History of the Southwest Quad - Background Links

The links below go to Background on the Southwest Quad - the one James Gabbert wanted for his WTF (Waste Transfer Facility). 

The Board is now promoting a plan to move the Florida House to the SW Quad Parcel for use as a building industry showcase - in violation of the Easement the County granted with unanimous Board Approval in December 2019.

                                                        Thanks to Adrien Lucas for this selection.

Useful Links, Supporting Material & Some Helluva Good Press from the Past Week! Conservation concepts roll out for Sarasota County-owned Quads land Observer, Eric Garwood | February 20, 2022 Sarasota County Commissioners decide land near the Celery Fields  will be conserved ABC Channel 7 by Rick Adams | November 6, 2019 Celery Fields Protest Video presented to the Sarasota County  Commissioners at the November 6 hearing. Filmed by Daniel Perales, produced by Adrien Lucas Sarasota County residents rally for Celery Fields and denounce ‘groundhog politics’ Herald Tribune by Anna Bryson | November 2, 2019 Video Celery Fields Protest Live to VOD recordings of WWSB's newscasts ABC Channel 7 by Taylor Torregano | Nov. 1, 2019 Organizers plan 'Last Stand for Celery Hill' protest Saturday ABC Channel 7 by Taylor Torregano | Nov. 1, 2019 SEIDMAN: Déjà vu all over again at Celery Fields Herald Tribune by Carrie Seidman | Oct. 31, 2019 After the Nov. 2 rally for Celery Fields Citizen's for Sarasota County Blog by Tom Matrullo | Nov. 3, 2019 On Nov. 6, County Commission to discuss draft staff report  that includes development options for Quads property  next to Celery Fields Sarasota News Leader by Rachel Brown Hackney |Oct. 24, 2019 Fresh Start for the Celery Fields, a real-time blog holding any and  all things related to the Celery Fields and Sarasota County government.  Great place to learn what we are up against. A useful site for  appropriate cut and paste sentences for writing why you oppose  the sale of the Quads. Comment on Critical Area Plan for the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields,  a breakdown on the proposed county staff Celery Field Quad  CAP analysis to Sarasota planner Mr. Kirk. A video of Fresh Start's presentation to the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners on Sept. 12, 2018 that apparently fell on deaf ears.  Click here to View. ===== Image from the Sarasota News Leader The Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association - a local  developer lobbyist group - proposes for the SW Quad a showcase that  would feature the construction industry. Originally proposed  for the NW parcel which the county still retains, the group has now  switched to the SW parcel.

Was the Conservation Easement a Bait & Switch?

Mike Moran and Al Maio – the two commissioners who voted for James Gabbert’s giant, outdoor debris pulverizing plant on the SW Quad parcel – are now pushing a building lobbyist's proposal that would put a builder's showcase there, despite the fact that the proposal violates the Conservation Easement approved by the Board in 2020.

M&M were joined by Cutsinger and Ziegler in the 4-1 vote to fast-track the BIA proposal.

Excerpts below are from the 4.29.22 Sarasota News Leader article.

With Detert objecting, County Commission authorizes staff to negotiate with Manatee-Sarasota Business Industry Association to take over Florida House lease and move building 

April 28, 2022 by Rachel Brown Hackney, Editor & Publisher

Making the motion, Commissioner Moran calls for ‘plenty of public input’ on proposal during future board meeting

Commissioner Michael Moran this week won the support of his other three colleagues to authorize county staff to start negotiating with the Manatee-Sarasota Business Industry Association over the future of the Florida House.

Formally, Moran specified county talks with the Business Industry Association (MSBIA) “and/or any nonprofit that’s affiliated with [it]” to take over the county’s lease of the 4454 S. Beneva Road site in Sarasota where the Florida House stands. That lease will end on June 30, 2027, county staff has noted.

Further, Moran called for allowing the MSBIA or the nonprofit to move the building before that lease expires.

The MSBIA has created a nonprofit organization called the Building Industry Institute....

The MSBIA proposal in a June 7, 2021 letter from its CEO, Jon Mast, to County Administrator Jonathan Lewis — plus comments from MSBIA board member Teresa Mast, who addressed the commissioners at an Open to the Public comment period during the commission’s Feb. 8 meeting — included the desire to move the Florida House to one of the Quads. Those four county-owned parcels are adjacent to the Celery Fields.

Although the latter area officially is a county stormwater management project, it also is an internationally known bird-watching destination.

In October 2020, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve a conservation easement over the Southwest, Southeast and Northeast Quads, in collaboration with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, which is based in Osprey, and the Sarasota Audubon Society.

