On the Anniversary of the Gabbert Hearing

August 23 marks exactly one year since hundreds of Sarasota residents came out to oppose an incomprehensible proposal -- a developer seeking to operate a giant open-air industrial waste processing facility on public land at Apex Road and Palmer Blvd., a short walk from the Celery Fields bird sanctuary, wetlands, and recreation area.

Had the Board's 3-2 vote gone the other way, we might now be seeing diesel trucks on Palmer Blvd and Apex Road, coming and leaving a 16-acre construction debris and yard waste pulverizing operation on parcel #2. (Video: Gabbert hearing) Mr. Gabbert still has Board approval for a 6-acre waste transfer station at Porter and Palmer.

Last November, a group of citizens organized a coalition of neighborhoods to come up with a better idea for the Quad parcels. Fresh Start consulted the community as well as local experts, researching alternatives to selling the lands for industrial uses. The group received many ideas and conceptual proposals -- a final four were presented to the Board on July 11, 2018. All results were contained in the Fresh Start report handed in that day.

Fresh Start now has a Sept. 12th date to meet publicly with the Board. With hopes for a good decision the group will make a presentation, but is also grappling with the fact that since handing in its report, there has been no communication, no directed action, in response to our citizens' proposals. So far, Fresh Start has done all the talking. Will they find Board support? Or will each proposal in turn be weighed, found wanting, and dismissed?

We'd like to hear your thoughts -- here are some of ours: Regardless of the Board's view of any or all of our community proposals, our commitment and vision have one overriding purpose: to remove the Quad parcels from the County's surplus lands list.

So our position today is the same as it was a year ago: The Celery Fields is too valuable, too unique, too beautiful a natural treasure to degrade with industry. There's no reason to sell any of these 30 acres to a private developer when so much East Sarasota open land -- upwards of 20,000 acres at last count -- has recently been approved for private gated communities.

Before turning rural lands into sprawling housing projects, the County needs to think about the public's right to breathe clean air, travel safe roads, have police, fire and school resources at hand, and public spaces to gather, play sports, practice hobbies, and share and learn from each other -- in short, to exist as a community. The public lands at Apex and Palmer can and should be dedicated to community-oriented uses, and that's what we'll say -- with some new data and images -- in a few weeks to the Board.

So please join us Sept. 12 if you can. We'll let you know the time as soon as we know.

Meanwhile, please sign and share our Petition --- it's got hundreds of comments from those who've already signed.

Public Vision for our Public Lands at the Celery Fields

 Common Sense to Protect our Celery Fields

Herald Tribune

Tough choice? Sign the Petition

This was the Celery Fields this morning, August 17, 2018:

Celery Fields, West Slope

Please sign the Petition to make sure no one comes back with a waste processing facility, or other egregiously inappropriate use, for the public - yes, PUBLIC - lands next to this clear, tranquil, happy place. Because this almost happened on August 23, 2017, for parcel #2:

Waste Facility built by James Gabbert, now WCA on Fruitville Rd., Sarasota 

Petition to protect the Celery Fields

This August 23rd will make a full year since the people showed up en masse to oppose the sale of public land for a 16-acre demolition waste facility to James Gabbert. The overwhelming public presence of the community, the many hours of sincere, unscripted testimony from a wide range of residents added up to a win: the Board voted 3-2 to deny Mr. Gabbert his waste plant

By law, no developer could return to seek to rezone our public parcel for one year. But after August 23, anyone can, because in the past year, the Board has made no change in the rules governing public parcel #2, which Mr. Gabbert wanted. Despite clear evidence of the community's will and growing awareness of the profound changes that have occurred (and they've only begun) in East County, the pubic parcels at the Celery Fields are still subject to the same land uses they were given in 1983.

After August 23, there is no guarantee that Mr. Gabbert or another industrial developer won't pay his fee and seek approval for industry served by diesel trucks within a short walk from our pristine Celery Fields bird sanctuary and recreation area. One commissioner has indicated he thinks industry makes sense at this Gateway to East County, where new homes are coming on the market daily.

For this reason, we ask you to take a moment to sign our petition urging the Board to revamp the zoning of this environmentally sensitive area with a vision for the greater good:

Sarasota County: We urge you to acknowledge this rare opportunity for public good. Do NOT sell our public lands to private developers. Protect and enhance the Celery Fields Area for all the people of Sarasota.

Thank you for remaining true to the Celery Fields.