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According to the City of North Port, 71 new businesses opened their doors in the last three months of 2023, continuing the steady pace of both economic and population growth that the city is experiencing.
“North Port is booming. This is an entrepreneurial friendly community. The climate is good for businesses,” says the Manager of the Economic Development Division at the City of North Port Vinnie Mascarenhas.
She says over 300 businesses have now opened their doors in North Port since Hurricane Ian, bringing the total businesses in the city to an estimated 2,500 - over half of which are operated out of the owner’s home.
But despite this growth, Mascarenhas says the city is still focusing on making sure it preserves its natural curb appeal.
“Open space, green space are a top priority here at the city. I think about 30% of our total land here at the city is parks or open space and will not be developed,” Mascarenhas says.
Mascarenhas says North Port’s population is right around 87,000 people, but is expected to break the 100,000 person threshold within three years. She says she isn’t concerned about the city potentially growing too quickly however.
“This is a vision and this vision takes time to unfold, but being proactive now on the front end, will ensure success for this city as we grow responsibly,” Mascarenhas says.
A once-popular restaurant in Sarasota, which had been open for decades and had deep ties to the greater Tampa Bay area, has permanently closed.
Tampa-based business Bloomin' Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Ausie Grill by Outback, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, is shutting down several locations nationwide.
On Friday, the company revealed on an earnings call that they are shutting down 41 locations they say are underperforming.
When it comes to the Tampa Bay area, the company told 10 Tampa Bay that the only location closing is an Outback Steakhouse located in Sarasota.
Outback Steakhouse at 7207 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota is one of those "older assets" that didn't make the cut. Call the number, 941-924-4329, and the recording informs you that "this location is permanently closed." The restaurant's Facebook page provides the same message.
The company said this in a statement:
“Closing a restaurant is never easy. This was a business decision that is not a reflection of the management or staff. Some employees will have the opportunity to transfer. Those who do not will receive a severance package. We appreciate the community’s support over the past 35 years and hope to see guests at our [Lakewood] Ranch and Venice locations.”
Last edited by wondermint2; 02-28-2024 at 06:06 AM..
Here's a new flash relating to the very accurate story below:
There's a phosphate mine & waste storage area right next to this area's primary source for drinking water!
This is a ticking time bomb. When that resevoire fails, or the radioactive waste seeps into the aquafur, our drinking water will be contaminated forEVER!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wondermint2
Manatee commissioners: Less public oversight on phosphate mining, more for stray cats
Manatee County is streamlining the permit process for phosphate mining in a way that takes many of the finer details out of the public eye, to the chagrin of local activists.
County officials cast the unanimous vote Tuesday during a public Manatee County Commission meeting. They also voted to revisit provisions in the county's community cat diversion program that have caused a dicey situation for at least one local family and their neighbors, and to move forward with a safe haven baby box program.
Phosphate mining out of the public eye
Commissioners voted unanimously to defer oversight of permit reviews for phosphate mining operations in Manatee to county staff, rather than require public approval by the board.
Previously, the county required phosphate mining companies with operations in Manatee — currently only The Mosaic Company — to attain approval for a a 25-year mining plan and return to county commissioners publicly every five years for permit review. Mining companies will now only need to return to the board for approval of significant changes to the mining plan; minor changes and five-year permit reviews will be left up to county staff and outside of the public eye.
Outgoing Manatee County Attorney Bill Clague explained that the board has limited capabilities during the permit review process, which has led to clashes of opinion with the public and former board members.
As the city’s population rises towards 100,000, North Port city commissioners are eyeing a long-term solution to its need for a new police station.
Board members charted a strategy at a Monday workshop that could lead to building a $122.7 million complex on a four-acre parcel purchased last August.
The current police department at 4980 City Hall Blvd. has about 32,400 square feet under roof and opened in July 2006.
Back then, the city had 47,000 people and a police force with 79 sworn officers and 30 civilian employees.
The city’s population has already eclipsed 86,000 people and is projected to exceed 100,000 within the next three years.
In contrast, the version of the building that is projected to accommodate space needs through 2065 – that the board agreed by consensus to discuss more as soon as March 5 – includes 30,600 square feet of shell space that would be built but only occupied as needs warranted.
The commission also discussed a variety of funding options, which are scheduled for the March 5 agenda.
Fans of the Bradenton Blues Festival had a major disappointment earlier this month when organizers announced that the annual concert on the Bradenton Riverwalk was permanently canceled after a 12-year run.
The show drew top blues acts from around the U.S. and thousands of concertgoers to Southwest Florida. Many of those music fans expressed sadness on social media when local nonprofit Realize Bradenton said they would no longer be producing the event.
But it seems that the festival's exit from the stage might not be so final. There's an encore coming, says Paul Benjamin, who was the Blues Festival's head of promotion since its inception in 2012.
"I'm working on a plan. It's nothing concrete yet. But I feel confident that there will be a festival around the same time we had the old one. Maybe in the same place it was before," Benjamin said.
