Media Updates: Fresh Start and the Celery Fields, 2017-19

ABC7 WWSB: Sarasota County asking for public opinion on future of land . . .

SRQExperience Overview of Celery Fields and Quads - thanks to Len Besterman.

Herald Tribune May 13, 2019: Matrullo: A big idea near the Celery Fields

Sarasota News Leader: May 3, 2019: Permitting Process continues for Waste Transfer Facility near Celery Fields

Herald Tribune March 9, 2019: Waste transfer facility to be built near Celery Fields in Sarasota County

Sarasota News Leader, Oct. 12, 2018: Commission calls for analysis before rezoning Quad parcel #3

Herald Tribune Oct. 10, 2018: Sarasota County still contemplating uses for land near Celery Fields

Sarasota News Leader Fresh Start Initiative leaders plead for County Commission to undertake commonsense approach to future planning around Celery Fields, making use of connectivity and recreational opportunities  (For non subscribers: Link courtesy of publisher)

Herald Tribune  Matrullo: Protect sites near Celery Fields

Sarasota News Leader The goal is to maintain a welcoming place

WWSB ABC 7 MySuncoast: Community group leaves disappointed by Commissioners response to Celery Fields proposal  (Taylor Torregano reporting, 9.12.18

Herald Tribune: Plans for land around Sarasota County’s famed Celery Fields still up in the air

Local Group Turns In Celery Fields Proposals - (video) Taylor Torregano reporting, 7.13.18

WWSB ABC 7 Fresh Start Initiative Submits Proposals for Celery Fields (print)

WUSF Tampa: A Community Group Presents How Public Wants To Use Land At Celery Fields In Sarasota 7.12.18

"Cultivating Happy Accidents" - Urban Planner Daniel Herriges discusses the Celery Fields public lands and the Legacy Trail controversy in addressing land use practices in Sarasota County, in Strong Towns.

The root problem is that Sarasota County will have budget shortfalls for the foreseeable future because its development pattern is unproductive.

WABC 7: Support for Celery Fields Unlike Anything Else

Herald Tribune
Sarasota County extends deadline for Celery Fields development plan April 25, 2018


Sarasota News Leader

• Fresh Start Initiative to present ‘Quads’ proposals to County Commission on morning of April 25, April 19 (non subscription link)

• Celery Fields advocacy group to present proposals to County Commission about potential uses of county land near popular park, April 5, 2018

• One ‘Quad’ parcel next to Celery Fields to be kept by county, with advocates for the bird-watching area invited to suggest uses for a second parcel, Nov. 30, 2017

• New collaboration of Celery Fields advocates seeks to persuade County Commission to take nearby county parcels off list of surplus lands for sale, Oct. 19, 2017

The Observer

Commission eager to find profitable use for Celery Fields properties April 25, 2018

Group to give ideas for land by Celery Fields April 18, 2018

Residents to give commission ideas for future of county-owned land Dec. 7, 2017

Commission votes not to allow recycling facility outside of Celery Fields, Aug. 23, 2017

Herald Tribune
Celery Fields advocates propose uses for surrounding land

FPL weighs option on transmission line route east of Interstate 75

Lyons: Why so much county welcome for an unwanted neighbor?


WMNF Tampa: Sarasota environmentalists oppose waste facility near Celery Fields

WGCU (NPR Fort Myers-Naples-Sarasota) + WUSF (NPR Tampa)
Sarasota Planning Board Rejects Plant at Celery Fields, June 2, 2017
Celery Fields Birding Enthusiasts Hope Serenity Remains, June 14, 2017
National Audubon Society President Focuses on Florida


2.25.17 Bradenton Times: Sarasota Stalks Celery Fields for Recycling Plant

WWSB TV - ABC7

• March 14, 2018: Community initiative gathers proposals for land use near Celery Fields Park

• August 24, 2017: Community Support for Celery Fields Unlike Anything Else

• March 22, 2017: Recycling Plant Applicant Donated $17,400 to Commissioners

• February 25, 2017: Company wants to rezone [public] land near the Celery Fields

• Recycling Plant Applicant Donated $17,400 to Commissioners (links to campaign contributions)

***Alan Cohen interviews Cathy Antunes, Audubon's Rob Wright, and former Sarasota Commissioner Jon Thaxton about the influence of money upon County Officials:***

Begin at 18:27 - runs to 43:30:

WTSP 10 Tampa

Sarasota residents sound off against Celery Fields project

WSLR Sarasota

Peace & Justice Weds Aug 16, 2017 – 9 a.m. – Sarasota Sustainability and Celery Fields

WSLR Sarasota

Peace & Justice Weds Aug 16, 2017 – 9 a.m. – Sarasota Sustainability and Celery Fields


