Newsletter 36
Dear friends,
Our summer weather is here and we’ve got regular rainfall and humidity to prove it. With the rains come the dreaded mosquitoes. They can harvest in our gorgeous bromeliads, whose cups hold water. Bromeliads derive food and nutrients from the cup, not from the roots. The bugs don’t harm the plant, but the still water is a perfect breeding area. You can treat the water in the cups. I chose to buy a battery powered tennis racket that kills them instantly. I’m sure my neighbors have a few laughs at my expense, but at least I’m not getting bitten when I venture out from the sanctuary of my lanai, and I can practice my swing lol.
As an accredited member of the National Home Watch Association (NWHA), we love working with our clients’ beautiful homes and gardens. The greatest compliment we can receive is a referral. We truly appreciate it.
We can help make your dreams come true. Visit our website for more information on our services and how we can help: Suncoast Home Concierge
Here’s some recent Suncoast area news:
A MONSTER TOURISM MONTH IN APRIL: The number of visitors increased by 18.8% compared with 2014, all the more impressive because last April already had been a record-breaker. Direct visitor spending in April grew by 23.3%, as tourists shook off the last vestiges of the Great Recession, according to data released by Visit Sarasota County, the community’s tourism promotions entity. Please click on the link for more on this story, courtesy of our own Sarasota Herald Tribune: Sarasota Tourism Numbers Continue To Grow
ECONOMIST PREDICTIONS FOR FLORIDA: A University of Central Florida economist is predicting that Florida’s economy will grow at an average annual rate of 3.1% during the next four years. Sean Snaith is also saying that growth in the Sunshine State’s work force will average 2% from 2015 to 2018. The economist also predicts the housing market to remain strong. He said housing starts in 2013 and 2014 flattened, with a little more than 80,000 in both years. But he expects that to increase, though “probably not fast enough to meet growing single-family demand in the next several years.” As a result, Snaith said that one sector that will see the strongest average job growth is construction. There’s more on this story here: Growth For Real Estate and Jobs
CITY TO TACKLE TRAFFIC PLAN: Urban planners working on a major overhaul of city zoning rules said that Sarasota should seriously consider alternative transportation modes such as trolleys, commuter rail and water taxis. Future transportation was part of a wide-ranging set of plans in the works by the city’s Urban Design studio. The planners’ ideas, and decisions by the City Commission starting in the next year, could have vast implications for the city in the coming decades. Follow the jump for more on this story: Traffic Plan
WATERFRONT PARK SET FOR $3 MILLION EXPANSION: A popular waterfront park on Longboat Key is poised for a $3 million facelift. Sarasota County commissioners approved a plan to spend up to $2 million to develop a new park on Longboat Key, while also helping to rehab the existing Bayfront Park Recreation Center adjacent to the county’s lot. The town of Longboat Key will chip in another $1.1 million towards the project. Click here for more: Longboat Park Expansion
LIDO BEACH RENOURISHED: Visitors to Lido Beach this summer will find the shoreline more robust than it has been in years. A city project this spring fortified the beach with 200,000 cubic yards of additional sand. The recycled sand, deposited on a 1.8-mile stretch of beach from Lido Pool to Ted Sperling Park, restored losses from Tropical Storm Debby in 2012. The city project was completed before turtle nesting season started in May. Sarasota city staff estimated that the project cost about $3.6 million. Here’s more: Lido Shoreline Expanded
ANNA MARIA WINS ANOTHER ACCOLADE: This tourism magnet in Manatee County received another accolade from TripAdvisor, the online travel booking company. Anna Maria was among three Florida destinations, including St. Petersburg and Sunny Isles Beach near Miami, named as the fastest growing vacation destinations in the country. Meanwhile, Siesta Beach got another shout out, this time from Foursquare, a local search-and-discovery service mobile app, as one of the nation’s best beaches. Click here for more: Anna Maria Accolade
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