Benjamin is evaluating potential venues to revive the event, and he said he hopes to have more details to share very soon.
"I think we can recreate it and keep the festival going," he said.
One potential offer for sponsorship came from the City of Bradenton.
Mayor Gene Brown said the city is interested not only in keeping the music festival in town, but expanding it into a bigger event with appeal for a wider audience.
Want 'traditional' pho, hibachi and boba? Check out this new Bradenton restaurant
For full article:
Husband-and-wife owners, Tu Tran and Hanh Nguyen, owned restaurants in Ohio before moving to the Parrish area.
For them, quality, authenticity and cleanliness are key.
Food Hall, located in the Orange Blossom Plaza at 465 Cortez Road W., took 18 months to open.
Food Hall opened Feb. 24.
The couple worked to transform the space into a gleaming, attractive dining room where they could serve a diverse menu of Vietnamese and Japanese favorites.
Or as Hanh says: "We wanted to do something a little like a food court in a mall. We do a little bit of a lot of things."
Hanh is the pho chef, cooking the bone broth for more than 10 hours.
"We use no MSG. This is straight, traditional pho," she said.
For the first time in its history, the Longboat Key Police Department is officially accredited.
On Feb. 22, members of the department were named an accredited police department by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. The decision was unanimous among the 15 commissioners.
“Things went perfect,” Chief of Police George Turner said. “Could not have gone any better.”
Now, the department gets to adorn officers with pins, and the patrol vehicles with stickers to display the accreditation status.
That status is one that provides potential benefits in recruitment and retention, according to Turner.
Being an accredited agency means the department is held to a higher standard by meeting a variety of requirements. For the police accreditation, there were 235 metrics that needed to be addressed, which include things like officer safety and training.
Longboat Key was the only department in Sarasota County without accreditation until now.
Country Club Shores residents were well-aware of the asbestos pipe replacement project. But what they didn’t expect was to be without mail delivery.
Lynn Larson, president of the Country Club Shores IV homeowners association, said she was alerted by a resident not receiving mail starting about two weeks ago.
“There was no warning,” Larson said.
The resident, Emmanuel Charron, and Larson realized that residents on Ranger and Halyard lanes were not receiving mail. Charron lives on Ranger Lane.
Country Club Shores IV comprises 125 homes and is a part of the total 396 homes in the entire Country Club Shores, according to the association website.
Larson said she went to the United States Postal Service office on Bay Isles Road to speak with the postmaster, Josue Pagan, about the issues.
According to her account, Pagan said some of the USPS vehicles suffered flat tires after driving through the construction areas, and he said he wouldn’t risk the safety of his drivers. Another reason was because certain construction vehicles were blocking the mailboxes.
After her initial meeting with the postmaster, the advice she was given was to have residents come to the post office to collect their mail, she said.
“Getting the mail at the post office isn’t a big deal, except for traffic, but some people don’t drive,” Charron said. “And some people don’t have the time. So I don’t think that’s the preferred backup.”
Charron said that while driving to the post office may be OK for some residents, some of the older neighbors might not drive, or have a more urgent need for their mail.
“There are people waiting for medicine, there are people waiting for checks,” Charron said. “And they do care.”
The drive from Ranger Lane to the post office is 2.4 miles, about a seven-minute drive without traffic.
It’s one of the characteristics that makes him a good science communicator.
Tomasko has been executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program since 2020, but has over 30 years of experience in water quality science and science-based management. His experience and ability to be a voice for what needs to be done are part of the reason why he was named a 2024 Southwest Florida Climate Champion by the Climate Adaptation Center.
On Feb. 15, the center held a recognition ceremony for the five nominated Climate Champions, dubbed by the CAC website as “Southwest Florida’s most influential and accomplished contributors to the cause of protecting our environment and our Florida way of life.” Along with Tomasko the awards recognized Jessica Meszaros, WUSF Public Media; Marshall Gobuty, Pearl Homes; Steve Newborn, WUSF Public Media; and Jennifer O. Rominiecki, President and CEO, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
The Longboat Observer sat down with Tomasko for some insight into his career thus far and what he sees for the future of the area’s environment.
An issue that has landed on four different county administrators’ desks over the past four years has been decided: Manatee County impact fees are going up.
Impact fees are charged to developers to help pay for the impacts their construction projects have on roads, parks, libraries and emergency services. The county’s Land Development Code requires an updated study of the fees every five years.
The issue came before the board in April and November of 2023, and again this month at the land use meeting on Feb. 22.
In a vote of 6-1, with Commissioner James Satcher absent, the board started the process of raising impact fees by 50% over the next four years, which is the maximum increase allowed by the state. The following table offers four examples of what builders will pay over the next four years to build new homes.
While the board voted in favor of collecting 100% of the impact fee schedule in November, the schedule was based on a study conducted in 2015 that used data from 2013 and 2014. Since 2017, the county has only been collecting 90%.
In November 2023, Commissioner George Kruse said that based on the old study, the county was only collecting 40 cents on the dollar for what current growth costs.
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