Newsletter149

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST …..

GOLF COURSE KEY TO BAY WATER QUALITY

The former 49-acre Gulf Gate Executive Golf Course could be one of several keys to foster the continued improvement of water quality in Sarasota Bay, or a 106-home subdivision retrofitted inside one of Sarasota County’s first master-planned communities. Environmentalists, water quality proponents and area residents — including members of the Gulf Gate Community Association — can envision the course, laid out on three sections already interspaced between existing homes, as the site of a county project that could both provide additional stormwater cleansing and help alleviate potential flooding. “To get 49 acres in that particular area of the county …. it would be an unbelievable acquisition,” Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Neunder said at the Oct. 24 meeting where the idea of county purchase of the course was discussed. The golf course is the largest available parcel west of Beneva Road and is less than one mile from Sarasota Bay and less than two miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Gate is part of Neunder’s district and he has worked with members of the Gulf Gate Community Association. David Tomasko – the new executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program – said the property offers an opportunity for a large-scale regional stormwater retrofit similar to one established to help clean up Hudson Bayou, and the anticipated impact on stormwater quality that the redevelopment of the Bobby Jones Golf Course in Sarasota should have. The Bobby Jones project is expected to treat water runoff from eight square miles of the Phillippi Creek watershed and take “a couple of tons of nitrogen” out of Sarasota Bay. A pound of nitrogen, Tomasko said, contributes to the growth of 300 pounds of algae. “These large, regional stormwater retrofit projects require open land,” Tomasko said. “The potential in Gulf Gate is you have a big chunk of land and upstream there are older developments that developed before you had stormwater (retention and treatment) rules and regulations.” For more on this story, courtesy of Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Gulf Gate Golf Course Future

MOTE BRIEFS LAWMAKERS ON RED TIDE

Requests for help in obtaining state funding for transportation, infrastructure and water quality projects and clarification of a new affordable housing law highlighted presentations to the area’s state lawmakers recently. But the most intriguing request made to the members of the area’s state legislative delegation came from Michael Crosby, president & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, involving the ability to eradicate red tide. Crosby told the lawmakers that now, in the fifth year of the“Red Tide Mitigation Technology Development Initiative,” more than a dozen compounds have been identified “that we know can decrease the impacts of red tide here in this environment.” The six-year program is a partnership between Mote and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, funded with $18 million from legislation is sponsored by two of the delegation’s members. “We’re transitioning now to deployment technologies,” Crosby added. Testing of suitable substances to treat red tide at Mote’s Florida Red Tide Mitigation & Technology Development Facility were conducted in three tiers: first in a laboratory setting; second in large “mesocosms” containing thousands of gallons of water; and finally in an open system. So far, Crosby told the four legislators, the third tier has been “very, very small, next-to-the-dock kind of tests” that have shown positive results. As the scientific process continues, Crosby said the next key is streamlining the bureaucratic process that would otherwise lead to state and federal permits being issued weeks after an outbreak has been detected, with the red tide bloom growing by the hour. “You can’t wait weeks to get a permit to deploy at this site when an hour later, red tide is miles down the coast,” he added. Mote is already talking with state and federal regulatory agencies that would allow the creation of what Crosby called “a priori approvals,” “and then have the state have the ability for the governor to then say, ‘This an environmental emergency, therefore we’re enacting a priori approvals’ and deployment can be made.” Crosby later said Mote is having ongoing, positive discussions with the agencies, but the challenge of coordination between so many federal and state agencies is still significant as this has never been done before for this purpose. To read more, please click here: Mote Talks Red Tide Treatments

SARASOTA CELEBRATES WATER PLANT UPGRADE

Sarasota County marked the completion recently of Phase 2 of the $52 Million rehabilitation of the Carlton Water Treatment Facility, at the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve off of Border Road near Venice. The facility, which uses a process called electrodialysis reversal to transform groundwater pulled from wells at the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve into drinking water, opened in the mid-1990s. The rehabilitation process began in the mid-2010s, as the 10 electrodialysis reversal units were nearing the end of their useful life. The two-phased approach allowed the continued operation of the plant throughout the process. Phase 1 was completed in June 2021. Phase 2 began the following September and was completed in October. The treatment process removes minerals and salt from brackish water drawn from wells that tap the intermediate Floridan Aquifer and treats it to be indistinguishable in taste to the surface water supplied by the Peace River Manasota Water Supply Authority. That’s important because the Peace River water is mixed with water from the Carlton planet and distributed to Sarasota County customers. Public Utilities Director Mike Mylett said that the electrodialysis reversal process is the perfect method to create potable water from the T. Mabry Carlton wells – something that was confirmed in 2012, when the plant needed to be refurbished. Electrodialysis reversal, or ER, requires lower pressure than traditional reverse-osmosis desalination. Positive and negative electricity is used to help pull salt and minerals from the water through the membranes to create two parallel streams – fresh and salty. About 82% of the water processed is drinkable, with the fluid in the other stream pumped into a deep injection well for disposal in the lower aquifer.