The MSBIA has shifted its focus to a Southwest Quad site. ...

Detert said she objected to Moran’s motion. “We haven’t had a lot of meetings about it,” she began. “We probably need to.” ....

She said she believed all of the commissioners have met with MSBIA representatives one-on-one. “You’re kind of writing a motion in favor of one corporation,” she told Moran. ....

When Chair Alan Maio called for the vote on Moran’s motion, Detert repeated her objection to it. The motion passed 4-1.

. . . leaders of the Florida House Institute — which has become Southface Sarasota — have adamantly expressed opposition to the MSBIA proposal.

... former Florida House director Matt Ross, who founded the company Eco$mart, in 1993, stressed to the commissioners during public comments on Feb. 23 that in his 29 years of working with the Florida House, he had “not seen the [MSBIA’s] presence at all.”

When the Florida House suffered through “lean times” in the early 2000s, Ross continued, “Where was the builders’ association? They weren’t there.”

MSBIA head Jon Mast

...

Notes below on key points -

===========

Some key takeaways:

1. The Board chose to promote one proposal – from a lobby, the Manatee/Sarasota Building Industry Association BIA – over Commissioner Detert’s motion to hear from staff about several options for the Florida House.

2. The BIA Lobby wishes to take for its own use a parcel that was given to the people of Sarasota (via two Environmental Non-profits, Sarasota Audubon and the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast) to protect a bird nesting preserve and to foster community with a civic use – a Sarasota history archive, for example.

3. The BIA Lobby wants to rezone the SW Quad to ILW – Industry, light manufacturing, warehouse – apparently not finding any incompatibility with the Conservation Easement.

4. The county’s own documents and Conservation Easement reflect the fact that the intent of the Conservation Easement was for civic or government use, and use by a private organization is expressly disallowed by its terms.

5. Those who have had long and intimate participation in the Florida House say the Lobby has lied in pretending to have helped the Florida House when it needed it, or taken any interest in it before now.

Last Stand Protest, Nov. 2, at the public parcels near the Celery Fields

Board Meets Wed. Nov. 6 to address rezoning possibly to industrial use.

1660 Ringling Blvd.

1:30 pm

Scenes from a rally: Nov. 2 protest at the Quads and Celery Fields

Above: A selection of photos by Miri Hardy taken at the Nov. 2, 2019 Peaceful Protest to express public outrage at the prospective rezoning and sale of the Quads, public lands at the Celery Fields, to private developers.

Photos #7, #8 and #10 came from Dennis Robertson -- thanks!

More information here from organizer Adrien Lucas.

Please sign the Petition to save our public lands and protect our birding and recreational lands.

Sarasota County Map: Quads Parcels and Celery Fields

Recap before pending Celery Fields decisions

The Celery Fields offers residents the freedom of walking, exercising, birding, kayaking, fishing - as well as a touch of fresh air, cool breezes at the summit, fantastic sunsets and tranquility.

Celery Fields drone photo courtesy of Emanuel Guzman

While things might be quiet there now, they're not dull. At the moment, our public lands adjacent to the Celery Fields are in a suspended state. We await a critical area plan report that is anticipated to be released in time for a Nov. 6 Board discussion. What the Board decides then is likely to lead to rezonings, area plan amendments, and one or more key public hearings.

Below is a recap of recent activity regarding future possible decisions on the public Quad parcels near the nature and birding sanctuary.

After the Gabbert Waste Facility hearing of August 23, 2017, the Board never swayed from its plan to sell our public land to industrial or other uses. More than 60 people spoke to them at that hearing about all the reasons the public Quad parcels should serve uses that benefit the people. The Board did nothing.

In 2018, after 10 months of input from residents who initiated a formal process to bring ideas from the community for our public lands, the Board did nothing.

Meanwhile James Gabbert began work on his Waste Transfer Station (or, the WTF) on six acres of land he bought adjacent to Quad Parcel #2. Work is ongoing - this is a heavy industrial use situated on thin, failing roads; it will be visible to drivers along the Interstate. Commissioners Al Maio and Charles Hines voted to approve this plan of Gabbert's back in 2014. For more background, see this detailed timeline.

After one commissioner said no further uses - industrial or otherwise - ought to be considered on the Quad parcels unless something is done about the roads, the Board in January ordered the Planning Department to undertake a Critical Area Plan, or CAP of the Quad parcels and the surrounding area.

