Help create a neighborhood-friendly Covenant

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This evening, June 12, is our quarterly Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting. It begins at 7 pm at Sarasota Alliance Church, on the North side of Bee Ridge Rd., opposite Chaucer, in the meeting rooms behind the church.

Here is the Agenda:
  • Discussion of Neighborhood-Friendly Covenant for the development opposite our front entrance with Representatives of TerraCap.
  • Rescuing the existing Lake Sarasota signs at Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge before the road widening begins.
  • Update on the timing of the Bee Ridge Road Widening.
  • Update on Sheriff's report for Lake Sarasota.
Brief background on the first item:

Ever since the residents of Lake Sarasota were surprised to learn about the plan for a supersized Racetrac gas station at Bee Ridge Rd. and Mauna Loa Blvd. in 2012, some of us have tried to keep an eye on plans for "Bee Ridge Park of Commerce" (BRPOC) to avoid further surprises.



In April, we wrote a letter to the developer asking him to work with us on a set of covenants for the BRPOC. We took as our model an agreement entered into by the developer of the Publix Plaza at Bee Ridge Extension. There, the nearby neighborhoods and the developer signed a legally binding agreement (a "Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions" - attached) that addressed all the potential nuisance issues - lighting, noise, hours of operation, signage, traffic, kinds of businesses (no adult bars, shooting ranges, etc.). 

The agents for the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce did not reply to our April letter. Subsequently their plans were frozen by the County Commission, who directed them to work with neighboring communities to create a win/win solution.

We are asking the developers of the BRPOC for the same sort of agreement that the Publix Plaza worked out in 2004. We note that the BRPOC and Racetrac will be a lot closer to our homes than the Publix Plaza is to the gated communities down there.

We believe we have acted in the best interest of our community's quality of life and property values. Not all agree. If you can, show your support for our effort by coming to Thursday's meeting.

In brief: We are not trying to block the developer's plan. We're simply trying to put in place legal limits to negative impacts -- 24 hour trucks and cars, lights, noise, traffic, fumes, stress on our entrance intersection, etc.

Come out and tell us your ideas.

Thank you.

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