Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

City development standards manual receives first update in 22 years

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...ndards-manual/

Some two years after it directed staff to revamp the city’s Engineering Design Criteria Manual, the Sarasota City Commission on Monday got its first look at the document that hadn’t been updated since 2002.

Much has changed in design and philosophical standards in the past 22 years, with further evolution to come in the two years it will take from now to implement a new EDCM with a target of 2026. That's why City Manager Marlon Brown urged commissioners to consider not what the manual might address today, but how it will adapt to changes in the future.

During Monday’s workshop, commissioners heard from key staff members about the process of assembling the draft document and provided input for further refinement.

The EDCM is a bible of sorts for public and private development throughout the city, covering standards for the benefit of the public realm.

It doesn’t get into development design and land use, but it does set standards for a variety of topics from subdivision regulations to streetscapes within the public right of way. Where it varies from the city’s zoning code and the Florida Greenbook — a manual of uniform minimum standards for design, construction and maintenance for streets and highways — the higher standards will prevail.

[wondermint2]

Opposition grows along with theater's plans for Payne Park Auditorium

For full article & graphics:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...rk-auditorium/

More than a year since the Sarasota City Commission approved a term sheet with The Players Inc. to lease and expand Payne Park Auditorium, amended language to the document is on the agenda for the commission’s July 15 meeting.

With it comes a third iteration by The Players Centre for Performing Arts, now known as The Sarasota Players, that is significantly larger than the original concept presented in September 2023.

The agenda item calls for commissioners to consider requesting staff and the city attorney to prepare a lease agreement based on a revised term sheet that would allow The Players and its subsidiary, The Stage at Payne Park, to finalize due diligence, site plans and undergo the major conditional use process, after which staff will return to the commission with a lease agreement for consideration of approval.

The Stage at Payne Park is a subsidiary created by The Players Inc. to act as its fundraising, development and eventual management arm for The Stage, as it is calling the planned expanded facility, which is intended to be available for use by other community performing arts organizations as well as to provide event space.

A new two-story building of approximately 17,300 square feet would be attached to the existing auditorium and includes a 300-seat theater that can be arranged in multiple seating configurations.

From a benign reception at the initial workshop in September 2023 to its reworked version, opposition to the plan for Payne Park Auditorium has been growing by whose who oppose the loss of 2.1 acres of green space to a new building, parking spaces and driveway access.

Among them is the Alta Vista neighborhood, which borders the southeast corner of the park, whose leaders are rallying residents to oppose the plan.

“When it is a matter of both principle and law, there is no compromise,” neighborhood leadership wrote in an email to residents. “The Payne family’s intentions are clear and recorded in their deed to the City of Sarasota as a magnanimous gift to all of us residents in their explicit deed restriction: ‘Now and forever, that this land is to be a public park, playground, and for no other use or purpose.’”

[wondermint2]

Venice council OKs impact fees for Laurel Road

For full article:

https://www.newsbreak.com/venice-fl/...or-laurel-road

Over the objection of one resident and one Venice City Council member, the City Council voted Tuesday to consent to Sarasota County’s use of mobility impact fees in the Laurel Road widening project.

Paula Steinhart, a resident of Toscana Isles, asked the Council to reject the county’s proposal to match an $8 million state grant with the same amount in mobility fees to fund four-laning the road.

Instead, she said, the money should be used to widen Knights Trail Road and install a traffic signal at the entrance to Toscana Isles. Knights Trail is “overwhelmed” with traffic and the problem will get worse as development continues, she said.

Council Member Joan Farrell took up the cause, saying that Knights Trail is the bigger problem, and the city should respond to resident demands for improvements.

Mayor Nick Pachota recently sent county officials a letter urging them to reevaluate road safety in the area. But that’s about the limit of the city’s options, as Knights Trail is a county road, the Council has been told.

There are other complications with trying to reroute the impact fees in question, City Manager Ed Lavallee said.

One is that the impact fees are the county’s money, and it doesn’t need the city’s consent to spend it. Asking is a “professional courtesy,” he said, because the city is only in an advisory position.

Another is that several years ago the county allowed the city to tap mobility fees for about $1.4 million to fund a study of widening the road and do preliminary engineering work. Under its agreement with the county, the city would have to repay the money if the project doesn’t go forward, he said.

Yet another is that impact fees have to be spent to add capacity to deal with conditions resulting from the development of the property the fees are assessed on. Mobility fee money could be used to widen Knights Trail but probably not for a traffic signal, he said.

“My view is we’re pretty much locked in professionally and financially,” he said.

The Council voted 6-1 to assent to the use of the impact fees, with Farrell opposed.

Other business

Also on Tuesday the Council:

[wondermint2]

'Christmas in July' comes to downtown Venice

For photo:

https://www.newsbreak.com/venice-fl/...owntown-venice

VENICE — Organizers are calling it the “sale event of the season.”

Venice MainStreet is presenting its annual Christmas in July on Friday and Saturday, July 12-13, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at more than 55 participating locations in downtown Venice.

Shoppers can have Lunch with Santa, on Friday from 12-1 p.m. at Burgundy Square Café, 227 Miami Ave. He also will greet folks over lunch on Saturday from 12-1 p.m. at Café Venice Restaurant & Bar, 101 W. Venice Ave.

A free trolley service will operate from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on both days. Register to win one of several gift baskets, which will be on display at select locations. Raffle slips will be available at all participating stores.