That process has continued since then. Lead planner Steve Kirk held a neighborhood workshop on May 14. The Church of Hope venue overflowed with citizens offering input. No one spoke in favor of selling our public lands for commercial or industrial uses.

In advance of the workshop, several new proposals or planning concepts were submitted to the Planning Department, which reposted them on this page.

After the May 14 workshop, a few new ideas arose as well:

• Sarasota Audubon proposed an Urban Forest on Parcel #1, the SE Quad next to the Celery Fields wetlands. Such a forest would offer diversified habitat for birds, new nesting areas, as well as walkable parkland for residents.

• The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast called for identifying a larger Rural Heritage Conservation Area that would offer a variety of uses and serve as a Central Park for eastern Sarasota, which is about to explode with new development. The area would include the Quad Parcels, the Celery Fields, and more properties totaling 1,300 acres.

Conservation Foundation Vision of Rural Heritage Area

• In June, Commissioner Hines threw out an idea to put affordable housing on Parcel #2, and said he'd like to see some action toward that end before the Board took its summer break beginning July 22. 

• Read more about both of these ideas here.

• In June, environmental advocate Jono Miller wrote to the Board advising against affordable housing on the Quad parcels. Miller proposed another possible use for the Quad parcels, a history and natural history center. 

• A similar suggestion for a combined museum and nature center forms part of the Celery Fields Community Estate group's proposal, which also includes a wealth of creative ideas for all four parcels.

Looking West at Sunset

A couple of days ago, lead CAP planner Steve Kirk offered a few updates by phone. Key points are summarized below (italicized sections are not from Kirk but from the editors):

• The May 14 workshop was the sole public workshop to be held in this process. The gist of the public input was clear - "pretty black and white," as he put it.

• Kirk aims to present results of the CAP study to the Board -- the tentative date is Nov. 6, 2019.

• Planning will transmit the critical area plan results - including community input - to the Board a week before the public discussion on Nov. 6 (or whenever it's held). No information about the findings of the area planning process will be available to the public before it is transmitted to the Board, Kirk noted. The Board authorized the report, and its contents will not be shared with the public ahead of when it's sent to the Board.

• When the Commissioners discuss the CAP, that discussion is not a public hearing. Yet, at that point, the Commissioners can do as they wish - they asked for the study, but are not bound by it, so they can ignore it and proceed to authorize a rezoning for whatever purposes they wish.

• Whatever the Commissioners decide, they will probably order a rezoning of the Quad parcels, and a CAP amendment to enable changes to the plan. They could even order a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Kirk added. Each of these processes calls for a public hearing. For example, if the Board votes to rezone one or more parcels for industrial use, even if no industrial developer is known to be asking for it, that rezoning process can go forward.

EDITOR's NOTE: This could lead to a peculiar step in planning: At an industrial rezoning hearing, for example, the public will be given the opportunity to speak, but there might be no information as to what sort of industrial use could eventually go on these lands near the Celery Fields. Should the Board decide to authorize industrial rezoning, respect for the area and for the community demands that any such directive be very specific, and include strong proactive and protective constraints: No heavy industry, no trucks, no environmental pollution, no eyesores, etc. Anything less would open the doors to yet another Gabbert waste facility, giant slovenly warehouse, or worse.

Commissioners Hines and Detert

The Board has not yet given any indication to Planning about affordable housing. They could address the issue upon their return. A"Think Tank" workshop for the Board is scheduled for Aug. 21.

While the Commissioners could direct planning to take steps to put affordable housing on the Quad parcels, doing so before the CAP process is complete would be out of sequence.

If the Board has any respect for sound planning or for the community, it will allow the planning department to complete a rigorous critical planning process, then use the results as the basis for considering the best options for our public lands at the Celery Fields.

Courtesy of Chuck Behrmann

Thaxton snubbed for third time for Planning Commission

Courtesy of the Sarasota News Leader

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Thaxton once again loses out on bid for Planning Commission seat

May 9, 2019 by Rachel Brown Hackney, Editor & Publisher

Stultz wins reappointment to advisory board, with Peters to fill out Neunder’s unexpired term

Former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton. Photo courtesy of Sarasota County

This week, for the third time in almost six years, former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton lost out on a bid to join the advisory board considered the most prestigious in county government.

Although Commissioner Nancy Detert nominated Thaxton for a term on the Planning Commission on May 8, she was the sole commissioner to support him.

Instead, on a 4-1 vote, her colleagues reappointed T. Andrew Stultz to a seat on the Planning Commission. Stultz’s term was due to expire at the end of the month, according to a memo provided to the County Commission in advance of the May 8 meeting.

Each term is four years.

