Newsletter 130

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST …..

RED TIDE DEBATE MAY SOON BE SETTLED

Just as it took decades before smoking was recognized as a cancer trigger, it’s taken until recently for science to firmly link nitrogen pollution to the persistence of red tide. But a new University of Florida study with two nonprofit research partners shows clear ties between nitrogen from human activities and the longevity and severity of the saltwater harmful algal blooms. Published in the academic journal Science of the Total Environment, the report’s mouthful of a name is: "Nitrogen-enriched discharges from a highly managed watershed intensify red tide (Karenia brevis) blooms in southwest Florida."
Two of its key findings:

• "Caloosahatchee River discharges and nitrogen inputs systematically intensify blooms" and
• "Anthropogenic influence extends upstream to Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee basin."

In plain talk, that means what comes from the land all the way up to Lake O can make things worse downstream and on the coast when there’s a bloom. For years there was an ideological tug of war: Some argued that red tide is a natural phenomenon for which people aren’t responsible. After all, they said, mariners in the 1700s documented the toxic overgrowth, long before the state was densely populated. Even though the blooms can develop naturally, "We took a long view and found evidence that human activity has helped fuel coastal blooms in this estuary to varying extents between 2012 and 2021," said Miles Medina, lead author of the study and a research scientist at the university’s Center for Coastal Solutions. For more on this story, please click here: Red Tide Debate

TREE TALKS

The Sarasota City Commission has given initial approval to a new tree ordinance, which would give homeowners more flexibility when it comes to planting or removing trees in their yards. The ordinance would also give additional protections to several species of trees. In 2017, the City Commission created an ad hoc Tree Advisory Committee. The seven-member board met many times over the course of two years and developed a list of recommendations for how to improve Sarasota’s current tree ordinance. The commission voted to adopt to this new ordinance, with a few changes, in a first public hearing last month. The ordinance will have to be approved at a second public hearing for it to go into effect. The Tree Advisory Committee’s recommendations provide "a great deal more flexibility," said Assistant City Attorney Joe Mladinich at a commission meeting last month. When residents remove a tree from their yard, they in some instances need to plant one or more new trees to replace the one cut down or pay the city a fee. The new tree ordinance decreases the minimum size of required replacement trees. For canopy trees, the replacement trees would need to have a diameter of at least 3 inches, and for all other trees, the replacement trees would need to have a diameter of at least 2 inches. To read more, please click here, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tree Talks

MEDIAN HOME PRICE TOPS $500,000

The median sales price for a single-family home in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metro area has been broken once again, according to the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee. Last month, the median single-family home sold in the two-county area for $500,000 — the first time the median sales price has reached half a million dollars. Last May was the first time the median sales price broke $400,000 in Sarasota County at $407,000, according to RASM data. The residential real estate market has been on fire for awhile now, with the median number of days on market hovering around a week since the middle of last year. Realtors have been reporting for months that accurately priced properties in good neighborhoods receive multiple offers, often above list price. The RASM report noted other sales figures were also up compared to the previous month. "Between February and March of this year, there was a month-over-month increase in closed sales, pending sales, new listings, and inventory; indicating more activity in our market," Tony Veldkamp, 2022 RASM president said. "Notably, the median sale price for single-family homes has reached a new threshold that may be out of reach for many buyers looking to enter the market; especially as interest rates continue to increase." Please click here to read more: Median Price Tops $500k

DRAWN TO DOWNTOWN

When Dana Dupuis and Mac McMenamy toured Florida almost three years ago, they were looking for a second home, a sunny respite from the cold weather and remote Colorado mountains. They started in Fort Lauderdale and explored the state’s east coast, but said they were quickly disappointed. They just didn’t see themselves there, but still planned to hit the west coast. Sarasota was only meant to be their base for exploring other destinations. But on their first night, they watched the sunset from the rooftop bar at the Westin and looked around in disbelief. "We started giggling," Dupuis said. "This feels like San Diego. And then we grabbed bikes and went to dinner. Five days later, we were still tooling around here." It didn’t take long to make a decision. By the end of that trip, Dupuis and McMenamy had bid on a 1,475-square-foot condo in 5th and Central that they eventually purchased for $535,000, according to Sarasota County property records. The couple soon learned that condominium living and three dogs weren’t the best fit. Instead, they recently went under contract for a bungalow in Gillespie Park and plan to sell their condo. Dupuis and McMenamy, both in their early 60s, are just one of many late working-age couples flocking to downtown Sarasota. Newcomers cite the walkability, the urban atmosphere coupled with a small town feel and the rich dining and arts scene all within a short distance. "We looked everywhere and felt like the city is so manageable and so close to the beach that we would prefer to live in town," Dupuis said. "It fit our lifestyle better." There’s more on this story here: Drawn To Downtown