The Sarasota plant is the largest of its type in the United States and second-largest in the world. Traditional reverse-osmosis plants, such as the one used by the city of Venice, use more power to create higher pressure to pump brackish water through cleansing membranes that strip away the salts and minerals. Please click here for more: Water Plant Upgrade

BUSINESSES TACKLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the area’s largest philanthropic organizations came together with members of the business community recently to present ideas on ways to solve a growing problem in the region – the lack of affordable housing. “There have been so many conversations over the years about affordable housing,” said Kirsten Russell, vice president of community impact for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Russell said businesses have a big stake in creating solutions. “It’s important to all of us. No matter what we do … We have to have employees, we have to have workforce housing, we need affordable places for people to live,” she said. “Without people living here, we don’t have a vibrant community.” Each group made a short presentation to about 250 people in the auditorium at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. “Bringing everyone together to collaboratively work toward a solution, there are tons of possibilities,” Russell said.

Heather Kasten, CEO of the Sarasota Chamber, showed results of two recent surveys. In one poll, 73% of local businesses said the lack of affordable housing has affected their ability to recruit and retain workers. The chamber also polled people who have applied for jobs in the area. The survey found 1,500 workers had turned down job offers here because of the cost of housing. And of young professionals already working here, more than half have thought about leaving the area because of the high cost of housing. According to the Florida Housing Coalition, affordable housing is defined as housing that costs no more than 30% of a household’s gross income. For a single person making $35,000 a year, that would mean if they spend more than $10,500 a year – that’s $875 a month – on housing costs, they are considered “cost-burdened.” More than 2.4 million low-income Florida households are in this category, the coalition says, making it nearly impossible to save for retirement or emergencies and difficult to afford other basic necessities like food and childcare. There’s more on this story here: Businesses Talk Affordable Housing

CITIZEN’S INSURANCE BUYOUTS RESCINDED

Finally, some Florida homeowners experienced the joy of getting a lower rate and getting out of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance. But then, they found out that the offer was too good to be true. If you’re with Citizens, and another company gives you an offer that’s within 20% of your premium, you’ll be kicked out of Citizens. But some Citizens customers are getting offers way below their current premium. Private insurance companies can make you an offer, then, take it back.

This can happen again, and again, creating chaos and confusion for Citizens customers. Tim Cerio is the CEO of Citizens Property Insurance. “We hit 1.412 million policies in Citizens,” he said. Last month, Florida senators got an update from Ceriio. He said Citizens has taken on too many policies. Now, the focus is de-population: Getting people out of Citizens. Why? Well, fewer policies means less exposure for all of us. If the state-backed carrier can’t pay out claims, all Florida taxpayers would be on the hook. “There are frankly some very good policies in Citizens that could be attractive to the private market for a takeout,” Cerio said.

Five different private insurance companies want Citizens customers. For the October takeout, state regulators said they could take up to 184,000 policies. Soon, Citizens customers started getting offers in the mail. Robert Norberg, an Insurance Broker, said it wasn’t all bad. “In many cases the rate was lower than the actual Citizens rate,” Norberg said. “So therefore they felt, okay great! Let’s take that new company.” Then, the new company took it back. Norberg says at least a dozen homeowners he reps got a letter withdrawing that great offer. 8 On Your Side confirmed it happened more than 25,000 times in October. “It is very confusing when the letter comes,” Norberg said. “Of course they were upset, they were like how can they do this to me?” A Citizens spokesman says a company can make you an offer, then take it back. If that happens, you’ll automatically stick with Citizens. But the question is for how long? “There will be more assumptions coming out of Citizens,” Norberg said. “They’re right back in the pool. So they will likely get another assumption offer, and it may not be lower than Citizens this time.” Please follow the jump for more on this story, courtesy of Tampa Bay’s 8 On Your Side: Citizen’s Insurance Buyouts Rescinded