Stultz, a Venice resident, owns Atlas Building Co. of Florida LLC, a construction company, his application said. He has been a resident of the county for 13 years, the application noted, adding that his firm “pursues Sarasota County construction projects.”

Stultz also wrote that he is a member of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange “and various industry groups.”

Detert did support the naming of Andrew Peters of Sarasota, vice president of wealth management for LCM Capital Advisors, to fill out the unexpired term of Dr. Joseph Neunder, who had resigned from the Planning Commission.

In his application, Peters wrote, “The most pressing planning and land use issues in Sarasota County involve strategies to properly [cope] with the immense population growth in Sarasota in ways that can appease both current residents of Sarasota while continuing to encourage new residents to make Sarasota their home. In order to resolve this issue a very long term planning view must always be taken into account when making current planning decisions so that new projects and developments do not negatively impact future developments that have not yet begun the planning process.”

Maio nominated Neunder, a Nokomis chiropractor, to the Planning Commission in January 2017. Neunder was one of the contributors to Maio’s re-election campaign in 2018, campaign finance records showed.

The May 8 staff memo said Peters’ term would be in effect through January 2021.

Andrew Peters. Image from the LCM Capital Advisors website

When Chair Charles Hines introduced the agenda item on May 8, county Planner Todd Dary pointed out that eight applications had come in for the two positions. However, the staff memo to the board noted that two of those “were received after the April 19, 2019 deadline, as indicated on the Applicant Appointment Worksheet.”

One of those was from Douglas Christy of Sarasota, which came in on April 26, the worksheet said. The other was from Ellen Silkes, which came in on April 22.

Christy is an attorney with Becker & Poliakoff in Sarasota, he noted in his application. Silkes is a retired “physician/surgeon,” she wrote on her application. She lives in downtown Sarasota.

Thaxton was the earliest of the eight to submit his application, according to the worksheet: March 25.

Thaxton stepped down from the County Commission in 2012 after three terms. A lawsuit filed by a citizens group had led to the implementation of a two-term limit for the board.

An Osprey resident, Thaxton is senior vice president for community investment with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation in Venice. He won respect on the County Commission as an environmental advocate, including serving as a champion of the endangered Florida scrub jay. He also was one of the primary proponents of the county’s ban on nitrogen-based fertilizers during the rainy season each year, an effort to reduce the runoff of those nutrients. Researchers consider nitrogen the biggest source of fuel for red tide blooms. (See the related story in this issue.)

With the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Thaxton has been prominent in community discussions regarding measures to help reduce homelessness and to create more affordable housing stock.

He noted on his application that he had learned of the unexpired Planning Commission term from Neunder. Thaxton previously applied for a Planning Commission seat in 2013 and in 2015. In that first attempt, he won support only from then-Commissioner Nora Patterson. On Thaxton’s second attempt, no county commissioner voted for him. The unanimous decision went to Kevin Cooper of Sarasota, then vice president of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. (Cooper went on to lead the Chamber for several years.)

The other applicants for the open seats this time were James DeNiro of Sarasota, a retired sergeant with the Sarasota Police Department and a licensed Realtor; Mark Hawkins of Sarasota, a general contractor who is a past candidate for the County Commission; and Bruce M. Iorie of Osprey, a retired electrician.

T. Andrew Stultz. Image from LinkedIn

After Chair Hines called for nominations for the two seats during the commission’s regular meeting on May 8, Commissioner Alan Maio put up the names of Stultz and Peters.

“I have a conflicting nomination,” Detert announced, noting that she wanted to nominate Peters and Thaxton.

After conferring with County Attorney Frederick “Rick” Elbrecht, Hines called first for a vote on Peters. Following the board’s unanimous approval of that appointment, Hines then called for the vote on Stultz. With Maio and Commissioners Michael Moran and Christian Ziegler voicing support for Stultz, Hines said, “I’ll vote ‘Aye’ on Andy Stultz,” which made that a 4-1 decision.

Then Maio told his colleagues, “I think we owe a thank you to Dr. Joe Neunder for his service for several years as he moves on to another thing in his life,” which necessitated his resignation.

Referring to the applicants, Hines said, “Great group.”

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Leveraging a triptych of public lands for all to benefit

Florida’s ideal outdoor recreation system will be a diverse, connected, accessible and balanced system of resources, facilities and programs that provides the state’s residents and visitors with a wide range of local recreation opportunities. Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan

A careful look at the public “Quad” parcels at the Celery Fields reveals a key area in radical transition. Sarasota County’s Critical Area Plan is now studying the parcels and surroundings for compatibilities and potential enhancements.

