Newsletter 135

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST …..

THE RUSH FOR REDEVELOPMENT

This is a guest editorial from Sarasota Herald-Tribune columnist Carrie Seidman.

This week will mark the first of three Sarasota City Commission meetings leading up to a vote that would significantly change the city’s Comprehensive Plan in an attempt to alleviate the current housing shortage. The amendment would create a new “urban mixed use” land use category and free up for redevelopment 825 acres of city land (more than 1,000 parcels) along its major transportation corridors (Tamiami Trail, 301 and Fruitville Road). It is being billed as an affordable housing initiative though, as it currently stands, it does not guarantee a single affordable unit. What? You say you haven’t heard about what one former mayor calls “the great giveaway?” That’s part of the problem. Even residents in the affected areas learned only belatedly the specifics of the proposal, which would allow for redevelopment of existing commercial shopping centers into multi-story, mixed use structures abutting neighborhoods. The amendment would grant an automatic base density of 25 units per acre, with incentives for up to three times that amount for projects that include “affordable housing” (in an unspecified amount and/or price range). It also allows for administrative approval – that is, approval without public notice or opportunity to comment –for projects that include any amount of affordable units (again unspecified as to number or price). For more on this story, please click here: Seidman Says

HOME PRICES REMAIN AT RECORD HIGH

The median home price in July for a house in Sarasota-Manatee matched the record set in June at $525,000, according to statistics maintained by the Realtor Association of Sarasota Manatee. However, several other sales statistics point to slowing of the local housing market. Closed sales, pending sales and cash sales all were down in July compared to 12 months ago. There were 1,245 closed sales of single-family homes in July compared to 1,611 sales in July 2021 — a 22.7% decrease in Sarasota and Manatee counties. In fact, there have been fewer closed sales for 11 of the past 12 months in the two-county area. Only January, a typically slow month for home sales, posted a 0.9% increase in year-over-year closed sales. Local real estate experts pointed to record low inventory as the cause of that trend. But that can no longer be the sole cause of lower closed sales as inventory — or the number of homes for sale on the market — has increased by 147% over the past 12 months. There were 3,203 homes for sale at the end of July, according to the RASM report. In February, there were just 906 single-family homes for sale in the two-county area, an increase of 253.5% in just five months. To read more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota-Herald Tribune, please click here: Homes Remain High

SIZZLING LUXURY REAL ESTATE COOLS DOWN

Luxury real estate routinely received multiple offers throughout 2021 in the Sarasota area as demand exploded. But that deluge of interest has apparently faded some. Luxury properties throughout the region are sitting longer and receiving fewer offers than last year, according to some real estate experts. “We are seeing a normalization of the market,” said Peter G. Laughlin, founder of the Peter G. Laughlin Group with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “Properties are staying on the market longer than they had been.” While many Realtors have noted some slowdown in the second half of 2022, the luxury market still has posted strong sales. In July, a Harbor Acres estate sold for $17.5 million, a Sarasota County record for a single-family residential property. A Sarasota-based development group has broken ground on a speculative home project that they have listed for $17 million.

Chris Jones, a professor of economics at the University of South Florida and founder of the consulting firm Florida Economic Advisors, previously told the Herald-Tribune, that even as there’s some slowing of the economy, high-end sales don’t have to follow general economic trends. “The reality of it is that when you are getting to those price points they don’t follow the path of general trends,” Jones said. Still, Laughlin said he’s noticed a significant slow down in the luxury market from even the first four months of 2022. Buyers have been less “frenzied,” more inclined to negotiate and more selective in which properties they seek out for information. That has prompted some owners to turn to auctions — without reserves — to sell their properties. One of the first property auctions conducted by Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions started recently for a property Laughlin represents.