REALTOR FIRST: $200M IN SALES

Bruce Myer topped the list of best-selling Sarasota real estate agents in 1983 with a total value of properties sold at $8.3 million."Now," Myer said, "that is one sale."
Myer’s 1983 total would equate to $24 million in today’s dollars. Still, that’s far below the heights reached by top agents working in Sarasota and Manatee counties’ sizzling real estate market, including Myer’s more than $134 million in sales for the past year. Real estate in Sarasota-Manatee, as in much of Florida and across the U.S., has undergone a dramatic transformation in a remarkably short period, changing the profession along the way. The area’s long-overlooked luxury segment has taken off, drawing new buyers who see bargains on the less crowded Gulf coast. In the broader market, more buyers are chasing fewer properties for sale, driving up prices at a dizzying rate. Until recently, borrowing rates remained exceedingly low by historic standards, which, combined with pandemic-driven demographic trends have driven sales totals to the stratosphere. Five years ago, only one real estate agent in the Sarasota area had ever tallied $100 million or more in sales in a year. Over the next couple years, two or three Realtors managed it. And in 2020, five Realtors sold property totaling in nine figures. Then came 2021, not only did more than a dozen Realtors join the $100 million club but for the first time in this region, the $200 million threshold in closed sales was breached, according to Multiple Listing Service data. The dollar volume of all residential real estate transactions in Sarasota-Manatee totaled about $15.3 billion in 2021, up from a record $10.5 billion in 2020, according to Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee data. Total volume of residential transactions were $8.2 billion in 2019 and $7.7 billion in 2018. "This past year has shattered all records" said Kim Ogilvie, who last year sold nearly $119 million worth of property. "To have this volume at this price range is unprecedented." Please follow the jump for more on this story: Realtor First: $200M

CITY AIMS TO OPEN DOORS FOR RENTERS

As Sarasota rents continue to cost an arm and a leg, the city is going to look into a zoning practice that could boost the number of affordable housing units in the city limits. The practice is known as inclusionary zoning, and it’s used in cities from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Miami. If inclusionary zoning were implemented in the city of Sarasota, developers would be required to set aside some units in a building or complex as affordable units when they build in a certain area or areas of the city. The developer would be given incentives for providing these units. Commissioners discussed the topic last week before voting unanimously to direct city staff to look into the practice and see if it’s possible to implement it in the city. Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell spoke with Sarasota city commissioners about Miami’s version of inclusionary zoning, which passed in 2018. He explained that Miami created a new transect zone in one area of the city, where developers must reserve some of the units in their buildings as workforce or affordable housing. In return, the buildings can have more square footage than normal. "We’ve had five new towers in that neighborhood built since I’ve been in commission," Russell said, "and they’re all fully leased out, all the developers are happy and we’re not out of compliance with any state laws." The Florida Legislature passed a bill in 2019 that requires local governments to offset all costs to a developer when those costs are due to an inclusionary housing ordinance, according to the Florida Housing Coalition. Cities and counties must provide incentives to the developer such as density bonuses or reducing or waiving fees. There’s more on this story here: City To Help Renters

1M FLY THROUGH SRQ

The year is less than four months old, but more than 1 million passengers have already traveled through Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. In March, 442,846 passengers traveled through Sarasota-Bradenton, breaking the airport’s single-month traffic record. Year-to-date passenger traffic increased by 92% between from 2021 to 2022, according to the airport; 564,066 passengers came in the first three months of last year, compared to 1,085,500 this year. Rick Piccolo, the airport’s president and CEO, said the astronomical increase in passengers can be attributed to strong interest in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. "These record-breaking passenger numbers were unimaginable just a few years ago before SRQ grew to 11 airlines and 53 nonstop destinations," he said. "The demand to live, work and vacation in our community has exploded, and we are seeing the repercussions of this." Airport passenger traffic, and tourism in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, has exploded since the COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. Tourism in Sarasota County was so strong last year that the county is considering raising the 5% tourist development tax on short-term vacation rentals up to 6%. The measure needs to be approved by Sarasota County commissioners to move forward. In the past year, Sarasota-Bradenton has also welcomed a new airline and several new routes. Avelo Airlines started flying to New Haven, Connecticut, in January and existing carriers such as Southwest Airlines added several new routes.
Another new airline, Breeze Airways, will start service to Hartford, Connecticut, June 4. Sarasota-Bradenton is also investing in major capital improvements to keep up with increasing demands. Please click on the link for more: 1M Through SRQ

