Fresh Start Update -- and, the interface between urban and rural

To all who have been following and participating in our Fresh Start Initiative, this article might be of interest. While it addresses considerations of the complex forces pressuring rural areas across the US, it happens to have been written by Randy Reid, a former Sarasota County Administrator, and by an urban planning educator at USF, Van Linkous. 

You might also be interested in a brief account of a long meeting between spokespeople for FPL and the communities of East Bee Ridge Road that took place yesterday. One option for a new power line would run down Palmer Boulevard from Porter to Apex, then turn north on Apex to Fruitville Road. From there it would go east toward Hi Hat Ranch.

Last week, our Fresh Start Advisory Board examined over 4o proposals and ideas shared by our communities for Parcels 1 and 2 of public lands near the Celery Fields. Another meeting  is set for later today. The goal is to soon have a list of proposals for each parcel that meet the criteria outlined in our vision statement:

• feasibility
• utility to neighbors (rather than large truck industrial uses that Palmer Blvd. and Apex Rd. cannot handle)
• compatibility with surroundings
• viability - economic and environmental enhancement

The selected proposals will go forward to a community roundtable workshop on April 10, at the Fruitville Library, beginning at 3 p.m. 

We hope to see you there on 4.10!

Best,

Tom Matrullo

For the Fresh Start Initiative Advisory Council

Glenna Blomquist, Carlos Correa, Marguerite Malone, Tom Matrullo, Gary Walsh

Fresh Start Update: Proposals are In

Fresh Start is happy to report more than three dozen ideas, suggestions, and proposals came in for its community-based public land initiative ahead of a March 1 deadline.

The citizen initiative invited people to send workable, area-enhancing concepts for two parcels - #1 and #2 of "the Quads" - totaling about 23 acres of public lands near the Celery Fields. The coalition, which has the backing of more than 50 HOAs circling the nature preserve, advertised for ideas after getting county agreement on a process to explore workable prospects for the public lands.

The Quad Parcels

The proposals from neighborhoods, non-profit groups and organizations provide a varied spectrum of uses for the lands. The enthusiasm, creativity and plain good will this process has aroused in our community has been gratifying. At a recent community meeting, people shared exciting ideas that

• relate to the needs of nearby residents and offices, 
• complement and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife, and tranquility of the Celery Fields,
• meaningfully connect with the larger surrounding area. 

Next Step

Once the proposals are collected and edited - the names of those making the proposals will be removed -- they will be reviewed by a select group of Sarasota residents with professional backgrounds in planning, land use, environmental science, architecture and more. We are happy to have these distinguished volunteers for the advisory panel.

Ideas will be evaluated for feasibility, value and compatibility to the area, economic potential, and environmental enhancement. Those felt to best meet these criteria feel will then be presented to the community at large at a public round table workshop on April 10, at the Fruitville Library, beginning at 3 pm.

Fresh Start aims to make this a small first step and a worthwhile catalyst for building more trust and shared vision. The goal is to restore a legacy of creativity and character in commonsense planning for the common good.

Fresh Start is a grassroots experiment in community-based dialog about proactive land use vision. Read more about Fresh Start here.

Red Shouldered Hawk - Chuck Behrmann

Reminder: Fresh Start Proposals due March 1

A quick Reminder that proposals for the Fresh Start Initiative are due March 1. We have heard from a number of people who have shared great ideas, and we look forward to having a selection of thoughtful proposals.

Some background on Fresh Start from the Sarasota News Leader.

Please make sure your proposal includes the following:

Contact Info: Name, Phone, Email

Description: This is key. Please include as much of the following as you can:

Public parcels 1, 2, and 3

Parcel: Which parcel are you considering: #1 or #2?
Facilities: Will your facility provide parking? Restrooms?
Dimensions: Details of size of structures, or of space devoted to uses.
Disposition of land: Sale, lease, or county control?

Use: What is the primary purpose you envision? More than one purpose?

Users: Who are the primary users you anticipate will make use of it? Have you been in touch with any prospective user groups? How are you sure of demand?

Revenue: Will the County receive any revenue - whether through sale, lease, fees, activity charges, tourist tax, property tax, employment, etc.

Traffic: What sort of traffic - cars? bicycles? big trucks? Primary times of day?

Goals: Will the use meet the needs of nearby residents? The general public? Tourists?

Compatibility: How would your proposal work within the existing uses of the Celery Fields Area? What kinds of uses would you like to see on the other public parcels at Apex and Palmer?

Economics: Will the proposed use pay for itself? If not, how will it be supported?

Legacy: In addition to needs and values, are there other aspects of the character and legacy of Sarasota that your proposal would recognize or enhance?