But it’s hardly the only luxury property hitting the auction blocks along this stretch of Southwest Florida in the coming weeks as sellers start to look at alternative selling methods. Naples-based Elite Auctions will auction a 6,500-square-foot Siesta Key bayfront mansion at 8347 Midnight Pass Road on Sept. 24 with plans for a Naples mansion set to sell at auction on Oct. 1. Please click here to read more: Sizzling Luxury Market Cools

SIESTA KEY SPEC MANSION ASKING $17M

Foundation work has started on a speculative Siesta Key estate that has been listed for $16.99 million, with plans for the exterior walls to go vertical in six weeks.

While Sarasota’s sizzling real estate market has demonstrated some signs of weakening recently, Seaward Development, the Sarasota-based developer of the Siesta Key property at 4136 Higel Ave., does not expect concerns about the economy to negatively impact the luxury development. Patrick DiPinto, principal at Seaward Development, said an architect can take between 12 and 18 months to create architectural plans and another four to six months for permitting.

That’s not including the time it takes to find an appropriate location to build a home worth more than $10 million and then to build it. “Our typical high-end client doesn’t lack finances,” DePinto said. “They lack time.” Seaward Development purchased the Higel property in February 2021 for $3.4 million. “There are 10 homes on the market now on our local islands (Casey Key, Lido Key and Longboat Key) and in downtown Sarasota priced over $10 million, and we expect this incredible property to sell quickly with the new buyer still able to customize some of the high-end interior finish work,” said DiPinto. They’ve employed Sarasota-based DSDG Architects to design “a modern sanctuary that embraces the Florida lifestyle.”

“Our vision was to take full advantage of the sweeping views of Big Pass and the Gulf of Mexico for this residence to embody a modern aesthetic that incorporates the architectural principles of the Sarasota School of Architecture,” said Mark Sultana, principal with DSDG Architects. A news release about the listing of the property notes it will have 7,460 square feet under air with a 1,530-square-foot guest house and 1,500-square-foot roof-top terrace. Peake said every aspect of the house was designed in a way to appeal to the eventual buyer. The house also comes with an eight-car garage to accommodate a potential car enthusiast. Interested in reading more, then click here: Siesta Key Spec Mansion

RESIDENTS OPPOSE BUSINESS PARK PLAN

A Sarasota County proposal to allow business parks on some of Lorraine Road has faced opposition from neighborhood residents. In a 3-1 vote on Aug. 30 – with Commissioner Nancy Detert dissenting – the County Commission sent a proposal designating two stretches of Lorraine Road as business park corridors to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The agency will review the proposal, and then return it to the commission, which will decide whether to give it final approval. Sarasota County’s business park corridor designation allows light industry and manufacturing as well as office and research space to be built in an area. The designation is an overlay, so it wouldn’t change the Future Land Use Map classification or zoning of the parcels where it would go into effect. The locations that the County Commission OK’d are Lorraine Road south of Clark Road and Lorraine from Fruitville Road to just south of Blue Lake Road. The commissioners had the option of making all of Lorraine from Fruitville to University Parkway a business park corridor, but instead opted for a shorter stretch. Homeowners in Waterside at Lakewood Ranch and other residential communities spoke against the proposal at the meeting. “Most these people, as you know, have been here since 9 o’clock in the morning and are here because they care deeply about their neighborhood and what they view as a possible destruction of the neighborhood, quite honestly,” said Jacob Goodwin, a Waterside resident, at the meeting. There’s more on this story here: Residents Oppose Business Park Plans