THE PLAYERS WON’T BUILD LWR SITE

The Players Centre of Performing Arts has scrapped plans to build a $32 million theatre complex in Lakewood Ranch, and Sarasota’s famed performing arts organization now seeks to continue its 92-year legacy at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. The return of The Players Centre to downtown Sarasota would be a boon for the city following the recent announcement by the Sarasota Orchestra of plans to relocate from downtown to a property on Fruitville Road just outside city limits. "Both The Players Centre and the city agree that keeping The Players Centre downtown is a win," The Players Centre CEO William Skaggs told the Herald-Tribune. "It would allow us to stay connected to our long history here and build on the presence we’ve maintained for so long. We’re excited to keep bringing high-quality live theater to the region from the heart of Florida’s Cultural Coast." The Players sold its former facility at 838 Tamiami Trail in 2018 for $9.5 million, in part because of the condition of the building and the amount of available parking. A plan was then put in place to build a state-of-the-art theatrical facility at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. The theatrical facility would have included a 500-seat theater, a 125-seat Black Box theater, and a 100-seat cabaret, as well as educational facilities and flex space. The Players Centre and Lakewood Ranch announced recently that those plans have officially been canceled, and the theatrical group is now working with Sarasota to potentially lease the city’s Sarasota Municipal Auditorium on North Tamiami Trail. There’s more on this story: The Players Cancels LWR

BIKE SHARING FINALLY REACHES SARASOTA

For most urban areas, bicycle-sharing programs are not a new concept. The idea of a communal bike system, where residents of a city can share bikes with one another and zip about town, is widely used in the U.S. everywhere from New York and Los Angeles to smaller hippie cities like Portland and Seattle – where you might expect to see that sort of thing. But despite the popularity and wide availability of so-called "micromobility" forms of transportation, Sarasota has never really had one. Until now. Earlier this month, micromobility company Veo launched its dockless bike and scooter sharing service in the city of Sarasota. Veo is now offering three of its vehicles throughout city limits – the Cosmo (a seated scooter), the Astro 3 (a standing scooter) and the Halo (a pedal bike). Bringing in a micromobility company like Veo is consistent with the July 2020 "Sarasota in Motion" transportation master plan, which has a goal of reducing Sarasota’s carbon footprint, increasing mobility options and raising the level of physical activity in the community. Like all forms of transportation, usage of micromobility dipped during the pandemic, said Dr. Yu Zhang, a University of South Florida professor and co-director of the Center for Transportation, Environment, and Community Health. "In the U.S., 65% of our trips are less than five miles. We do a lot of short trips with vehicles, which is not sustainable," Zhang said. "Micromobility, especially bikes and scooters, actually can help us to go several miles, a couple of miles without driving. It has a lot of environmental benefits." Click here for more: Bike Sharing To SRQ

KEY MILESTONE FOR NEW ARTS CENTER

The Van Wezel Foundation is one step closer to realizing its dream of building a transformative performing arts center along the Sarasota bayfront. Recently, the city of Sarasota approved a partnership agreement with the foundation for the planning, financing, design and construction of the future Sarasota Performing Arts Center, according to a foundation news release. "It was an enormous first gate for us to pass through," said Cheryl Mendelson, the CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation. The project will be a public-private partnership between the city and the foundation. The approval of the partnership agreement will help jumpstart the foundation’s fundraising efforts. "It was really critically important that the philanthropic community see that this is a true public-private partnership," Mendelson said. The Van Wezel Foundation – which is being renamed the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation – and the city envision the center as a "preeminent destination" for the performing arts in the U.S., according to Mendelson. The arts center will be the centerpiece of The Bay, a 53-acre park that’s being built on the Sarasota bayfront. The center will have a 2,250-seat main stage theater and a 400-seat flexible performance and event space. It will also host educational programming and feature a lawn where people will be able to watch movies or performances in the open air. The arts center will be an integral part of The Bay Park, Mendelson said. "Our goal is to create a cultural campus as part of the Bay Park Conservancy," she said. "We do not in any way intend to build a single performing arts center that acts in the silo." The Sarasota Performing Arts Center will replace the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The future of the purple Van Wezel building hasn’t yet been determined, and the city is planning to convene a committee that will consider ways the building could be used. Click here for more: Key Milestone