According to the Venice MainStreet website, shoppers should “get ready for the biggest sale of the season.” The organization promises “great discounts.”

For more information, call 941-484-6722 or visit: https://VisitVeniceFl.org

[wondermint2]

Longboat Key seeks interlocal agreement to share planning staff in emergencies

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...lanning-staff/

In an emergency, a little help from neighbors is a good thing to have.

The town’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department hopes to enter into an interlocal agreement with neighboring jurisdictions to share certain staff members when necessary, which could be used in emergencies or if the department is unexpectedly left short-handed.

Per the agreement, Longboat Key’s department could call on building officials and plans examiners from the cities of North Port, Venice and Sarasota, and the counties of Sarasota and Charlotte.

The most recent revision of the interlocal agreement was in 2014. At that time, the town was invited to participate but turned down the offer, according to Parsons. Town staff recently reviewed the agreement and saw the value.

The memo drafted by Director of Planning, Zoning and Building Allen Parsons for the commission’s June 28 meeting said this would help tap into a broader pool of staff to assist in times of need.

“Its likely usage would be in some kind of emergency situation where you need to supplement staff,” Parsons said.

[wondermint2]

Discovering Manasota Beach Club (the old Nudist Colony!) on the Suncoast (Video)

For video:

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/07/1...outputType=amp

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - In the 1850s, Captain Leach settled in this area. In the 1940s it became a Nudist Colony - for health reasons. Then Bob Buffum came in and made it the family friendly destination that it is today.

[wondermint2]

Mahjong at The Paradise Center improves cognitive skills, builds community

For full article & photos:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...lls-community/

Multiple days a week, Longboater Carol Peschel walks out of her home with distinctive jewelry.

She wears bracelets, necklaces and earrings with Chinese symbols written on tiles. These aren't just any tiles. These are patterns from her favorite game: mahjong.

Peschel has been playing mahjong for 20 years and teaches it at The Paradise Center. Even with its intricate tiles and many cognitive benefits, it is so much more. What brings Peschel back every time is the close-knit community she has built through the game.

“In mahjong, you can play with two, three or four people,” said Peschel. “So with those options, you can build a strong community while playing. I have this one group that is very social, and we always get together, like for people’s birthdays. It is so important for people our age to have a community. You should have a place to go where you can meet like-minded people and have fun.”

Peschel started playing mahjong after her friend from the Longboat Key Garden Club, Susan Landau, introduced it to her in 2004. She found it difficult at first, but the beauty of tiles and the complexity of the game pushed her to continue practicing. After years of dedicated play, she started teaching mahjong at The Paradise Center in 2014.

[wondermint2]

Manatee County woman arrested for stealing from Bradenton small business she worked at

For full article:

https://www.fox13news.com/news/manat...she-worked.amp

A Manatee County woman is accused of stealing cash from a small business she worked at in Bradenton by manipulating the register, according to records.

Felicia Stivers, 51, of Arcadia, was arrested and charged with scheme to defraud $50,000 or more, a felony, after records show she pocketed money from several transactions over a two-week period at the Chop Shop in Bradenton.

According to Stivers' affidavit, an employee at the Chop Shop, a grocer and butcher shop, came to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office in March to report a suspicious situation with Stivers.

The employee initially told MCSO Stivers had been stealing from the store by performing cash reserves through the register and stealing money from the reverses. She said the store could have lost somewhere in the range of $150,000 to $300,000.

Stivers, who had been a cashier at the store for just under three years, had been granted a large amount of trust by her employers over her time spent there, so she would deal with payroll, bank runs, and cash reverses.

The employer explained to MCSO that at the end of each business day, the cashier took the pile of cash payment receipts from that day, counted them, and matched them to the end-of-day money.

She said Stivers, though, would go through the receipts and hand-select certain receipts and remove them from the box, taking them to another register and performing a cash transaction reverse, which would make it appear like the transaction never happened. She would then take the money to herself and pocket it, the employer stated.

[wondermint2]

Video: Bradenton police break window to rescue crying, distressed dog from hot car

For video & photos:

https://www.fox13news.com/news/video...om-hot-car.amp

A dog is in the custody of animal services after Bradenton police rescued it from a hot car on Monday.

Officers responding to reports of a dog locked inside a vehicle said they found the canine trapped inside a car that wasn’t running with the windows cracked less than half an inch.

According to the Bradenton Police Department, the dog appeared to be distressed and crying.

Bodycam video shows an officer breaking the front passenger window to free the animal.

Sgt. Bordin can be heard saying, "I know buddy - I'm gonna get you out of there."

The officer said he thought the dog would die or be seriously harmed if she was left inside the car.

It was 90 degrees outside when the dog was rescued, but the temperature inside a vehicle can be much higher.

Police say the dog drank 1 liter of water before being taken to be checked out by a vet.

The dog’s owner was located, but the dog was placed in animal services and will remain there while the investigation continues, according to BPD.

[wondermint2]

Top residential real estate sales for June 24-28 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...tate-longboat/

A condominium in Sage LBK tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Robert and Barbara Geertsema, of Ontario, Canada, sold their Unit 303 condominium at 4651 Gulf of Mexico Drive to CAJ Associates LLC for $6 million. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 4,012 square feet of living area. It sold for $5,374,100 in 2023.