NEW LAKEWOOD RANCH HOMES COMING

More than 4,000 acres of rural land in northeastern Sarasota County will likely become a new Lakewood Ranch community of homes, despite concerns from nearby residents. The Sarasota County Commission preliminarily approved a change to its long-range growth plan recently that paves the way for this development, called Lakewood Ranch Southeast. The proposal faced strong opposition from east county residents who worry about a potential increase in traffic on Fruitville Road and other concerns. Lakewood Ranch proposed to create a new land-use designation for about 4,120 acres between Fruitville Road and University Parkway. The designation will allow for more homes in the area than is currently permitted. Two decades ago, the County Commission adopted the Sarasota 2050 Plan for the county’s more rural eastern area, which allowed for communities to be master planned but also set aside green space for protection and conservation. The plan allows for a few different forms of development, such as “villages” and “hamlets.” “Villages” are more urban and allow for a greater density of housing units than “hamlets,” which are farther east. Lakewood Ranch proposed creating a new designation called “Village Transition Zone,” meant to provide a transition between the “village” and “hamlet” designations. A maximum of 5,000 homes would be allowed in the zone. The comprehensive plan amendment also moves the countryside line, which delineates the suburban-type development to the west and the rural designations to the east. Katie LaBarr, a planner with Stantec Inc., who was representing Lakewood Ranch, said the change would allow the Manatee County-based development’s continued expansion into Sarasota County, called Lakewood Ranch Southeast, “to be thoughtfully developed as an extension of the existing and successful community.”She said the company plans to build a boulevard through the property that would direct over 75% of the development’s traffic to University Parkway, according to a traffic study. The remaining traffic would go to Fruitville Road. Lakewood Ranch also plans to provide water and sewer infrastructure for the community. Please follow the jump for more on this story: LWR Expansion

UNEXPECTED SPILLS

On Aug. 26, a utility pipe burst in a Sarasota neighborhood, releasing approximately 340,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into the city’s storm drainage system. 

Less than a week later, on Sept. 1, a city manhole collapsed, allowing about 48,000 gallons of wastewater to spill into the same drainage canal. While city officials say they limited environmental damage from the incidents, they served as a reminder of a troubling history of wastewater spills in the area and the vulnerability of aging utility networks. Improvements have been made over the past few years and more are planned. Sarasota is renewing or replacing aging sewer and water infrastructure under a program approved in 2019, when the City Commission passed a $298.5 million utilities master plan, listing 136 utility improvement projects set for completion over 11 years. City employees are gradually working through the plan. Sarasota Utilities Director Bill Riebe said that doesn’t mean the potential for problems is gone. “Everybody thinks that as soon as you approve a plan, everything’s fixed, right?” Riebe said. In reality, these plans take time and money to complete, he said. Sometimes infrastructure fails unexpectedly. The pipe that ruptured on Aug. 26 wasn’t included for upgrading in the utilities master plan. It’s only about 45 years old – middle-aged in pipeline years. City staff are evaluating what needs to be done to the pipe. Spills aren’t a new problem for Sarasota — or many other Florida utilities, for that matter. For much of the last 20 years, the city – and Sarasota County – have been dealing with spills that could get them in trouble with environmental regulators. They then have had to implement expensive solutions, which cost utility rate payers. There’s more on this story here: Unexpected Spills

APARTMENT PLAN OK’D FOR FORMER DOG TRACK

Sarasota’s once iconic greyhound track is set to be transformed into an upscale apartment complex, which would add much-needed apartments to the city’s housing stock. The City Commission recently gave initial approval to two ordinances needed for the project to proceed, despite opposition from the nearby Sarasota Bradenton International Airport over the potential for noise complaints from future residents. The board still needs to approve the ordinances again, which is expected in September. Aventon Companies, a real estate development company, plans to demolish the structures on the Sarasota Kennel Club property and build 372 apartment homes – including one-, two- and three-bedrooms. The property will also feature green space, a pool and other amenities. The company’s senior development director, Sean Flanagan, emphasized the need for the housing in a market with some of the highest rents in the country. “I would argue that this project is essential,” he said. “With high rents that have been driven by low availability and high demand, this project will help fill a big void in the market.”