DEVELOPER DENIED AIR RIGHTS FOR CONDO TOWER

ASarasota County circuit judge has ruled that a luxury condo developer cannot buy the “air rights” in a Sarasota bayfront development, which will send the long-planned high-rise project back to the drawing board, unless the ruling is overturned on appeal. Representatives for Quay 1 and 9 LLC, the development company behind One Park Sarasota, said recently they have been working on an alternative development plan that would result in two buildings on the property instead of the one that had been planned if the judge’s ruling did not favor them. “When revealed, these iconic communities will underscore our commitment to re-defining luxury living on the west coast of Florida,” said Kevin Maloney of Property Markets Group, the lead developer of One Park. “Updated building plans will be released in 2023 and our team is looking forward to presenting the project to the city of Sarasota for administrative approval early in 2024.” “We will offer current One Park buyers the first opportunity to be part of our two new, iconic communities before sales open to the public.” While exact details about the developers plans are not available, documents prepared by the developer for an earlier city review meeting stated a two-building project would be taller and more dense. Development rights on the two-acre property allow for 300 condo units on one block and a 175-unit hotel in the other block, according to the documents. One Park Sarasota — first announced in late 2021 — had proposed an 123-unit luxury condominium overlooking The Bay Park along U.S. 41 in downtown Sarasota. The 18-story condo building plan capitalized on the strong real estate market coming out of the COVID pandemic to sign up prospective buyers for about 60% of the units. However, to build the project as planned, the developers proposed joining two blocks in The Quay by constructing part of the condo tower over the main spine road in the bayfront development, sparking opposition. There’s more on this story here: Condo Developer Denied Air Rights

210-ROOM HOTEL PROPOSED FOR SIESTA KEY

A battle over a more than three-decade-old growth policy could soon erupt again on Siesta Key as hotel developers seek to reverse two years of courtroom legal victories by Siesta Key advocates. Benderson Development, one of the largest development companies in the region, presented plans to develop a hotel on Siesta Key with a proposal that could see 210 rooms built in Siesta Key Village on 1.4 acres of property. The parcels proposed for development would be along Ocean Boulevard and Calle Menorca across the road from the Siesta Key Oyster Bar.

Protections adopted by Sarasota County officials in 1989 stand in the way after a Siesta Key resident sued Sarasota County for violating its growth policies when approving two hotels in 2021. Recently, Sarasota County commissioners dropped an appeal of one legal victory and decided not to appeal a recent circuit court decision that found the previous hotel approvals violated the county’s growth plan.

The growth policy at issue effectively freezes development on the popular barrier island to what was allowed in 1989, according to court rulings. Benderson’s proposal is just one of three that seek a workaround. A second proposal would see the construction of a 110-unit hotel on about 2.15 acres of property on Midnight Pass Road. Dave Balot, the property owner, has proposed doubling the allowable hotel density from 26 units per acre to 52 units per acre. A third request involves a second Siesta Key Village hotel. This project, a 170-room hotel on Calle Miramar and Ocean Boulevard, received approval in late 2021, but the approval was challenged by Siesta Key resident Lourdes Ramirez. Another hotel proposed by Gary Kompothecras, also known as “Dr. Gary,” near the south bridge on Siesta Key has not submitted a proposal yet. County staff have received the three proposals, but a date for when they will be discussed at a County Commission meeting has not been set. Ramirez said she would continue to oppose any change that waters down Siesta Key’s protections. She also sees key differences in this fight compared to two years ago, which she hopes will resonate with county commissioners. Please click here for more: Siesta Key Hotel Battle Continues

PICKLEBALL COURTS MAKE DEBUT AT PUBLIC BEACH

Six new dedicated pickleball courts are now operating at the Siesta Key public beach. They sit alongside two existing tennis courts that will serve as tennis-only courts. The pickleball courts were made a reality by converting two other existing tennis courts, including the installation of new markings designed for pickleball play. All the courts were also repaired and resurfaced. Work began Sept. 18 and was completed Oct. 10. The project, conducted by Sarasota County, also included the installation of new fencing and additional gates. Court repairs and resurfacing cost $42,368 and the fencing and additional gates cost $21,802, the county reported.

“They feel worthy of being located close to the No. 1 beach,” Jann Webster, a Siesta Key resident who advocated for the new pickleball courts, said. “It’s great for Siesta Key pickleballers to stay on the Key instead of traveling off the Key to play – so, an added benefit is reducing traffic congestion on the bridges.” Webster thanked fellow Siesta Key resident Ken Scoggins for leading a grassroots effort in working with the county. “We all thank him for his determination on and off the court,” Webster said of Scoggins, who is also an administrator for a Facebook page entitled Siesta Key Pickleball that discusses life on the new courts. Please click on the link for more, courtesy of Siesta Sand: Pickleball Courts at Siesta

