Taking the Initiative

On Nov. 28th last, the Fresh Start Initiative got the County's "blessing" to begin a citizen process to generate good ideas for the Quad parcels between The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida and the Packinghouse District.

The Initiative worked out a process and a timeline, aiming for two goals: (1) To stimulate and evaluate creative, community-enhancing proposals that will protect the wildlife preserve we now have, and help integrate the diverse assets around it into a place that brings together urban and rural, West County and East, eco-tourism and local destinations, future development and memory of our collective past; and, (2) To build community support for ideas with practical, economic, and environmental value.

We've received some very interesting ideas already. To help get the word out, we have a new blog - this one. It will update the process leading from solicitation of ideas to evaluation, a public workshop in March, and a presentation to the County probably in April. Our County-mandated deadline is May.

The blog has materials to help with land use issues, history, ecology, and site details. It will add relevant data as we go along, but we've made a start here. Join in -- planning a community's desired future is only dull if you don't care to plan.

Planning a proposal? Here's a factsheet on the Quad Parcels

If you plan to work on a citizens' community proposal for the Quad Parcels, some basic info is below.

Timing:

We ask that proposals be submitted to CeleryFieldsForever@gmail.com by March 1. A review of proposals is tentatively scheduled for March 15, and a public workshop to determine which proposals will be submitted to the County is tentatively set for March 30th -- confirmation of dates, times and locations TBA.

Quad Parcels #1, #2, #3 at Apex Rd. and Palmer Blvd.

The Quad Parcels:

Parcel #1: 13 acres, Southeast Quadrant of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road:

Immediately adjacent to Celery Fields wetlands, this parcel can buffer the preserve and offer low-intensity commercial and public uses on the east side of Apex Road that are compatible with the Celery Fields as an international birding area. 

Goal: Identify compatible and enhancing public and commercial uses for the community.

Update: The County Commission took this parcel off of the Surplus Lands List on Jan. 30, 2018. For now it is Open Use Rural Zoning, but further land use changes are possible. 

Parcel #2: 10.7 acres, Southwest Quadrant of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road:

A planned, already approved, 6-acre waste transfer station is adjacent to the west side of the parcel, separated by a treeline.   

This parcel is a transition parcel between the Celery Fields and the Packinghouse district, west of Apex.

Currently authorized future land use: Office-professional with Apex corner set aside for commercial. 

Goal: Identify uses consistent with transition from Celery Fields to Packinghouse.

Linear Dimensions of Parcels #1 and #2

Not for community proposals:

Parcel #3: 6.9 acres in the Northwest Quadrant of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road (currently has temporary fire station).

The Board has decided to hire a commercial broker to rezone Parcel #3:

Coordination between Fresh Start and County is recommended.

Aerial close up

Courtesy of the Sarasota News Leader