Newsletter 125

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST …..

HOTEL ROOM LIMIT LIFTED

A controversial development proposal to build a hotel on Siesta Key will move forward after the Sarasota County Commission recently removed a critical regulation that has long limited how many hotel rooms could be built on an acre of land. The commission’s 3-2 vote to remove the cap on the number of hotel rooms allowed on a piece of property will have county wide impact, as the zoning code change is not limited to Siesta Key. Instead of a hard cap on hotel development, county planners will now focus on whether a project meets building requirements, such as height restrictions and setbacks from adjacent properties, allowing as many rooms in the structure as can fit in the permitted building. The proposed development along Siesta Key’s Calle Miramar and Beach Road calls for a 170-room, eight-story hotel on roughly an acre, with a restaurant and rooftop bar.
To read more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Hotel Room Limit

SECOND SIESTA KEY HOTEL OK’D

A controversial hotel development on the south end of Siesta Key received approval from Sarasota County commissioners recently, paving the way for the barrier island’s second major hotel project. Commissioners approved special exceptions that would turn two existing plots of land along Old Stickney Point Road into a new seven-story luxury hotel and a five-story parking garage. The 83-foot,120-room hotel will be on a parcel in the southwest corner of Old Stickney Point and Peacock roads. The parking garage will be on the site of a former Bank of America branch between Stickney Point and Old Stickney Point roads. The developer is Gary Kompothecras, also known as "Dr. Gary." Kompothecras has achieved local fame for his 1-800-ASK-GARY legal service, ownership of the nearby Crescent Club bar and perhaps most notoriously for pitching and executive producing the MTV reality series "Siesta Key." For more on this story, please click here: Second SK Hotel OK’d

BUSINESS OWNERS REACT TO NEW SK HOTELS

Clayton Thompson remembers crazier times. In the early 2000s, when he first opened Clayton’s Siesta Grille on Old Stickney Point Road, the neighborhood around the restaurant was pretty chaotic. Clayton’s was right next to Bob’s Boathouse, an eatery and bar that butted heads with the county over a noise ordinance several times. There was also Club Phoenix, where locals and tourists would drink and dance the night away. Back in those days, Thompson said, he often found himself picking up beer bottles in the parking lot before opening for breakfast. So when he heard that a new hotel was in development for Old Stickney Point and Peacock roads, right next to his restaurant near Sabal Drive, he was glad it wasn’t another nightclub. If you’re interested to read more, please click here: Business Owners React

BEST PLACES TO RETIRE

It may be getting more expensive to live, but Southwest Florida remains at the top of the "Best Places to Retire" in the country, based on the latest research by U.S. News & World Report. The state’s metros led the way in the annual findings released recently by the magazine, with the first four in this order: Sarasota, Naples, Daytona Beach and Melbourne. Fort Myers-Cape Coral was right on their heels at No. 7, just behind Tampa Bay. And Port St. Lucie clocked in at No. 8, Pensacola No. 10, Lakeland No. 12, Ocala No. 16 and Orlando No. 18. "Many retirees are continuing to dream about a Florida beach retirement," said Emily Brandon, U.S. News senior editor for retirement. "Sarasota and Naples residents both report a high sense of well-being, and both cities scored high marks for desirability. Sarasota edged out Naples for the No. 1 spot largely due to Sarasota having more affordable housing than Naples." There’s more on this story here: Best Places To Retire

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Despite another month of fewer closed sales compared to a year ago, the president of the Realtor’s Association of Sarasota and Manatee expects the end of the year to see increased activity. "The market has taken a very typical breather through the late summer, but we’re still most likely in the calm before the storm," said RASM President Alex Krumm, owner of NextHome Excellence. "The same factors that have made this year one of the busiest on record are still in play, and prices will almost certainly be driven higher by a very limited supply of homes." Closed sales in Sarasota and Manatee County were down 11% in September compared to September 2020. Part of the decrease can be attributed to near-historic lows of property inventory for sale. Sarasota County has just 771 single-family properties classified as active listings in September, compared to 1,514 homes on the market last year. Please follow the jump for more on this story: Calm Before The Storm

SARASOTA CONSIDERS CHANGE ON RENTALS

Sarasota residents may soon be able to rent out a room in their house for a few days under an ordinance the Sarasota City Commission is considering. The commission voted unanimously recently to direct the city attorney to prepare an ordinance that would allow these rentals – also known as hosted rentals – for periods of a week or less. These rentals are currently only permitted for stays of more than a week. In a hosted rental, the Sarasota resident rents out one or more rooms in their house while still occupying the home. These are different from vacation rentals, which are homes where the renter occupies the entire home and the host does not stay there. City attorney Robert Fournier said the commission hasn’t determined yet the number of rooms that a resident will be able to rent out.
There’s more on this story here: Change On Rentals

GROUNDBREAKING, FINALLY

A crowd gathered on the land where The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort once stood and sipped champagne, listened to live music from a harpist, ate hors d’oeuvres, and dodged bursts of rain recently on Longboat Key. Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier noted it was the first time in roughly a dozen years that a celebration had been held on the 17-acre beachfront property since The Colony closed and plunged the site into a dark period marked by deep uncertainty and bitter legal fights. St. Regis Hotel and Residences started to rise from the ground as heavy construction equipment moved around the site, even as the crowd gathered for pictures during the groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited development. Please click on the link for more: St. Regis Breaks Ground

