a $3.125 million federal lawsuit with the city of Holmes Beach related to the development of Bali Hai Beach Resort, which he purchased in 2019 for $20 million.
The resort is rented under the Anna Maria Vacations umbrella.
Anna Maria Beach Resort rates have appeared to rise since Kaleta took over in November.
Baleigh Mendez, a Kansas native, told The Islander Jan. 28 she stayed at the resort with her husband in June 2021 in an “Oceanview King Island Room” for four nights, paying $295 per night.
According to the resort’s website, booking that room for the same duration and number of guests in June 2022 will cost $895 per night.
A section in the new North Port land code may make it harder for some fearful residents to chop down trees on their property.
The drafted section of chapter 6 in the new Unified Land Development Code may worry those who have “tree fear,” as well as those who believe in strong property rights, the City Commission was told in a workshop Monday.
During Hurricane Ian, many trees fell throughout the community, brought down by several hours of 140-plus-mile-per-hour winds and drenching rain.
Even though most trees were still standing after the storm, some people are concerned about their homes if another big storm strikes.
POTENTIAL CHANGES
Many trees were torn down post-Ian due to “tree fear.”
White said traumatized people will not stop cutting down them down, either.
Such fear defies logic, White said, but it’s the reality of the situation.
City staff presented proposed on-property tree cutting requirements to the City Commission in the Monday workshop.
First, a “site plan” is required to be submitted with a requests for tree removal approval.
The site plan must:
Show the location of the primary structure, access points, parking areas, etc.Show all trees on the property, including species and “diameter at breast height.”
Other thresholds about on-property trees apply as well. And if those thresholds are met, then a tree can be cut down.
They include scenarios where:
The tree is a hazard.It is in poor health.It is within 15-feet of an “occupied structure, but not on an adjacent property under separate ownership.”
Tree appeals can, however, be made from one who lives on the property.
Going through such a process may actually make people think twice about cutting trees, in effect protecting them, White said.
PROPERTY RIGHTS
Commissioner Debbie McDowell thinks the section of the chapter, itself, is illogical.
She questioned why trees on an empty lot can be cut down, while those on a lived-on one need approval.
Vice Mayor Phil Stokes believes people will ignore the rules.
“People are going to do what the heck they want to do with their own property,” he said.
Stokes believes educating, planting more trees and incentivizing people to plant more trees are the true keys.
To that idea, Commissioner Barbara Langdon suggested property tax rebates as an incentive.
The entirety of Chapter 6 was discussed as well.
The Natural Resources chapter also included the following sections:
I. In GeneralII. Archeological and Historic preservationIII. Conservation Restricted overlay zone; which applies to Myakkahatchee creekIV. Endangered and threatened species protection regulationsV. Flood damage prevention regulationsVI. Myakka River protection zone regulationsVII. Tree protection regulationsVIII. Wetland protection regulations
A popular waterfront restaurant in Sarasota County has been named among the best beach bars in Florida.
Southern Living, the lifestyle magazine that debuted in 1966, recently published an article titled "The 12 Best Beach Bars in Florida for Sun, Surf, and Stiff Drinks." The Sunshine State is represented from the Panhandle to the Keys.
The list includes two favorites from the Tampa Bay area: Jimmy’s Beach Bar on St. Pete Beach, which was featured in our USA TODAY Network's list of best beach bars in 2021, as well as Salt Shack on the Bay in Tampa, which was recognized on The New York Times' list of best restaurants in 2023.
For Sarasota and Manatee counties, Southern Living chose the celebrated Venice dining and drinking destination, Sharky’s on the Pier.
Previously voted best beach bar in Florida, Sharky's is a Venice landmark dating back to 1987. Located at the base of the Venice Fishing Pier first built in 1966, Sharky's places guests right on the sand of the beach Brohard Park overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to boasting spectacular sunsets, Sharky's has live music most evenings.
Sharky’s serves a full food menu with popular items such as fried shrimp, chicken fingers, and their "famous grouper wrap." However, they're probably best known for a drink roster that includes a bunch of signature frozen beverages such as their list of margaritas.
VENICE — The Sarasota County Commission decided to move forward with a comprehensive plan amendment affecting county land in Nokomis despite opposition from residents who decried its potential environmental impact.
A staff-initiated petition proposed to change the future land use designation of about 107 acres at the northwest corner of the intersection of Knights Trail Road and Rustic Road from Public Conservation/Preservation to Major Government Uses.
