Lake Sarasota Page

10/18/2025

NO KINGS Payne Park 9 am

Sarasota will host both "No Kings" protests and memorial for Charlie Kirk. Here's what you need to know.

02/10/2025

Behind Closed Doors

Traffic impact of HI Hat on Bee Ridge was never revealed to Commissioners?????????? See this story in the Trident:

Internal county emails reveal staff strongly criticized the developer’s proposal, warning of severe traffic impacts. However, commissioners were never informed that the first phase of the project—spanning between Fruitville Road and Clark Road —would increase traffic on a segment of Bee Ridge RoaBehd by up to 140%, pushing it below an acceptable level of service.

Taxpayers pay the price—stuck in traffic and footing the bill.

12/03/2023

The BCC, informed that an unaffordable development would increase DAILY car trips from this development alone from 66 cars to 847 on an already crippled two-land road, approved it anyway. They think the Comp Plan is a mandate to build.
The proposal was pushed forward by Sarasota Baptist Church on Proctor, who will make a tax-free bundle from selling the open land to David Weekley Homes.

Update: On Nov. 28, despite the absence of any traffic study. the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the Sarasota ...

11/28/2023

Here's today's County Commission live - Item #38 concerns Hand Road - where the Sarasota Baptist wishes to sell 25 acres to a developer for a new neighborhood on this roadl
https://egenda.scgov.net/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1836&doctype=1

11/25/2023

Want to learn more about ranked voting? Here's an easy way - a Nov. 29 zoom

Year End update & featuring keynote speaker, Anna Kellar, Executive Director at Democracy Maine (League of Women Voters of Maine and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections)

11/12/2023

Please sign, then share this petition to protect our Celery Fields from a high-density housing project next to the wetlands nesting area!

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/protect-celery-fields-1
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The Celery Fields brings the entire community together. Photographers, nature lovers, walkers, joggers, bikers, families, and education groups–provide an enormous boost to the local economy. Since the pandemic, interest in eco-tourism and birding has surged greatly in popularity. The Celery Fields...

11/08/2023

The county will hold a hearing regarding the Sarasota Baptist - David Weekley development on Hand Road. The hearing is scheduled for Nov. 28 - time to be announced.
Lake Sarasota residents are invited to a community meeting on Thursday Nov. 16, 7 pm at Sarasota Alliance Church meeting rooms.
Information on this project, the potential dangers to school children, and how to write to the County Commission is on the Lake S. Blog:

Notices about the proposed 80+ luxury home project with two entrances on Hand Road have been mailed out, but it's unclear how much of the ...

11/03/2023

Sarasota Audubon statement regarding a proposed high-density DR Horton development right next to the Celery Fields bird nesting area:

This month we really need your help. This link lays out our position with regard to the sale of the Raymond Road Farm and the rezone petition submitted by developer D.R. Horton to build 171 homes on that site. Needless to say, we are deeply alarmed by this proposal.

June 7, 2023 Sarasota Audubon Society 999 Center Rd Sarasota, FL 34240 www.sarasotaaudubon.org Sarasota Audubon’s Position re: Smith Properties The Smith farm has always been part of what we appreciate in the Raymond Road portion of the Celery Fields. We can accept and respect that the family may ...