BAY PARK AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

The Bay Park will cost millions of dollars less and be completed five years sooner than expected, according to a news release from the nonprofit organization managing and developing the city-owned property. The Sarasota City Commission unanimously approved changes in the partnership agreement between city officials and The Bay Park Conservancy will save an estimated $15 million to $20 million in capital costs and an additional $5 million to $10 million in operating expenses. The change also speeds up eventual completion of the project. "The commissioners’ unanimous vote will accelerate the development of The Bay, a park designed for all – the full and rich diversity of our Sarasota community," AG Lafley, founding CEO for The Bay Park Conservancy, said in a news release. "We are extremely grateful for the support of the City Commission, the City Manager Marlon Brown, City Attorney Robert Fournier, city management staff and supporters throughout the community who helped us achieve this historic decision." There’s more on this story: Bay Park Ahead Of Schedule

FORECASTER URGES CLIMATE CHANGE PREP

Sarasota residents will have to prepare for more frequent sweltering days in the coming decades. Currently, about 10 days a year reach 95 degrees or higher in Sarasota, according to Bob Bunting, the CEO of the Sarasota-based Climate Adaptation Center. Bunting forecasts that in 2050, Sarasota will see 60 such days a year, on average. "Climate warming is impacting us in our backyards," he said at his organization’s Florida Climate Forecast Conference at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus last week. Bunting, a former lead forecaster for the National Weather Service, shared his forecasts of what Sarasota’s climate will be like in the next few decades. A warming climate not only means that Sarasota will see more days with very high temperatures – it also means that the area will experience an accelerating rate of sea level rise and more frequent hurricanes, Bunting said.
And Sarasota isn’t alone – coastal cities around Florida and the Southeast are also having to deal with the effects of climate change. Click here for more: Prepare For Climate Change

NEW PLAYERS IN THE HOUSE

The city of Sarasota is negotiating with the Players Centre for Performing Arts to take over operations of the historic Sarasota Municipal Auditorium as soon as next spring. City Commissioner Hagen Brody said the auditorium is a money-losing operation and could save the city more than $72,000 a year in operating costs. The Art Deco-style facility, which opened in 1938, has hosted everything from gala dinners, Sarasota Film Festival parties, literary luncheons, debutant balls, flea markets and orchid and coin shows. It was once the performing home for the Sarasota Orchestra. Brody said the deal would also help keep the 92-year-old community theater in Sarasota even though the Players Centre has been working for the last five years on plans to build a multi-theater complex in the Waterside community in Lakewood Ranch as its new home. Click here for more on this story: New Players In The House

RINGLING REVIVAL

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which shut down in 2017 after a storied 146-year run of three-ring entertainment around the world, could be making a comeback. Officials from Ellenton-based Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus operation, said during a recent panel discussion for venue operators that a new version of the circus without animals is expected to make its debut in 2023.
Many observers believe that animal rights protests targeting Ringling Bros. contributed to a decline in ticket sales that led the company to cease operations. It grew famous on the strength of animal trainers like Gunther Gebel-Williams, among others, working with lions and tigers. The company dropped elephants from its shows in 2016 and said at the time that ticket sales declined more than expected.
There’s more to read here: Ringling Revival

PRESERVE TO DOUBLE

Sarasota County will purchase 228 acres in Old Miakka, an area home to diverse wildlife and several unique Florida habitats. The property is on Myakka Road in eastern Sarasota County. The land purchase will more than double the size of the Old Miakka Preserve, a natural area where visitors can hike, picnic and observe wildlife. The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is selling the land, which it recently acquired to "act quickly in this hot real estate market," according to a press release. The county will pay $4.34 million, as well as closing and other costs.
"This land is a critical link between Sarasota County’s Old Miakka Preserve and Conservation Foundation’s Tatum Sawgrass Scrub Preserve, further connecting to over 120,000 acres of conserved land protecting the Myakka River," the foundation said. There’s more on this story here: Preserve To Double

MORE GROWTH SET FOR PARRISH

Parrish is growing, and planned development of the region is slated to bring thousands of new homes to this traditionally agricultural community in one of the fastest growing areas in Manatee County. The area offers large tracts of land and is ripe for development. It is about as far east as development in Manatee County is allowed based on the local urban boundary line — which marks the furthest point water and sewer services are provided to residents by the county — and is just south of Hillsborough County, which has a moratorium on new home construction. Neal Land & Neighborhoods President John Neal said in today’s housing market, those factors and the availability of new homes in north Manatee County make the Parrish area appealing to residents trying to buy a new home near employment hubs in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota. If you’re interested in reading more, then click here: Parrish Is Growing

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS IN MANATEE

Manatee County is booming. Thousands of new homes are permitted for construction, and housing prices have steadily ticked up as prospective buyers bid against one another over the slim availability of listings. The conditions have made it more difficult for typical workforce employees to find affordable places to live. To help alleviate the need, Manatee County commissioners have cleared the way for the construction of several affordable multifamily housing projects in Bradenton and Palmetto. Together, these projects could soon bring just under 1,000 new units to the region. The projects stem from the Housing Finance Authority of Manatee County, which was created in 1979 to provide investment capital to alleviate a shortage of affordable housing. The authority does this by providing tax-exempt bonds for qualifying developers. Click here to read more on this story: Affordable Housing Projects

FLORIDA SURPASSES 1,000 MANATEE DEATHS

Over 1,000 manatees have died in Florida waters this year, according to state data released recently. It’s already a record-setting number, with six weeks still left in the year and experts bracing for more starvation as the weather turns colder. Manatees will soon gather around unnatural warm-water sources, like power plants, where food is scarce. At least 1,003 manatees have died through Nov. 12, according to the latest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. In July, Florida surpassed the previous single-year record of 830 manatee deaths set in 2013. This year’s unprecedented die-off saw its peak between January and April, according to Martine deWit, the state veterinarian who leads the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s necropsy lab in St. Petersburg. Over 650 carcasses were documented on the Atlantic Coast through Nov. 5, with roughly 85% of them in the first four months of this year, deWit told TCPalm, part of the USA TODAY network.
There’s more on this story here: Manatee Death Milestone