The Board’s commendable decision to do this study plays into a stunning new opportunity for residents and visitors. We must seize it now, because East County is about to change dramatically. 

In a few years, a highway flyover will connect UTC/Benderson west of I-75 with roads and trails to the East and South.

Planned Benderson/Waterside Flyover

From Benderson, Lakewood Ranch Boulevard will run east through SMR's Waterside, continuing south through the Quad parcels to the Celery Fields. This will form a "triptych" of three key areas, all linked without need of the highway.

Safe circulation through this large interconnected area will open new possibilities for bicyclists, pedestrians and runners. Marathons, triathlons, and cycling events can begin at Nathan Benderson Park, “fly over” the highway, and circulate on public trails through Waterside to Mt. Celery. Such iconic visibility will bring new visitors to the entire area.

At UTC/Benderson visitors will enjoy restaurants, shopping, the rowing park and eventually Mote Aquarium; in Waterside they’ll explore trails before reaching the tranquil environment of the Celery Fields for hiking, birding, kayaking and picnicking (as well as the lions, tigers of Big Cat Habitat) in one of the most beautiful spots in Sarasota.

Everyone going to Audubon or Big Cat at the Celery Fields has to pass through the Quads parcels on the way. These lands sit at a key intersection, where they can strategically serve to:

• Buffer the Celery Fields with gardens and an urban forest on Parcel #1;
• Provide parking, food, a bus loop and visitors center on parcels #2 and #3 to meet future needs; and,
• Optimize the experience for residents, businesses, schools, and visitors. Tree canopied sidewalks and trails will integrate stranded assets like the Celery Fields' north waterway and Ackerman Park with Audubon's birdwalks and Big Cat Habitat.

Public land stewardship should leverage our properties to realize broad value and meaningful public benefit. The result of this new framework will be a powerful economic catalyst, revitalizing surrounding neighborhoods and business districts.

A modest investment of tourist tax dollars will optimize the Quads and the Celery Fields area to safely handle future visitors. So much is here to offer. Let’s create a superb inland environment -- an ecological and recreational Triptych we can all be proud of.

Note: The above is a summary. Read the full proposition at this link: "Diverse, connected, accessible and balanced:" a Community Proposition for the Quad Parcels

- Submitted to the Critical Area Plan Workshop May 14, 2019

-- Tom Matrullo

SNN looks at impact of Gabbert Waste Transfer Facility on Celery Fields

Letter from Fresh Start protesting industrialization near the Celery Fields.

ALSO: Get Notified of Public Meeting:

In mid-May, the County will hold a public meeting to address a "critical area plan" that could end by rezoning the Quads - our public lands - for sale. If you wish to be put on a notification list for this meeting (it appears to be the only one the County plans to hold), please write to Mary Beth Humphreys of the planning dept. - just ask to be put on the notification list for the May Critical Area Plan meeting for the Quad parcels at the Celery Fields.

Ms. Humphreys can be reached here: mhumphre@scgov.net

Statement to the Board regarding Quads Critical Area Plan

This statement on reopening the Critical Area Plan (CAP) of the public lands near the Celery fields was presented in Open to the Public and via email on Jan. 29, 2019. It is necessary to remind our elected officials that this is public land because they make decisions like this. 

1.29.2019

To:      The Board of Sarasota County Commissioners
From:  Tom Matrullo
RE:     Critical Area Plan for the Quad Parcels/Celery Fields Area

Commissioners,

As you know, the Quad parcels have galvanized public attention here for the past two years.

The excellent planning memorandum on the CAP clearly indicates that this process holds promise for a new vision of these public lands and the Celery Fields area. Mr. Osterhoudt and Mr. Kirk state:

An analysis of the general conditions should be performed for the entire CAP area.

Further, they describe possible uses for these public parcels, including #6:

Park, recreation indoor/outdoor, civic/cultural

The Memo promises to examine mobility, buffering, landscaping, aesthetics, architectural design, and connection with the Celery Fields, as well as to identify incompatible uses. All this is music to the ears of the communities of the Fresh Start Initiative.

We fully agree that all citizens of Sarasota County are equal stakeholders, as the memo states:

… ensure public input from interested individuals and organizations, property owners and occupants within the CAP area, as well as users of the Celery Fields facilities.

