Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Piney Point update: Retention pond at former phosphate plant drained of water

For full article & video:

https://www.fox13news.com/news/piney...nted-water.amp

Crews are making progress at Piney Point. The first of four gypsum stacks at the former phosphate plant have been drained of water.

This comes more than two years after the retention pond at Piney Point began to leak, causing officials to send millions of gallons of wastewater into Tampa Bay. Crews have been working to safely close the site ever since.

A peek at the future? First closed pond at Piney Point is a ‘model’ for site shutdown

For full article:

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/pe...161526139.html

Another major milestone has been accomplished at Piney Point, where the first of four ponds has been closed for good after an environmental disaster in Manatee County.

Site operators are growing more confident about the former phosphate processing plant. In April 2021, a leak at the site triggered an emergency response and forced 215 million gallons of contaminated water to be released into Tampa Bay.

[wondermint2]

Bradenton makes it easier to build taller buildings by removing affordable housing rule

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...le/ar-AA1jKJrT

The Bradenton City Council made things easier for developers to build taller buildings with more multifamily housing units built downtown within the next decade, by temporarily removing a requirement that 25% of those units remain priced at affordable housing costs in exchange for the density bonus.

The decision is meant to encourage redevelopment in downtown Bradenton. City officials said the requirements have stunted growth in the area, and on Nov. 1 voted 3 to 1 to pause for projects approved over the next five years. The vote also discounts parking garage levels above the ground floor from the limit on the number of stories a building may have.

[wondermint2]

Manatee deputies find ‘probable cause’ that commissioners broke Florida Sunshine Law

For full article:

https://news.yahoo.com/manatee-deput...191036952.html

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says it found “probable cause” that two county commissioners violated Florida’s public meeting law during a lunch discussion earlier this year.

Commissioners Mike Rahn and Vanessa Baugh reportedly attended a lunch meeting with Acting County Administrator Lee Washington and a building industry representative in March to discuss streamlining county operations. That meeting may have broken the law, deputies say.

[wondermint2]

Your car can soon have it’s own lxury condo in Sarasota

For full article:

https://www.wfla.com/news/sarasota-c...-sarasota/amp/

“We finally found the piece of land just north of State Road 70 and it’s perfect and we kind of designed it, we worked together on the design. It’s going to have a classic car showroom as well,” said Nabila’s dad Aziz Tejpar.

Each unit can be used for a private collection of cars or personal spaces within a social setting for car enthusiasts.

“The members can use the facilities if you want to have a big party or you want to do a car launch, or you’re having a superbowl party, or somebody wants to get engaged, or whatever. They can do it on-site,” said Aziz.

[wondermint2]

Public input sought on making downtown streets more bike friendly

Residents can share their thoughts via surveys for 10th Street and Boulevard of the Arts conversions as design work moves to the second phase.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...bike-friendly/

Now that the design phase on “complete street” projects for 10th Street and Boulevard of the Arts is moving from 30% to 60%, city traffic planners are reaching out to businesses and the general public for additional input.

Decisions have already been made regarding the big picture. Now staff is seeking input on some of the finer points residents want to see as the roads are converted into multi-modal corridors that are more more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

[wondermint2]

Sarasota Bay Water Quality Improving

Little Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay, Blackburn Bay and a portion of Sarasota Bay were proposed for removal from a list of impaired waterways. But there’s still a lot to be done.

For full article:

https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/new...lity-improving

Sarasota Bay’s water quality has begun improving, though threats remain from warming sea temperatures, stormwater runoff and the legacy of more than 200 million gallons of polluted waste released from the Piney Point phosphate plant in 2021, officials say.

One of the first signs of good news for the water system that extends from Tampa Bay to Venice was recent word from state regulators that four southern sections—Little Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay, Blackburn Bay and a portion of Sarasota Bay—were proposed for removal from a list of impaired waterways.

Environmental experts and county leaders, though, aren’t taking these initial encouraging developments as a sign that their work is done.

In Sarasota County, progress continues on the $210 million Bee Ridge Water Treatment Plant, designed to drastically reduce the release of compounds harmful to Sarasota Bay’s health. The facility is expected to open by the end of 2025.

In Manatee County, officials say they are constantly working to upgrade and rehab decades-old infrastructure that can be vulnerable to breaks and spills. About $40 million is budgeted for the next five years.

[wondermint2]

Car wash chain buys Toale Brothers mortuary building in Sarasota

The car wash chain pre-submitted a permit application to Sarasota County in April before closing the sale in September.

For full article:

https://www.businessobserverfl.com/n...ding-sarasota/

Toale Brothers Funeral Home & Crematory has sold one of its Sarasota mortuaries to a car wash company.

According to Sarasota County property records, the family-owned funeral home company sold its mortuary at 6903 S. Tamiami Trail to Tommy’s Express Holdings, which operates Tommy’s Express Car Wash locations.

The property sold for $2.3 million.

[wondermint2]

Remove Median Trees Draws Citizen Concern

Manatee County's improvement plans for medians along Manatee Avenue West include the removal of 18 "viable" trees according to advocates.

For full article:

https://www.thebradentontimes.com/st...-concern,61584

Another of the county’s west Bradenton median improvement projects is raising questions among environmental advocates, members of the county’s Environmental Land and Acquisitions Committee (ELMAC), and the coordinator for the Scenic Manatee Advisory Committee.

[wondermint2]

Damaged boardwalk removal begins Nov. 13 in Caspersen Beach Park

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/11/1...outputType=amp

A project to remove damage sections of the boardwalk in Caspersen Beach Park begins on Monday, Nov. 13. Some areas of the boardwalk are heavily damaged from hurricane Idalia and the project is estimated to take about a week to complete.

However the beach and the restrooms near the Venetian Waterway Park trail will still be open.

No traffic will be allowed through the park entrance or through the trail.

[wondermint2]

A new historical marker in Gillespie Park will honor the founder and first mayor of Sarasota

For full article:

https://www.wusf.org/arts-culture/20...mayor-sarasota

The marker will recognize John Hamilton Gillespie, the mayor of Sarasota when the city was first incorporated in 1902, and Owen Burns, the developer that donated the 10-acre parcel of land for the park in honor of Gillespie, who had originally sold his holdings to Burns and kick-started Burns’ business.

Following a gap in council meetings and resources during the COVID pandemic, the Historical Marker Program is set to honor Sarasota’s first mayor and the town’s first major developer.

The custom cast-aluminum sign is being fabricated in Ohio. The unveiling celebration is set to take place early to late spring 2024.