Newsletter 62

Dear friends,

Every year I find myself saying “I can’t believe that Christmas is so close” and “where did the time go?”.

This year is certainly no exception! Christmas is less than one week away and there’s still lots to do to prepare for the holiday festivities!

We all get caught up in our busy schedules and routines, however it is so important to pause and celebrate the season with family, friends and loved ones. We’ve all got so much to be grateful for, and this year I’m grateful for our friends and our business partners who help us grow, evolve and better serve our clients.

My friends in the north tell me that it’s likely they will have a white Christmas this year. Whether you’re celebrating the Holidays with snow on the ground, or sand between your toes …. I wish everyone peace, joy, good health & happiness this season and for the years to come.

We are proud to be accredited members of the National Home Watch Association (NWHA). Our bonded and insured services offer peace of mind to our clients. We take great pride in maintaining and enhancing their homes in paradise. The greatest compliment we can receive is a referral.

Visit our website for more information on our services and how we can help: Suncoast Home Concierge

Here’s some recent Suncoast area news:

QUAY PROJECT APPROVED: he massive mix-use Quay Sarasota development received final city approval after years of planning. The potential $1 billion project will combine commercial, residential and office buildings on the long-vacant property and transform the downtown waterfront over the next decade. The approval sets into motion a series of initial design and permitting efforts for water, sewer and road infrastructure that will serve the overall project, and for the first residential building and waterfront public space on the property. The new development agreement also requires GreenPointe Communities to being permitting with the Florida Department of Transportation within the month on the long-planned two-lane roundabout at US 41 and Fruitville Road that will serve as the main gateway to the bayfront project. Please click here for more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Quay Project Ok’d

TURNER RANCH PROJECT GETS OK:  Thousands of new homes, dozens of parks, nine neighborhoods, a new elementary school and a shopping center will one day occupy the current LT Ranch pastures off Clark Road east of Interstate 75. Beginning next year, the 1,725-acre property owned by the Turner family will break ground in the “2050 South Village” mixed-use development plan for the largely rural stretch leading out to the Myakka River State Park. The massive project includes up to 3,450 residential units throughout the neighborhoods, up to 300,000 square feet of commercial space at the corner of Clark Road & Bee Ridge Road Extension, and a host of environmental and road improvements throughout the area, according to the plans. The approval paves the way for homebuilder Taylor Morrison to submit formal plans for the first phase of the project and begin construction next year. There’s more on this story here: Turner Ranch Moves Forward

A NEW WAY AROUND TOWN: City & county leaders are on the verge of hailing new, creative efforts to reduce traffic congestion in downtown Sarasota and on Siesta Key. In Sarasota, city leaders are nearing the end of negotiations on a deal to provide seed funding for a new electric-vehicle shuttle service around downtown. On Siesta Key, Sarasota County Area Transit leaders are accepting bids for a company to provide new open-air trolley service along the key from the village to Turtle Beach, with numerous stops in between. If both plans go off without a hitch, free or cheap rides could be available as early as February – ideally encouraging more visitors and local divers to opt-put of their own cars and onto the trolleys or shuttles.Follow the jump for more on this: Siesta Key, Downtown Traffic Plans

LONGBOAT KEY CITIZENS PITCH TRAFFIC IDEAS: A grassroots group based in Longboat Key is circulating a petition it hopes will convince transportation officials to enact four “temporary solutions” for easing traffic congestion during the tourist season. Tom Friewald – a spokesman for the group called the LBK Task Force – asked the board of the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization for its support. The board is mostly composed of elected officials, such as mayors and county commissioners, and prioritizes state and federally funded road and bridge projects in the two counties. Please click here for more information on the four proposals: LBK traffic ideas

2016 HIGHLIGHTS & 2017 PLANS: Visit Sarasota County worked with its many partners and friends in the industry to make this year successful. As predicted, double-digit increases in visitor numbers to the area leveled off in Fiscal Year 2016, yet they remained ahead of last year by 1.4%. Visitor spending increased by 3.4%, which indicates a healthy tourism industry for our area. Please click on the link for a few highlights from 2016 and a look ahead to 2017: 2016 Recap & 2017 Plans

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