As fiduciary stewards of our public lands, your Scope of Work needs to be open, transparent, and inclusive. We recommend that you incorporate three clarifying elements in this process:

1. Make unambiguously clear that no preference or deference will be given to any particular group who might provide input to the amendment process. The phrase “stakeholders and the general public” be amended to clarify that all citizens are equal stakeholders. 
2. The Board might legitimately seek input from specific subgroups of “stakeholders,” so long as the openness of this process is honored. Make sure every meeting is advertised and open to all. 
3. The process might find compelling reason to amend the boundaries of the CAP. Your Scope of Work should allow flexibility of boundaries for such contingency. 

Finally, make the most of this opportunity to meet pressing community needs -- affordable workforce housing, athletic facilities, civic spaces for thousands of future residents. The Celery Fields is an exceptional eco-tourist destination in need of parking and supplementary facilities. 

This process can address all these considerations.

Commissioners, the people of Sarasota want this to succeed. At the end of the day, if done right, our community will have a new vision of the area -- one that respects these important assets, protects them for future synergies, and connects them with crucial community benefits.

Thank you.

Tom Matrullo

Public "Quad" parcels

Quad parcels and Celery Fields

Update: Quad Parcels, Gabbert, Audubon Workshop

With the new year, there are two updates about the Quad Parcels near the Celery Fields, and news of  a coming workshop.

1. On Tuesday the Board will discuss reopening the Critical Area Plan for the Quad parcels. These four parcels are Public Lands. It's the next to last item on the day's long agenda.

This entire process is about public lands, and requires that the public be recognized as stakeholders on a par with all other interested parties. Please advise your neighbors. The staff notes for Tuesday's discussion are here.

Quad Parcels are Public Lands

Critical Area Planning can be useful when an area in transition needs to be rezoned, and its surroundings have changed. The idea is to look at what could be the best uses for the Quad parcels given the current context. How that context is defined will be key. It could include Celery Fields, the Fruitville Initiative, Big Cat Habitat and the businesses of the Packinghouse district, as well as nearby neighborhoods and office parks.

When a critical area plan is opened, new possibilities can be created. The county will seek input "from stakeholders and the general public." This is tricky. If the critical area plan is just about the quads, who are the stakeholders? Robert Waechter and James Gabbert, who own industrial properties bordering on parcel #2? The key will be the borders and scope of work, which need to include the full range of options for future uses on this land -- not simply the "lens" of the Lambert Advisory report. More background here and here.

Seen from highway: Owner James Gabbert who plans a Waste Transfer Station
on this six-acre site.  Beyond the treeline is Parcel #2, with the Celery Fields in background

2. It is confirmed that James Gabbert will receive the long-sought permit to build his Waste Transfer Facility, or WTF, on the six-acre parcel he owns at Porter and Palmer (the left rectangle of parcel 2). It's the first property one sees when coming from the West through the Palmer I-75 underpass.

Mr. Gabbert is expected to receive final approval (no public hearing required) within two weeks. For those wondering what can be done  to mitigate this authorized blight, we'll have some suggestions in the coming week. We'd like to hear yours as well.

3. Sarasota Audubon will hol a workshop about saving public lands from development - see the attached flyer. It's an opportunity to learn some important things. It's free at the Audubon Nature Center (at the foot of Mt. Celery) on Feb. 15, 1:30 pm.

As always, thanks for caring about our entire Celery Fields area -- and about honest, transparent, sensible planning.

Commission calls for analysis before rezoning Quad parcel #3

Courtesy of the Sarasota News Leader:

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County Commission calls for thorough staff analysis of ‘Northwest Quad’ near the Celery Fields, and surrounding area, before beginning rezoning

October 11, 2018 by Rachel Brown Hackney, Editor & Publisher
Workforce housing among options board members cite for potential uses of the 7 acres available

An aerial map shows the Northwest Quad outlined in red. Image courtesy Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office

Sarasota County Commissioner Paul Caragiulo won the unanimous support of his fellow board members this week to direct staff to begin analyzing the potential rezoning of a county-owned parcel near the Celery Fields as part of the Fruitville Critical Area Plan (CAP).

The vote followed commissioners’ expressions of conflicting viewpoints on the best use of what is known as the Northwest Quad, one of four parcels remaining from the creation of the Celery Fields stormwater project. A Miami consultant hired by the county to analyze the property said the “highest and best use” — a technical term regarding the greatest financial return to the county — would be as the site of 75,000- to 80,000-square-foot industrial facility. The firm estimated proceeds of $1.3 million to the county in the event the land were rezoned and sold for such a purpose.

However, in response to a question from Caragiulo, Eric Liff, a principal of Lambert Advisory, conceded that the firm did not take into consideration the constraints of the road network in the vicinity of the property.