RINGLING COLLEGE NAMED TOP SCHOOL IN WORLD

Ringling College of Art and Design was ranked the top school worldwide for motion graphics, according to a recent global ranking released by The Rookies. The private art college at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Old Bradenton Road in north Sarasota, is home to about 1,700 students and 13 degree programs, including motion design. The Rookies is an Australia-based organization that releases yearly rankings and awards recognizing up-and-coming young art professionals worldwide. It works with industry professionals to evaluate submissions based on “criteria that encompass creative skills, technical proficiency, presentation quality, diversity of skills, project complexity, raw talent, and employment potential,” according to the group. Ringling College motion design students have won The Rookie’s “Rookie of the Year” award three of the last four years. The college was also ranked fourth in a list of the top creative schools in the world, and second in the U.S. behind Savannah College of Art and Design.

“At Ringling College of Art and Design, we consider The Rookies Global School Rankings a premier ranking leader in the digital arts,” said Jason Good, Ringling College’s vice president for enrollment management and marketing. “We love partnering with an organization that builds up young creatives, prioritizes professional outcomes, and bases evaluations on the quality of student work.”

There’s more on this story here: Ringling College Top In The World

BLOWBACK AGAINST DOWNTOWN CIGAR LOUNGE

To assign just one word describing the Corona Cigar Co. has proven a tough task.

Functionally, the downtown lounge at 22 N. Lemon Ave. is close to a bar, but that doesn’t quite cut it: Corona Cigar specializes in high-end cigars and top-shelf whiskey, complete with a VIP area and a modest dress code. And per city language, Corona Cigar’s full liquor license classifies it as a nightclub. But one look at owner Jeff Borysciewicz’s business, he said, and it’s clear the place is definitely not one.

“There’s no dancefloor, there’s no disco ball, there’s no DJ,” Borysciewicz said. “We’re in a category that’s not true to what we are.” The gray area Corona Cigar occupies has caused confusion among residents and businesses. Its approval from the city and the lingering debate surrounding its operations represent the identity crisis in Sarasota’s downtown core — one that calls the city’s roots as an elegant arts and culture hub into question. At the center of the debate is the lounge’s outdoor seating, which is permitted only for businesses classified as sidewalk cafes. It’s another label Borysciewicz said Corona Cigar doesn’t fit but had to adopt anyway. He submitted a menu offering a charcuterie board and light bites to secure the café designation, which the city approved in September. The lengthy approval process — which spanned almost two years from the business submitting its initial site plan — left permits and documents in limbo and saw the business jump through superfluous hoops to open, he said. “You guys have a criteria here that’s impossible to satisfy,” Borysciewicz said. “That’s not normal procedure for businesses to get held up that long.” Borysciewicz isn’t the only one with frustrations: Corona Cigar’s opponents argue the business’ seating approval, which fosters outdoor smoking that may cause adverse health effects, never should have happened in the first place. Click here for more: Downtown Cigar Lounge

NEARLY 4,300 SEA TURTLE NESTS RECORDED

The Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium reported another banner sea turtle nesting season for the 35-mile stretch of the Gulf coast from Longboat Key south, including the largest number of green turtle nests ever documented in Venice. The recently concluded nesting season saw a total of 4,284 turtle nests recorded, including 4,091 loggerhead nests and 193 green turtle nests. Venice had a total of seven green turtle nests, as did Siesta Key. Longboat Key had 12, while 167 green turtle nests were found on Casey Key. The overall total compares favorably with the current record of 5,112 nests recorded in 2019. Even though Hurricane Idalia in late August impacted beaches toward the end of the season, its effect on nesting was low, with 75% of nests completing their incubation prior to the storm’s arrival. “This year’s total marked the fifth highest overall since our program began 42 years ago,” Mote Senior Biologist and Conservation Manager Melissa Macksey said in a prepared statement. “Over decades, we have learned and are still learning a great deal about the nesting behaviors of sea turtles individually and at the population level, impacts of human activity and animal predators, sea turtle population trends, and more.” Macksey noted that in particular, green sea turtle nesting numbers have dramatically increased in the last decade. At night, the sea turtle staff have expanded tagging of nesting sea turtles to three beaches in Sarasota County: Siesta Key, Casey Key, and Venice. The success of recent nesting seasons could be a result of the long-standing program and local engagement, giving the next generation of sea turtles a better chance. Please click here for more: 4,300 Sea Turtle Nests Recorded

