Newsletter 121

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST…..

STARVING MANATEES OVERWHELM RESCUERS

All across the state, manatees in record numbers are starving to death from a man-made famine that has choked out the seagrass — the staple of the gentle giants’ diet. Island outcroppings in estuaries up and down Florida have become sea cow mass graveyards as more manatees succumb to the ravages of hunger every day.
The death toll was so bad that in April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the die-off an Unusual Mortality Event. Those lucky enough to be found before they drown — because like #2128 they can no longer float — are brought to SeaWorld and a handful of other rehab centers around the state where teams of rescuers and marine veterinarians work around the clock to pull them back from the brink. To read more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Starving Manatees

SIGNS OF RED TIDE IN AREA WORSENING

Experts fear increasing levels of red tide off the shores of Sarasota and Manatee could be signs of a worsening local bloom — reminiscent of 2018 when red tide shuttered beaches, whipped out fish and carried foul odors miles east.
Samples from last week show high levels of Karenia Brevis, the organism that causes red tide, along the coast of both counties, including Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key, Turtle Beach, Venice Beach and Manasota Key. The southern end of Manatee County also has been impacted. In Sarasota Bay, hundreds of dead fish line the shores of Ken Thompson Park. Red tide has plagued Florida’s Gulf Coast for months, but its devastating effects on Tampa Bay became apparent following Tropical Storm Elsa two weeks ago. For more on this story, please click here: Red Tide Worsening

PINEY POINT SURVIVES ELSA

Despite a deluge of rain from Tropical Storm Elsa, the former Piney Point fertilizer plant did not experience any further damage and avoided wastewater overflow. The shuttered fertilizer facility in northern Manatee County maintains several reservoirs filled with hazardous wastewater. Heavy rainfall from storms like Elsa can increase capacity, and without proper management, potentially harmful runoff could spill out over the top. The Piney Point facility received about 2.5 inches of rain from Elsa and had already experienced at least 5.2 inches since June, according to reports from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. In April, the agency authorized an emergency release of an estimated 215 million gallons of nutrient-rich wastewater into Tampa Bay to avoid a complete failure of the Piney Point phosphogypsum stacks. If you’re interested to read more, please click here: Piney Point Survives Elsa

CONDO TRAGEDY TESTS FLORIDA’S APPROACH

When Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier saw the security footage of Champlain Towers South collapsing in the Miami-area town of Surfside, he was shocked.
"Immediately I thought about the people in that building and just how horrible the situation must have been," he said. "My second reaction was, ‘Gee, could that happen here?’" In fact, it did almost happen in Sarasota. In July 2010, Dolphin Tower, at 101 S. Gulfstream Ave., was evacuated by order of city officials because of deterioration. It would take five years before residents could move back into the property as a reported $11 million rehabilitation needed to shore up structural problems. Dolphin Tower was subsequently rebranded as The 101 Condominium in 2019. There’s more on this story here: Condo Tragedy

SUMMER TOURISM STRONG

Summers in Sarasota-Manatee are usually hot, muggy and slow. By the time May comes around, snowbirds have usually flocked back to their native northern lands, and other tourists are usually off on a European vacation or some other weeklong getaway while their kids are on summer break. But not this year. As Florida was one of the first states to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sarasota-Bradenton area has seen a huge influx of travelers that has led to a tourism boom in the area. Room rates in both counties and the number of visitors in the area are up significantly compared to the same period two years before. Florida’s "open for business" status is a factor, experts say, but so is an aggressive marketing strategy from state tourism bureau Visit Florida, plus the fact that domestic travelers don’t have a ton of other options. But at the moment, the state is enjoying a tourism boom that experts said will likely continue throughout the summer. Please follow the jump for more on this story: Summer Tourism Strong

SRQ TOPS JUNE RECORD

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport broke its single-month record in June, welcoming more than 300,000 passengers through the airport’s terminal for the first time in its history. In June, 312,909 passengers traveled through the airport, an 8% increase over the 288,551 that came through its facilities in May. The June numbers represent a 112% increase over June 2019, when the airport welcomed 147,615 passengers, and a nearly 500% increase over the 52,845 people who came through during COVID-19 in June 2020. There’s more on this story: SRQ Tops June Record

SARASOTA METRO AREA RANKS #9 IN COUNTRY

The Sarasota metro area has been named as one of the best places to live in America, according to U.S. News & World Report. The annual report saw the Sarasota metropolitan area, which includes Manatee County, jump from 16th in last year’s rankings to No. 9 this year. Among Florida metro areas, only Naples placed higher on the list than Sarasota. That area ranked 7th. Boulder, Colorado topped the nation for the second year in a row. The rankings from U.S. News & World Report join a growing list of national recognition for the area, which was named the best place in America to retire last year and previously mentioned among the best beach towns. Siesta Key also has been named the best beach in the country by both Tripadvisor and Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman. Please click here for more: Sarasota Metro Is #9

LWR IS FASTEST SELLING IN THE U.S.