The petition came with an 8-0 recommendation from the county Planning Commission for approval by the County Commission and transmittal to the state Department of Economic Opportunity, as required by state law.
The transmittal should have occurred already but was delayed because the boundaries of the property have changed three times, Capital Projects Facilities Manager Brad Gaubatz said.
County Administrator Jonathan Lewis said staff did a “deep dive” in 2018 into all county-owned land and its potential uses.
The land in question was already zoned for government use and is located in a growing area where the demand for services has been increasing, he said.
It’s part of a 320-acre county property, Planner Ana Messina said, and the proposed change doesn’t affect the property’s zoning. Rather, she said, it just brings the future land use designation in line with it.
In fact, the staff report says, the change isn’t actually required, because GU zoning covers all the intended uses. It’s being sought for uniformity, the report says.
A parcel to the north is the projected site of the county’s planned fire academy, while the parcel in question will be home to a new fleet facility at an unspecified point in the future.
Already occupying the property to the west are a public park, recreation and athletic facilities, a gun range and a sheriff’s training facility, according to the staff report.
The parcel in question is undeveloped, however, and dedicated in perpetuity for conservation in the comp plan, Shari Thornton said in opposing the change.
Thornton, who’s running for the District 3 seat on the Commission this year, said that putting the county’s fleet facility on the property wouldn’t be “maintaining its existing use,” which the plan requires.
The county is “chipping away” at the protected status of the land, she said.
Joan Farrell, who said she was speaking both as a concerned citizen and a Venice City Council member, urged the Commission not to “commandeer” the land for government uses.
In making a motion to transmit the amendment, Commissioner Joe Neunder said the issue is improving the resources staff needs to provide services in South County.
“I don’t really have any heartburn on this one,” he said.
The motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner Mark Smith opposed.
His problem, he said, was that “somebody dropped the ball” by putting a future use of conservation on land zoned for government use.
Sarasota County changes conservation status of Nokomis land for construction project
Sarasota County is changing a Nokomis land parcel’s future use designation from conservation to build a fleet maintenance facility in one of the fastest-developing areas in the country.
County commissioners spoke of the growing need for government services in southern Sarasota County, which has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country. The land itself is about a quarter of a mile down the street from the Magnolia Bay housing development that is under construction.
County officials said the location was efficient and cost-effective, and that the growing population in southern Sarasota County requires an expansion of government services.
Although the land is zoned for government use, its “future land use” was marked for conservation, which led many people to urge the commission to vote against the facility.
The facility would be around 63,000 square feet, meant for maintaining emergency service vehicles and “parts storage, property storage, administrative functions, vehicle acquisitions, and asset management,” according to county plans.
Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the spring of 2025 and be completed by the fall of 2026.
Shari Thornton, a County Commission candidate for District 3, said she worried that the new facility would compound traffic in the area, which is already near new housing developments and a landfill. Thornton also pulled out an artist’s rendering of the facility, which she pointed out bears “no resemblance” to the natural habitat.
“It seems like the county is chipping away at this land, and it won’t be there once we take it away,” Thornton said. “You can never bring it back.”
The resolution passed 4-1. Commissioner Mark Smith said he thought the land’s future use designation as conservation when it would be needed for government use caused unnecessary confusion.
It's Mother's Day weekend, which calls for a special edition of the Top 5 Things to Do in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, highlighting May events that I believe moms would truly enjoy.
For example, while on any other weekend I might have recommended attending the screening of "The Godfather Part II" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Sarasota Opera House, I decided to skip it for today's picks. Because in my 46 years on this planet, I have yet to encounter a mom who shares my enthusiasm (or that of my male relatives and friends) for the "Godfather" films (the same goes for "Rocky," by the way).
So, here's my best attempt to spotlight five things to do in Sarasota and Manatee counties this weekend that moms of all ages might appreciate. And don't forget, Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 12!
During an April 29 Neighborhood Workshop, residents of surrounding communities emphasized their opposition to a proposal for a 100-home development in the easternmost portion of the county.
In fact, Sarasota attorney Charles D. Bailey III, of the Williams Parker firm, said that a number of the written comments he and the other project team members had received had “R-rated language or worse, which I’ve never experienced before.”
Bailey has been practicing land-use law for many years. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in September 1994.