VISUALS: Diagrams, photos, hand-drawn images, video - best if in digital form, as we will use a projector for our workshops.

Key dates: 

• March 1 - Proposals Due
• March 15 - Advisory Board Meeting
• April 10 - Roundtable Workshop at Fruitville Library, 3 pm - 7 pm

Send to FreshStartSarasota@gmail.com

Thank you.

Why we are doing this

Fresh Start: What and Why

Fresh Start is a grassroots experiment in Sarasota County that seeks good ideas for two pieces of public land -- ideas endorsed by the neighbors, businesses and greater community of Sarasota citizens who care about local impacts, the environment, and the need for vision in planning.

The initiative gained traction after the entire community witnessed a concerted effort to change land use and zoning designations to allow heavy industrial activity (a 16-acre open air demolition waste processing facility) on "the Quads" -- parcels of public lands next to the Celery Fields, a priceless bird sanctuary, recreation area and ecotourism destination. Timeline of Gabbert waste plan here.

Fresh Start is about finding sensible proposals for these parcels that protect the environment, build the economy, and enhance the Celery Fields area. What's at stake goes well beyond these properties, however. In view of the nearly disastrous missteps of recent times, it's clear that Sarasota County needs to rigorously rethink its planning process. Just a few examples:

Notification: How often do we learn too late that a developer has received approval for a plan that neighbors didn't hear about?

Consultation: The county requires public workshops, but awareness of these meetings can be minimal, thanks to the ineffectual notification policies. Also, a developer can say anything at these meetings. The community can express its approval or disapproval, but the actual record of the workshop is usually up to the developer.

Integration: The County's 2050 Plan calls for coordinated comprehensive planning. If these principles were faithfully practiced, the Gabbert plan for a giant open-air waste processing facility at the Celery Fields would never have made it to first base.

How can we do this better? For each of these elements in the planning process, it's time to ask the question: What changes to or innovations in practice and procedure would benefit both the people of Sarasota and the County?

Trends: When County planners evaluated the Waste Processsing proposal, they didn't take into account radical changes in the area -- changes readily apparent to anyone who bothered to look. For example:

West -> East: The open spaces to the East of I-75 are just now opening to large scale development at Hi Hat Ranch, LT Ranch, Lakewood Ranch, and more. The radical increase in population, the new needs to be met, the demand on roads and power all deserve consideration when planning a gateway area to East County.

Past -> Future: The rationalization for a waste facility at Apex and Palmer was based on a 40-year old land use designation. Doing so ignored the fact that the entire character of the area has changed due to the development of 2000 homes, the creation of the Celery Fields, and the coming Fruitville Initiative. So much new potential requires a re-vision of an area whose entire character is undergoing transformation.

Vision: Land use in Sarasota has long been played out on a battleground where the interests of ambitious developers, county residents, and a slow-moving County bureaucracy have struggled against each other as if planning were a zero-sum game. What if we began instead with the proposition that our lands are worthy of a larger vision? A vision of answerable growth -- that is, a process that responsibly articulates key community needs and desirable growth priorities via a commonsense vision of a meaningful organic whole. 

        External factors such as boom/bust market dynamics and the bi-polar winds of political change (see this excellent study by Professor E.R. Linkous of USF) have not made a joint effort to move toward a comprehensive vision any easier. The Fresh Start Initiative doesn't pretend to have an easy solution. 

A teachable moment? Fresh Start's effort to bring the county and the community into a fruitful dialog addressing some 24 acres of public land offers a small practical sampling of the difficulties facing us on a much larger scale. Better connection and communication can go far to getting beyond the "battleground." Much depends on the good faith participation of all. What we learn from this civic experiment might constructively be applied to processes and procedures for future land use issues. 

 

By the way . . .

If you have a proposal for either of the parcels at the Celery Fields, here's a good place to begin. And here's a bit about what to consider including. Proposals are due March 1, with some flexibility for those just learning of this civic experiment. Proposals should be sent to FreshStartSarasota@gmail.com.

A recent morning at the Celery Fields

Yesterday morning at the Celery Fields, it was quiet - no highway noise, no copters or trucks. Why would the County be ok with introducing more industrial uses into this sanctuary?

The grass still had dew on it. Far off, a single kayaker was barely a dot on the lake's still surface. A tall fellow was walking up and down the Mound with a substantial backpack and hiking poles. I asked if he were preparing for a trek of some kind. Not right now, he said. Rather it's exercise he takes because he brings groups to the Celery Fields to train for long trail hikes.

"Where would you go if this mound didn't exist?" I asked him. "North Georgia," he said, adding that North Florida's rolling hills weren't steep enough for such training.