“Did that come into play at all when you came down to the valuation?” Caragiulo asked.

“We’re assuming that through the development process, there are ways to mitigate [the traffic problems],” Liff replied.

Then Liff told Caragiulo, “That’s not taken into consideration in this analysis.”

Commissioner Paul Caragiulo. File photo

“In this case,” Caraguilo said, referring to the area of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road, “just about anything [except] a lemonade stand not seating more than five people” will lead to more traffic problems.

“That road can’t be widened,” Commissioner Charles Hines noted of Palmer Boulevard.

Chair Nancy Detert and Hines both talked about the potential of workforce housing on the Northwest Quad, while Commissioner Alan Maio pointed out that leaders of the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County have bemoaned the scarcity of property zoned for Industrial, Light & Warehousing (ILW) uses.

“I would not like to see any outdoor facilities that would result in pollution, such as concrete things flying around in the air,” Detert said of the Northwest Quad. “Metal recycling would not be good. … I would really prefer a recreational use, if possible.” However, she added that she would be agreeable to a warehouse with all uses contained inside that structure.

In reference to comments from people who had addressed the board at the beginning of its regular meeting on Oct. 10, Maio stressed, “We’re notgoing to hurt the Celery Fields, and no one here is prepared to do anything that impacts the new use that a stormwater [project] has evolved to.”

As Commissioner Michael Moran pointed out, many years ago, when the county was preparing to undertake the stormwater project that became the internationally renowned bird-watching area called the Celery Fields, the owner of the land insisted the county purchase the four adjacent “Quads” parcels.

Moran noted that the county’s intent always was to sell the Quads.

Before the Kimley-Horn and Associates consulting firm — in which he was a principal owner — created the Celery Fields at the county’s behest, Maio explained, “we had substantial in-structure, in-home intrusions of water during major events.”

A graphic shows the three ‘Quads’ parcels (outlined in red) originally under consideration for sale as surplus land. The Southeast and Southwest Quads are not on the market, at commission direction. Image courtesy Sarasota County

Later, as Maio also pointed out, the Northeast Quad was devoted to construction of a retention pond that would make the other three parcels open for development without stormwater concerns, thus increasing their value.

“I don’t think there’s a reason to not use [the Northwest Quad] for something,” Maio added.

“Some folks in the public say, ‘Leave ’em all alone,” Hines said. “I disagree with that.”

Hines talked of his desire to sell the land because of the need to start building back up the board’s Economic Uncertainty Reserve Fund. Another recession will come, Hines pointed out, and the county is running out of the “rainy day” reserve that previous commissions set aside before the Great Recession.

Maio concurred with the need for the funds the sale of the Northwest Quad would bring. He indicated that comments he has made while campaigning for re-election have been misconstrued. The board approved balanced budgets for the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years, he said, without tax increases. Nonetheless, staff had put hundreds of hours into developing a surplus property list, because the county does need the revenue, he added.

Future fiscal year models show the county with budget gaps starting again in 2021.

This is the Aug. 22 budget model showing the General Fund projections, factoring in passage of two state homestead exemptions on the Nov. 6 ballot. Image courtesy Sarasota County

“We’ve been very lucky with property value increases [the past few years],” Hines said.

Next steps

After Caragiulo made his motion, Matt Osterhoudt, director of the county’s Planning and Development Services Department, explained that the first step would be for staff to come back to the board with a proposal for the scope of work for inclusion of the property in the Fruitville CAP.

Commissioners emphasized that staff should not feel rushed to accomplish that.

“This isn’t an urgency thing that we need in two weeks,” Hines pointed out, referring to the previous day’s discussion about leasing county land at Nathan Benderson Park to Mote Marine Laboratory for a new aquarium. (See the related story in this issue.)

Maio suggested early January for the staff presentation. “Understood,” Osterhoudt replied.

In response to a Sarasota News Leader question, county Media Relations Officer Brianne Grant wrote in an Oct. 10 email that the work on the Northwest Quad is a two-phase project. The first was the economic and market analysis, which included the Lambert Advisory report. The expense of that phase was $33,695, Grant added.

The second phase will entail the necessary amendment to the Fruitville CAP and the rezoning, she continued, at a cost of $25,345.

Considering the potential uses

This is one vista of the Celery Fields in eastern Sarasota County. image courtesy Sarasota County

During a Nov. 28, 2017 budget workshop, Commissioner Maio won his colleagues’ support for the hiring of a consultant to consider the highest return on the Northwest Quad that the county could gain through the rezoning of the property. Lambert Advisory won the contract through a county-advertised Request for Proposals process, Maio pointed out on Oct. 10.