CeleryFields.org

Celery Fields in the News - 16 news stories about the Celery Fields


WSRQ - The Detail: Cathy Antunes Show

Jan 20, 2017 - Tom Matrullo
Feb. 10, 2017 - Adrien Lucas & Tom Matrullo
Feb. 24, 2017 - Rob Wright
March 3, 2017 - Wade Matthews
April 7, 2017 - Adrien Lucas & Tom Matrullo
May 26, 2017 - Glenna Blomquist, Brian Lichterman, Jono Miller, Tom Matrullo
June 9, 2017 - Carlos Correa & Luigi Verace
Aug. 18, 2017 - Adrien Lucas
Aug. 25, 2017 - Adrien Lucas & Tom Matrullo
Dec. 1, 2017 - Elizabeth Gomez-Mayo, Dan Kriwitzky & Tom Matrullo
April 20, 2018 - Carlos Correa & Gary Walsh 

Control Growth Now News

CONA Sarasota Meetings

Herald Tribune Letters to the Editor

County should postpone sale of lands next to Celery Fields

Debris Plant at Celery Fields - Jono Miller

NEXT . . .

Fresh Start to bring community vision to Sarasota County Commission

Earlier Articles & Tourism Pieces

Sarasota Audubon

The Celery Fields Trails

Must See Sarasota

Trip Advisor

Birding is Fun

Yelp

Why sell our public land?

Parcel #3: The Northwest Quad at Apex Rd. and Palmer Blvd.

On Oct. 10, the Board will consider its consultant's recommendation to rezone parcel #3 for industrial use and sale, although there is no buyer at the present time. Below are key documents and a comment from Fresh Start.

• Agenda for Board meeting Oct. 10 
• The County staff briefing on the rezoning of Quad Parcel #3 can be found here.
• The 49-page Lambert Advisory Report in full is here.

• Note: the Lambert item is first after proclamations, so approximate time is 9:30-10 a.m. To speak, plan to arrive by 9:15 and fill out a speaker's card for Open to the Public, which allows 3 minutes per speaker.

In its briefing, the planning staff goes into detail about the complexities of rezoning a parcel for industry in this location, because a critical area plan (CAP) is in effect. The CAP requires a binding site plan. But here, there is no end user -- the county is seeking the rezoning.

This leads to a complication noted by staff:

Rezoning the property without an end user or developer would require adopting a generalized binding plan that may not suit possible end users or developers. The binding development concept plan is not one of the characteristics of the PCD zoning district that can be modified. More specifically, the development concept plan’s binding nature cannot be waived as part of the rezone. 

Having examined the Lambert Advisory assessment, Fresh Start has pointed out that it is based upon minimal actual data about our roads, traffic, community, or environment. It was designed to compare spreadsheet valuations of land uses without regard to the specific locality of parcel #3, to come up with a hypothetical sales price. More on this here.

Fresh Start presented a host of possibilities for the Quad parcels. However, Parcel #3 was removed from consideration because Mr. Maio desired to rezone and sell it. Mr. Maio did not cite any public support for his proposal to sell.

Comment:

Why is the county even considering this rezone of public land? Last November when Commissioner Al Maio instigated this idea, he justified it with the claim of budget shortfalls. But since November, the county's understanding of its actual fiscal condition has changed. Maio himself now says the county is in terrific financial shape (3 1/2 min. audio), and that "there is no shortfall" (17 sec. audio). 

Former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton recently said at a public meeting that Florida counties have always set "a very high bar" before considering the sale of public lands. 

Given that the county has no budget crisis, what reason has the Board cited for selling our public land near the Celery Fields? Why this rush to rezone parcel #3 for sale to an unknown private industrial developer at some point in the future? What is compelling us to cannibalize and cash in our public lands to meet any financial need before every other alternative? Could Mr. Maio be fearful that voters or backers would be unhappy if the Board looked at an increase in millage or impact fees to provide a sustainable revenue stream, rather than a one-time irrevocable cash for land deal?

When did selling our public land become the go-to means of dealing with short-term cash flow?

Fresh Start recommends the Board adopt a clear, straightforward policy: 

Before designating public land as surplus, the County shall consider all possible options and uses it might have -- now or in the future. When proposing to rezone and sell our public land, this policy would require the County to include a clear statement of reasons for doing so. 

Returning to parcel #3: 

If there is

• no end user, 
• no financial pressure to sell, 
• no good reason to sell, 
• no support from the community to sell, and there are
• positive alternative uses proposed by the community,

Why sell?

Once sold, public land is gone forever. 

Fresh Start Presentation (Video) of 9.12.18

Here's the video presentation made to the Sarasota County Commissioners by the Fresh Start team on Sept. 12, 2018. Beneath the video are two slides used in the presentation.

Growth Context

Connectivity Context

Our recent Petition with more than 1,040 signatures and more than 370 comments was also submitted in print form.