Burk Hedrick, Aventon’s VP of Development, said an opening date is uncertain, depending on when the city approves different elements of the project. The issue before commissioners was whether to amend Sarasota’s growth plan by changing the classification of two parcels to allow for apartments. Rick Piccolo, the president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, opposed changing the category from a commercial designation to residential, telling commissioners it would be “the least compatible use imaginable,” and one that would “likely result in future contentious land issues both for the airport and for the city and creates additional safety concerns.” Please click on the link for more: Apartments Coming To Former Dog Track

ANNA MARIA EYEING REPAIRS

Record-breaking tourism on Anna Maria Island is causing some infrastructure problems, and local officials want to use tourist tax money to fix them. During the public comment portion of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council’s meeting this month, Bradenton Beach mayor John Chappie said Anna Maria Island is not built for the amount of activity it has seen over the last decade. The island’s platted lots were historically built to accommodate about six people at a time, Chappie said. But because of surging tourism that only got stronger months into the COVID-19 pandemic, they can see up to 22 people at once. Tourist tax funds should be used to help pay for things like roads, public safety and lifeguards, he said, and he asked the tourism board to push for it during this year’s legislative session. Florida law is clear on the use of tourist tax funds: They can only be used for publicly owned sports facilities and convention centers, aquariums or museums, zoos, beach maintenance and renourishment, tourism promotions and parks. But some exceptions have been added over the years, and Chappie said he hopes Manatee County will push for it in the Legislature. “I’m not jamming on the tourists at all, that’s a major part of our economy,” Chappie said. “But we can’t go on the way it is right now. We need other sources of funding for these important needs that our communities have. We want our visitors to know they’re safe out here and that we have the infrastructure, but we also need it for our community, our residents, who are a dying breed out here.” There’s more on this story here: Anna Maria Eyeing Repairs

LOCAL RESTAURANTS RANKED ICONIC

Trips to Discover recently published an article titled “12 Most Iconic Restaurants in Florida.” The list of landmark dining destinations from across the Sunshine State includes Yoder’s Restaurant & Amish Village, which opened in 1975 and is located at 3434 Bahia Vista St., in Sarasota’s renowned Amish community Pinecraft. 

“An unassuming dining establishment and a local favorite for many years, hungry patrons come to Yoder’s for their hearty portions of comfort food dishes and made-from-scratch pies,” reads the Trips to Discover article published Aug. 19. “Made from scratch every day, dig into a bite of one of the oversized pie slices of peanut butter, coconut cream and classic Florida Key lime. Trips to Discover also includes the Tampa restaurants Bern’s Steak House and Columbia, with the latter operating other Florida locations such as the one in Sarasota. In fact, the Columbia on St. Armands Circle opened in 1959 and ranks among the oldest restaurants in Sarasota or Manatee counties. It’s also one of my favorite establishments, especially for Cuban sandwiches, with their always-fun sister restaurant Cha Cha Coconuts found next door on St. Armands Circle’s namesake roadway. Click here for more: Local Restaurants Ranked Iconic

THEATRE COMPANY SEEKS FUTURE EVOLUTION

The members of the search committee looking for new leaders for Asolo Repertory Theatre are keeping their minds open about who might be the best candidates for producing artistic director and managing director starting next year. The search firm Management Consultants for the Arts is guiding the committee through the process and suggested at the start that members try not to compare candidates to Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards and Managing Director Linda DiGabriele. “He said you don’t want to look for someone who looks exactly like Michael or Linda. They’re unicorns,” said Larry Haspel, a past chair of the board of directors, who is co-chair of the search committee with Carole Crosby. “You want someone who can take your general vision and advance it over the next 10 to 15 years.” DiGabriele and Edwards announced earlier this year that they would jointly step down next June. Edwards will be leaving after 18 years. DiGabriele will have completed 50 years with Asolo Rep, the last 34 as managing director. DiGabriele grew into her job after serving as director of the theater’s touring programs and as a stage manager. Edwards had previously worked as associate artistic director at Syracuse Stage and artistic director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz and kept busy as a guest director for theaters and opera companies. He had directed one play at Asolo Rep before getting the job, a 2005 production of “The Smell of the Kill.” Haspel said the theater is not looking to make drastic changes to its operations with this transition but is open to the ideas of whoever is chosen for the positions. Click here for more: Asolo Rep Seeks Future Evolution