The commissioners concurred this week that they want any potential future buyer of the 7 acres available on the Northwest Quad to be certain of the zoning restrictions.

As Liff of Lambert Advisory explained on Oct. 10, the firm undertook a detailed analysis of surrounding uses in the area and market needs.

“Though office and residential opportunities comprise higher density development,” the firm’s report said, “their valuations are heavily impacted by the relatively narrow margin between the valuation of operating income and development cost.”

Lambert Advisory put the value of the Northwest Quad at $375,000 if it were to be used for a residential project; for office space, the value would be $150,000.

A chart in the Lambert Advisory report provides an industrial market snapshot for Sarasota County. Image courtesy Sarasota County

The report said the Northwest Quad appears to be able to support between 75,000 and 80,000 square feet of industrial development. “At this time, industrial development is the most compatible use relative to surrounding development,” the report adds.

In response to a question from Detert on Oct. 10, Liff explained that the definition of “highest and best use” is “the reasonably probable and legal use of vacant land or an improved property that is physically possible, appropriately supported, financially feasible and results in the highest value.”

Hines first broached the idea of workforce housing on the 7-acre site. (Another 2 acres of the parcel contains a manufactured building housing a fire station; it is scheduled to be replaced with a modern structure for firefighters and EMS crews. The design is underway, County Administrator Jonathan Lewis told the board.)

Hines also told his colleagues he was open to the idea of workforce housing on the Southwest and Southeast Quads.

“There’s a significant amount of jobs in this area,” Hines pointed out. Additionally, “You have a massive park that’s right there,” he continued, referring to the Celery Fields.

Hines then talked about the months-long effort of a group representing 50 homeowner associations in the area — the Fresh Start Initiative — which had worked at the board’s direction to come up with ideas for the Southwest and Southeast Quads. The group last appeared before the board on Sept. 12, when it urged the commissioners to consider the needs of the residents in the area and the growing reputation of the Celery Fields.

It has proposed recreational uses and perhaps a community center or ecotourism lodge on those other two parcels.

An ecotourism lodge has been one proposal of the Fresh Start Initiative. Image courtesy of the Fresh Start Initiative

Tom Matrullo, one of the Fresh Start leaders, pointed out during public comments on Oct. 10 that the commission already has approved six new housing projects that will entail 3,470 homes “within a short walk or drive from [the Northwest Quad] and the Celery Fields.”

“The Celery Fields is a pretty magnificent place,” Matrullo continued. “Many counties would consider themselves lucky to have it.”

“One thing I liked a lot [in the September Fresh Start presentation],” Hines said, was the potential of creative improvements to the Interstate-75 underpass to provide connectivity to Palmer Boulevard and the Celery Fields. A multi-family development on the Northwest Quad could take advantage of the walking and bicycling options, he added.

“I think that sounds great,” Detert replied.”

Another idea, Detert proposed, would be a combination commercial/residential development with amenities similar to those at Topgolf Tampa. That company’s website touts more than 100 “climate-controlled hitting bays,” a full-service restaurant and bars, private event spaces; a rooftop terrace with a fire pit; and more than 200 high-definition TVs.

“We should actually take advantage of the fact that the Celery Fields are there and continue along that recreational avenue,” she pointed out.

A graphic in the Fresh Start video shown to the board on Sept. 12 makes clear the location of the Quads. Image courtesy Sarasota County

When the commissioners asked about the uses available on the Northwest Quad now, Zoning Administrator Donna Thompson explained that the property is zoned Open Use Rural, which is devoted largely to agricultural uses. Through the special exception approval process, Thompson said, other uses could include a daycare center and a church, for examples.

Michele Norton, manager of the county’s Planning and Zoning Division, explained that any rezoning of the property would necessitate “reopening” the Fruitville CAP.

“I would be fine with having this rezoned to ILW,” Hines said. Multi-family housing and restaurants are among the uses allowed in such districts, he pointed out.

Noting the surrounding businesses, he added, “ILW’s compatible with everything that’s there.”

“I’m just not in any big rush to do anything here,” Commissioner Caragiulo told his colleagues.

Therefore, he continued, he felt an analysis through the CAP process would be appropriate.

The traffic issues have to be addressed, Caragiulo said.

The CAP analysis, Maio replied, “does more flesh out the details of the rezoning … what’s going to be required. “[Potential buyers] gotta know what they’re going to get.”

“I think that actually facilitates a little better community conversation,” Caragiulo said of utilizing the CAP process.

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