Sarasotans took time from their Valentine's Day festivities Wednesday to hear from residents who have proposals-in-progress for the public lands at the Celery Fields. The meeting was held by the Fresh Start Initiative, a community effort to
find value-adding uses for three parcels owned by the County near the Celery Fields.
The ideas are among more than 25 proposed uses that the Initiative has received so far. The process is open to anyone interested -- proposals should be sent to FreshStartSarasota@gmail.com by March 1.
Three who are developing proposals came and offered thumbnail sketches of their ideas:
Chris Bales shared her concept of an athletic facility that would feature Pickleball, and possibly Tennis and Soccer on Parcel #2. The facility would offer parking, restrooms, and could have room for a cafe or other eatery, she said.
John Pether described what would be the largest and most advanced historical exploration center in Florida -- a 100,000 s.f. facility where visitors would experience the natural and cultural history of Florida via virtual and augmented reality. Soundbite:
And Susan Chapman described an "Adaptation" facility consisting of greenhouses and a library for
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens' rare horticultural books -- a protected storage facility for valued parts of its collection well away from the low-lying downtown floodzone.
Concern for the area has attracted wider attention. On Feb. 6 while visiting Sarasota, Florida's head of the Department of Environmental Protection pointed to the community's concern for the Celery Fields. Noah Valenstein said:
Conservation efforts “really become powerful when you have that connection to the community,” Valenstein said, highlighting the Celery Fields in Sarasota as a prime example of the community rallying to protect a natural resource. Herald Tribune
And on March 12, the president of the
National Audubon President David Yarnold will address environmental concerns, among them the Celery Fields.