POCKET PARK SEES DAYLIGHT

Bulldozers knocked down two old concrete block buildings at Central Avenue and Boulevard of the Arts to make way for a long-planned, quarter-acre pocket park in the Rosemary District recently. The idea of a park for the Rosemary District was first mentioned about 20 years ago by city officials in the Sarasota master plan, said David Lough, a board member of the Rosemary District Association, but it has taken years of advocacy to get to this point. The Rosemary District Association represents the neighborhood of more 2,000 people in Sarasota’s downtown and has advocated, raised money and helped plan the park. Lough said the vast majority — 90% to 95% — of residents in the Rosemary District own or rent residences in multifamily buildings. "We don’t have backyards," he said. "The only big green space we have is the cemetery," while noting that’s not ideal for the downtown neighborhood. Debbie Trice, president of the Rosemary District Association, pointed to the lack of green space as the reason the park is needed and "critical health wise." "Statistics show that having green space promotes health and has a cooling factor (for surrounding areas)," she said. Trice said that the Plaza area of Rosemary Square acts as the neighborhood’s main gathering spot today but she sees the quarter-acre pocket park at Central and BOTA as a likely replacement once constructed. Conceptual plans created by Kimley-Horn, a planning and design company, show many activities and potentially open air areas that could host future events at the city park. The city bought the land for the park last year, but it took a community effort to push it across the finish line, Lough said. There’s more to read here: Pocket Park

SELBY GARDENS STARTS VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION

Construction has gone vertical on a project that will make Sarasota home to the first net-positive energy botanical garden complex in the world. In August 2023, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus is expected to be able to produce more energy than it needs, as it will be powered by solar energy. This will result from Phase I of Selby Gardens’ expansion project, on which construction began early this month. Construction crews are building a multipurpose structure — known as the Living Energy Access Facility — that will house a garden-to-plate restaurant, a gift and plant shop, and 450 parking spots. The building will be topped with a nearly 50,000-square-foot solar array. Selby will store any excess energy it produces. The project’s Phase I will also include building a new welcome center and plant research center, turning the Palm Avenue promenade into a pedestrian-only area and conducting other improvements. The phase is expected to be completed in August 2023. The project’s Phase II will build a hurricane-resilient greenhouse complex that will house Selby’s living collections and will construct a learning pavilion for educational activities. Phase III will renovate the historic Payne Mansion, unify the gardens’ walking paths, bolster the property’s sea walls and renovate its docks, according to Selby Garden’s website. There’s more on this story here: Selby Gardens Construction Starts

TAXING TOURISTS

Sarasota County was such a hot spot for travel in 2021 that, starting this fall, the tax rate for vacation stays could become as high as it is in Orlando or Miami. In 2021, Sarasota County surpassed a state-sanctioned threshold for tourist tax collections, and is now a "high-impact" tourism area, as designated by the Florida Department of Revenue. As a result the county now has the option to increase its tourism development tax levy from 5% of the cost of a short-term stay to 6%, the maximum percentage allowed under state law. In a vote recently, the county’s Tourism Development Council formally recommended that the Sarasota County Commission approve the increase, which could lead to an additional $5.2 million in tourist tax revenue in the first year alone. Raising the tourist development tax percentage could allow Sarasota to put aside more funding for beach maintenance and renourishment, as well as major capital projects, like Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s new facility near University Town Center. The main argument against increasing the rate seems to be that it could discourage people from visiting altogether, or push them to a neighboring county with a potentially lower hotel rate.
If you’re interested in reading more, then click here: Taxing Tourists

DEP ACCEPTS PLANS FOR PINEY POINT CLOSURE

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection accepted conceptual plans last week to permanently close the former Piney Point fertilizer processing plant.
The plant shuttered in 2001, but it has blighted north Manatee County for decades despite efforts to permanently rid the community of the leftover by-product, known as phosphogypsum, and the wastewater that sits atop the stacks. Disaster has struck twice in that timeframe, once in 2011, and the other last April, when an estimated 215 million gallons of that wastewater was released into Tampa Bay under an emergency order by the DEP to avert a collapse that could have flooded the surrounding community. The plan includes a timeline and strategy for continued water management at the site, as well as details on the construction of a closed system that protects both groundwaters and surface waters in the area.
The wastewater will be treated and disposed of in a controversial underground injection well that is being built by Manatee County across the street from the Piney Point property. Click here to read more on this story: Piney Point Closure Plan Accepted