POPSTROKE PUTTING CHAMPIONSHIP COMING

Tiger Woods is bringing the first-ever PopStroke Tour Championship to the company’s Sarasota location in October. The legendary golfer announced this week on social media that the Sarasota PopStroke, which opened in April, will be the site of the company’s inaugural tour championship, a televised event designed to identify the best putters in the world. The three-day tournament, which will run Oct. 26-28, will feature two separate competitions in four 18-hole rounds. There will be a team championship competition with a maximum of 200 teams (400 people total), and a stroke play individual competition with a maximum of 100 players, according to a press release from PopStroke. It’s open to both amateur and pro players, and registration is open at PopStroke.com/PTC. PopStroke Sarasota is located at 195 University Town Center Drive, east of the Mall at University Town Center. “Putting is the great equalizer in the game of golf,” Woods said. “We look forward to watching the competition unfold with players from all over the globe.” Winners of the tournament won’t just get glory and the possibility of acknowledgement by Tiger; There’s also a cash prize including a $125,000 total purse — a $100,000 purse for the team competition and $25,000 for the individual contest. The team championship winner’s share will be $20,000 and the stroke play champion will get $5,000, PopStroke said. There will be a 50% cut to the field after the second round and the remaining players will complete the third and final rounds. For both competitions, 20% of the field will earn prize money. There’s more to read here: PopStroke Putting Championship

A SEASON OF REMEMBRANCE

With its new season, the Sarasota Orchestra plans to honor the legacy of Music Director Bramwell Tovey, whose sudden death in July came just a few months before he was able to fully take over artistic leadership of the organization. The 69-year-old Tovey, who signed a five-year contract in August 2021, died July 12 after a reoccurrence of a rare form of sarcoma, from which he had been briefly cancer free.

He had already mapped out a season that was to feature him prominently in the orchestra’s Masterworks, Discoveries, Pops and Chamber Soirees series. Those concerts will still feature some of the soloists and rising composers he championed. Because of Tovey’s passing, the orchestra has made some adjustments to the lineup, bringing in extra guest conductors and changing some of the music where necessary but sticking primarily to what he set up. “Bramwell put together a brilliant arc for the season. He really envisioned his first season as a renaissance, bringing people back to the concert hall, post-COVID, even though COVID is still here,” said CEO Joseph McKenna. “A big part of it is to get back to a sense of humanity and the shared experience and doing it through incredible repertoire, fabulous soloists and some wonderful new composers.” There’s more on this story here: Season Of Remembrance

BACKYARD BIRDING

A Sarasota-based electronics company named after a breed of sea turtle has developed an electronic listening device that – when combined with an artificial intelligence database developed by Cornell University – can help transform backyard birders into citizen scientists. David Mann, a former University South Florida professor, his wife Amy Donner and two other scientists developed and have marketed aquatic listening devices – or hydrophones – that record dolphins, manatees and fish along the Suncoast. Mann founded Loggerhead Instruments, Inc. in 2004 to make his underwater recorder and more recently wanted to expand into a consumer product. Mann already had a working relationship with Holger Klinck, director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Cornell has a library of birdsong dating back to the late 1920s, and the lab has been working on an artificial intelligence algorithm that, through an avian version of Name That Tune, could match songs with the birds that make them.

Mann had been fascinated by birds since his youth, growing up in Syracuse, New York. The two men brainstormed, Klinck brought up Cornell’s BirdNET sound ID app, and Loggerhead’s backyard recorder – the Haikubox – was born. “First of all it’s a really great collaboration for us; we’re a university, we’re not set up to develop and market products very well. Our expertise is to provide the tools for a project like that,” Klinck said. The Haikubox is a 4-inch by 6-inch by 2½-inch white box with a microphone and a wireless transmitter, with the ability to transmit the sound it hears into the cloud. Mann chose the name because of nature imagery often present in haiku poems. Donner noted that haikus often show a careful observation of nature and capture a moment in time. “Which essentially is what each Haikubox does,” she added. The homeowner/citizen scientist must plug the box into an outlet and have wireless internet connectivity for the Haikubox to work. It records 24 hours a day. If you’re interested in reading more, then click here: Backyard Birding