Lakewood Ranch has recorded the most home sales of any master-planned community in the nation so far this year, according to a real estate consulting firm.
RCLCO Real Estate Consulting tracks the number sales in master-planned communities each year. In its midyear report, Lakewood Ranch led the way with 1,535 home sales through the end of June. That represents an 83% increase from the previous year. Lakewood Ranch sold 838 homes at the midyear point in 2020.
Wellen Park, a master-planned community near Venice, ranked fifth in home sales for master-planned communities with 534. This is the first time that Lakewood Ranch has achieved the top spot on the list, although it has been ranked at the top of multi-generational master-planned communities for the past three years. Click here for more: LWR Is Fastest Selling

CITY APPROVES BATH & RACQUET CLUB

The Sarasota City Commission has approved a rezoning request for the Bath and Racquet Club that will see 277 units of multifamily housing built, a public park added and the rehabilitation of the private fitness club on the property.
The property developer, Mark Lucas, bought the site in late May 2020 for $5.5 million. His previous plans met stiff opposition from some area residents, many of them citing traffic concerns if more people were added to the area. The Bath and Racquet Club is in the 2100 block of Robinhood Street, just off Tamiami Trail near a Trader Joe’s. In 2020 the city rejected a plan to redevelop Sarasota’s Bath & Racquet Club. That initial plan was scrapped a year after failing to achieve the super-majority required for a city growth plan amendment on a 3-2 vote in February 2020. There’s more here: City Approves Bath & Racquet Club

READY TO RIDE

One of the northernmost segments of the Legacy Trail opened for public use recently, allowing cyclists and walkers to use the trail from Bahia Vista Street south to and slightly past Proctor Road. That portion, known as Segment 1, stretches about 2.75 miles. In addition, Sarasota County opened the northernmost portion of Segment 2, extending three-quarters of a mile, to just north of Ashton Road, Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources said Thursday.
And the trail was extended about .46 miles north of Culverhouse Nature Park, to Sawyer Loop Road. There’s more on this story here: Legacy Trail Expands

SARASOTA CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL

Sarasota’s split from Manatee County 100 years ago last month was inevitable. By the time Bertha Palmer arrived on the Sarasota scene in 1910, followed by Owen Burns and then John and Charles Ringling, being a part of Manatee County began to rankle high-power Sarasotans whose tax dollars were going north, with very little coming back down in the way of public improvements. Community leaders, whose desire for Sarasota to grow and prosper as a tourist destination felt hampered by Manatee County government, decided it was time to go their own way. Mass meetings were held with representatives of the various communities in the southern section of the county voicing their concerns and planning a strategy.
If you’re interested in reading more, then click here: Sarasota Centennial

SPREADING LIGHTNING AWARENESS

One year ago, a 14-year-old boy from Texas was struck by lightning on Siesta Key Beach while on vacation with his family. Jacob Brewer was lifeless on the powdery, white sand until a stranger performed CPR, a local deputy came to help and paramedics rushed to the rescue. Watching Jacob’s story on the news, Jim Alfieri said his heart dropped when he saw the photo of the Fort Worth boy in the hospital. He says Jacob looked just like his own son, an emotional connection for him. Alfieri knew he wanted the help the family in any way that he could. Vacationing on Siesta Key from New York, Alfieri spent the day Friday spreading awareness of lightning strikes and handing out flyers in hopes to keep others safe on the beach.
"I figured I’m not doing anything," Alfieri said. "I’m going to the beach. So, I’m going to donate my time to help raise awareness." Click here to read more on this story: Lightning Awareness

CITRUS SEASON ENDS ON SOUR NOTE

Florida’s beleaguered citrus growers ended the 2020-2021 growing season recently with a yield below what had already been expected to be one of the lowest in decades. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Florida growers produced enough oranges — mostly for orange juice — to fill 52.8 million 90-pound boxes, the industry standard, during the season that began late last summer. The total is up slightly from a June forecast of 52.7 million boxes but below preseason expectations that growers would fill 57 million boxes. The current crop is also down from 67.3 million boxes in the 2019-2020. Click here for more on this story: Citrus Season