The mound is unique in many ways. It affords a wide angle view of clear open space. Look down, often you see birds in flight beneath you. Do our elected officials really want visitors who come for the birds and the beauty to look at heavy trucks, demolition waste, giant warehouses or other industry?

 == Tom Matrullo

Caracara at the Celery Fields - by Chuck Behrmann

Proposal makers offer a glimpse of ideas for lands at the Celery Fields

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.

Proposals for the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields: How-To Guide

If you’re considering a use or activity that would genuinely enhance public parcels that lie between the Celery Fields and the Packinghouse district, the Fresh Start Initiative wants to hear from you before March 1.

The Fresh Start Initiative is a community-based effort that began after Aug. 28, 2017. That day, thanks to a huge turnout of concerned, articulate advocates, the Sarasota County Commission voted 3-2 against a proposed Waste Facility on Parcel #2 of “The Quads,” the parcels at Apex Rd. and Palmer Blvd.

Thanks to you, visitors to the Celery Fields today do NOT see a 16-acre, open-air waste processing facility under construction. Better ideas are out there, and we know where. They're in the minds and hearts of Sarasotans who know the Celery Fields, and what is necessary to make this area a vibrant and diverse gateway to East County.

The County says it needs to sell or use these parcels to help close a budget gap. Fresh Start has a goal to facilitate a few really good conceptual proposals that meet four criteria:

1 - enhance the beauty of the surrounding area

2 - provide practical benefit for residents and businesses who live and work nearby

3 - serve as a catalyst for a new and diverse destination that includes a fabulous natural landscape within walking distance of urban life.
4 - provide economic benefit to the county.

What to do?

• Submit your proposal FreshStartSarasota@gmail.com by March 1st.
• Attend the initial Proposal Review set for March 15th (details to come)
• Come to the April 10th public workshop where the community will choose proposals.

What should the proposal contain?

-- Fresh Start has compiled relevant info about each of the two parcels (SE and SW) which the County has given us a limited time to consider -- dimensions of the parcels, images of the area, underlying land use designations, and other conditions (see “Tools” below).

-- A proposal should present a vision of the use(s) it describes, and provide estimates of structures, sizes, costs. Would the parcel be purchased in whole or part by whoever is doing the proposed use, or leased? Or given to the entity that would make the necessary improvements?

-- A proposal need not have highly detailed plans, but should contain clear conceptual descriptions, accompanied if possible by visual aids, and a statement as to why the concept would be a good fit for the parcel and the area.

Some Tools for Proposals for Quad Parcels #1 and #2

Basic factsheet on the parcels

Specific Dimensions

Duany Study of Celery Fields Area 2006

County Land Use Data for Quads

Background & Context

That’s it. Please share this information with your neighbors, and bear in mind the March 1st deadline. Feel free to direct any questions to FreshStartSarasota@gmail.com

Thank you.

The Executive Council for the Fresh Start Initiative

Tom Matrullo, Marguerite Malone, Carlos Correa, Glenna Blomquist, Gary Walsh

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

Community Proposals Wanted

What would you love to see happen on our public lands near the Celery Fields? A community center? An ecolodge? A market and public trails?

The Fresh Start Initiative wants to hear from folks with the vision to know that sensible, creative planning can produce a uniquely vibrant urban/rural destination -- connecting the open spaces of the Celery Fields with the commerce and fun of the Packinghouse Area.

Where else can you find a 400-acre natural preserve within walking distance of cafes, shops, and markets, thanks to an I-75 underpass that connects a burgeoning urban core with wildlife, wetlands, and recreational opportunities?

Three publicly owned parcels form the intersection at Apex Rd. and Palmer Boulevard, just east of the highway and just west of the Celery Fields. The County has decided to sell parcel #3. For parcels #1 and #2, it's given Fresh Start six months to invite the community to come forward with ideas, proposals, outside-the-box thinking to achieve a more integrated approach to the possibilities in this area, the anteroom to East Sarasota County.

Fresh Start's search for viable ideas is open to all. We contend that community consideration of the relationships among neighboring public lands will yield a greater good than making random land use decisions in piecemeal isolation.

We are preparing community workshops in late March. Fresh Start's role is to to facilitate these meetings. The community itself will choose the options it prefers, and we will bring them to the County Commission.

A basic proposal offers a rough idea of land dimensions, the kinds and sizes of structures, the envisioned purpose, and ideas about funding. Considerations include:

• impacts on traffic on Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road;
• compatibility with surrounding assets: the Celery Fields, Packinghouse area, homes and schools;
• economic enhancement: employment, raising land values, etc.

We need your proposal no later than March 1. 

Planning a proposal? A factsheet on the Quads.

Please send to CeleryfieldsForever@gmail.com.