Early on during the event, planner Kelley Klepper, a vice president of the Kimley-Horn consulting firm in Sarasota who also is on the project team, noted that a couple of the emails he had seen “are a little bit more of a personal nature. I don’t believe they’re appropriate, considering some of the tone. We will not allow personal attacks on the team of John Cannon Homes,” the developer of the proposed new community, Klepper added.
With Sarasota County Planner Keaton Osborn listening in on the Zoom session, Bailey said he hoped that he was not violating county policy by refraining from reading the profane comments, as more than a few, he indicated, included words that began with “s” and “f.” Nonetheless, he added, they would become part of the record turned over to the county with other materials, and the Zoom recording, of the workshop.
The workshop is a county requirement for any land-use proposal. It precedes the filing of a formal project application.
One of the workshop attendees, Jane Grandbouche, told Klepper and Bailey that she has lived in the nearby Old Miakka community for almost 40 years. “This [project] is unlike anything that has ever gone in our neighborhood. … It is almost unfathomable to me to actually look at this,” she stressed.
Among the other neighboring communities are Deer Hammock, Bern Creek, Oak Ford, Hampton Lakes and Shallow Run, as shown on a graphic presented to the workshop attendees.
Referring to the development site, Grandbouche emphasized, “It’s incredibly beautiful, native property.”
The new homes would displace more of the wildlife, she also pointed out, noting that East County residents already have seen that happening, given the development that has been taking place in that part of the county.
“I wonder why anybody would do this to this piece of property,” Grandbouche told Bailey and Klepper.
She further cited the anticipated increase in noise for the residents who long have lived in the area, and the prospect that insufficient steps will be taken to preserve the “dark skies” atmosphere that the residents appreciate.
At one point, in response to a question from resident Tom Matrullo, Klepper reported that the workshop had drawn 124 participants.
The project would be built on five parcels comprising approximately 511 acres south of Fruitville Road and south of Bel-Air Estates, according to the form that Klepper submitted to county staff to provide details about the workshop.
Two interior parcels, Klepper noted, will not be part of the community.
Rural residents join forces as developer aims to rezone 500-acre site in historic Old Miakka
Residents in eastern Sarasota County are once again joining forces to stop a proposed development off Lena Lane in Old Miakka. The site sits a short distance from the Historic Schoolhouse, which is a local landmark.
The developer hasn’t submitted formal application plans to the county, but early plans show John Cannon Homes aims to rezone around 511 acres from Open Use Rural and Open Use Agriculture which allows for one home every 10 to 160 acres, to Open Use Estate which would allow the development of one home per five acres or less.
Sheldon Holland, who moved to Old Miakka more than 30 years ago, lives next door to where the proposed development would take form. To get to his 10-acre property, you have to take dirt roads under tree canopies, and along the way, you will likely spot cows, horses, deer and other wildlife.
“Most people move to this community to raise their kids. It is not a place where people move to sell their house in seven years. It is not a place that people buy here for profit; they move here to live,” said Holland.
In documents provided to 8 On Your Side by Sarasota County, a representative for the developer said the rezoning will allow for additional residential homes with increased open space as part of a “Conservation Subdivision”.
“The applicant intends to match the development pattern of the communities to the north and west of the property. The Conservation Subdivision form of development will provide a sense of rural living based on the natural, on-site features and the proposed residential development preserving significant portions of the existing habitat/corridors with limited disturbances to those features,” the pre-application narrative submitted to the county reads.
Holland feels it will not be a match and fears if the developer gets their way, his Old Florida lifestyle will never be the same.
Other residents expressed concerns surrounding impacts on roads, wildlife habitats, water quality, and safety.
“It will be an urban intrusion into not just a rural community, but historic rural community,” said Becky Ayech.
The proposed development still needs to go before the county’s planning commission and the county commission.
The Old Miakka Community is hosting an informational meeting Thursday night at the Historic Schoolhouse at 15800 Wilson Road.
Popular YouTuber, Charles Ross was found guilty of trespassing in court on Wednesday.
Ross is known as the man behind Ross Creations on YouTube.
He is charged with trespassing at an enterprise business on US 301 in Sarasota, where he was trying to film a prank video for his channel. Officials say he was asked to leave several times. The police were later called.
Ross has a history of arrests for his pranks, including pretending to be a police officer.
Ross Creations is based out of the Sarasota-area and has nearly 5 million subscribers on YouTube.
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