‘HAMILTON’ SINGLE-TICKET SALES ANNOUNCED

Sarasota audiences have their next shot to get seats for the hit musical “Hamilton” in Sarasota, when single tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Nov. 16 for performances at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall beginning March 26. Those signed up for the hall’s free E-Club can get a jump start and buy tickets beginning Nov. 13. Tickets for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s multi-award-winning musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton have been available so far only through subscriptions for the hall’s 2023-24 Broadway series. The musical, based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Hamilton, is directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler. It won 11 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. Van Wezel Executive Director Mary Bensel said she is “anticipating a huge number of people calling in the beginning days” of single ticket sales. “We’ve been getting at least 8 or 10 people a day asking us when they were going on sale. We’ve never seen this kind of response at the box office from people wanting tickets.” But unlike in some cities in past years, Bensel doesn’t expect the Sarasota sales to overwhelm box office systems. “I expect everybody who wants a ticket will be able to get a ticket in the first week,” she said. “Keep in mind we did not get ‘Hamilton’ in the first round of cities. It has played Tampa more than once. This is not like the first round of tickets where people were so overwhelmed that they crashed the internet and the box offices went down.” Still, she anticipates strong sales. Even after subscription sales, which were mostly focused in the first week of the two-week run, Bensel said “there will be a good number of seats available.” But she recommends buying them soon. “We only have two weeks and if people want tickets they should get them now because we don’t anticipate tickets being available by the time the show opens,” Bensel said. There’s more to read here: ‘Hamilton’ Tickets

ASOLO REP OPENS WITH ‘CRAZY FOR YOU’

Daniel Plimpton and Sara Esty sound like a couple of kids caught living out their dreams and fantasies as they talk about their leading roles in “Crazy for You,” a musical brimming with George and Ira Gershwin songs that opens a new season at Asolo Repertory Theatre. Plimpton, a veteran of “The Book of Mormon” and “White Christmas” on Broadway, plays Bobby Child, the son of a wealthy New York banking family who just wants to be a song and dance man, despite the objections of his domineering mother. Esty, a former soloist with the Miami City Ballet who had leading roles in “An American in Paris” and as the final Meg Giry in “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, plays Polly Baker, a strong-willed woman trying to save her father’s struggling theater in the quiet rural town of Deadrock, Nevada. The two meet when Bobby is sent to foreclose on the theater, and he comes up with a show business way to save the place – he’s going to put on a show. “This role feels like a right of passage for a song and dance man,” said Plimpton, who makes his Asolo Rep debut with the production. ‘I’ve always loved tap dancing, and this has tap dancing. I get to fall in love, I get to imitate a Hungarian man and I get to fail so hard at so many things. It’s so appealing to me to get to try everything.” Both get a chance to dance a variety of styles in the production directed and choreographed by Denis Jones, who previously choreographed the Frank Loesser review “Luck Be a Lady” at Asolo Rep. He also choreographed the Broadway musical “Holiday Inn” and countless other productions around the country. There’s more on this story here: Asolo Rep ‘Crazy For You’

SARASOTA BALLET OFFERS TRIPLE BILL ABOUT WAR

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was well underway when The Sarasota Ballet last year presented Frederick Ashton’s “Dante Sonata,” a World War II-era ballet depicting the struggle between the forces of good and evil. The audience’s powerful reaction convinced Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb to bring back the ballet for the second program of the current season, “Conflicted Beauty,” along with Paul Taylor’s “Company B” and the company premiere of Edwaard Liang’s “The Art of War.”

“It was… a poignant and stark reminder of how unfortunately relevant the fear, brutality and uncertainty of global conflict still is,” Webb says. Little could he have imagined how even more pertinent the three ballets he selected for the Nov. 17-18 triple bill at the Sarasota Opera House – all of which examine aspects of war’s chaos, conflict and duality – would become in light of the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. The angst of present-day hostilities is not likely to be far from the minds of audience members. “I definitely wondered if Iain had a crystal ball,” says Liang, artistic director of Ballet Met since 2013, who announced in October he would take the same position at Washington Ballet next year. “This program is so timely and topical and relevant.” “The Art of War” is the only piece on the program not previously seen in Sarasota. The title is drawn from the ancient book about military tactics and skills attributed to the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu that has found a myriad of non-military applications across the modern world of culture, politics, sports and business. Liang, who grew up in Taiwan with parents who both were college professors and from military families, says it is a book his late father, an intense but emotionally reserved man, quoted from often during his childhood. The company’s versatility will be further showcased in “Dante Sonata,” a barefoot ballet with dark, surreal imagery drawn from the first book of Dante Alighieri’s ”The Divine Comedy” and “Company B,” set to the‘40s music of The Andrews Sisters, in which couples performing popular dances of the day like jitterbug and the lindy hop starkly contrast with shadowy figures falling in battle. Please click on the link for more: Sarasota Ballet Triple Bill