The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

 Bring a coat to the LSCG January 16th meeting in Hina Point Park at 3 pm. See the attached map. It will be sunny and brisk, but it's COVID compliant. The park has some seating, but bring a camp chair JIC. Any business is welcome, but our agenda:  Repairs are needed to Hina Park and schedule a work day We also need to find a way to keep the LSCG operating Any news on the development across Bee Ridge Hina Point Park

Virtual Neighborhood Workshop Notice: PLEASE NOTE: The previous Zoom Meeting for July 15, 2020 is Cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience. The New Date is Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 6 pm. This Rezoning/Special Exception will allow for the creation of a mixed-use development consisting of a maximum of 270 multifamily units and 8.87 Acres +/- of PCD commercial uses on four parcels fronting along Bee Ridge Road. The entire project is contained within two PID Nos. 0240100030 and 0240140010. Please visit the following scheduled Zoom Meeting: Topic: Proposed Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment; Rezone Petition/Special Exception for the Enclave at BRPOC, Sarasota, Florida 34231 Time: 6:00 PM (Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting :  [Click link above or type the entire link into your browser] https://zoom.us/j/9336201982?pwd=VHA0dFZ3dVRmNS91UUJQeU1qemdLUT09 Meeting ID: 933 620 1982 Password: 123456 Call-In Number: 1 646 876 9923 T...

NOTE: This meeting has been postponed to Thurs. July 23, 6 pm, on Zoom. A plan for the land behind the Racetrac at Mauna Loa Blvd. - and for four commercial parcels along Bee Ridge - has been submitted to Sarasota County.  See the data below for some detail. It appears that TerraCap, which owns the property, intends to build 270 multi-family apartments - with allowance for more than 500 parking spaces. Additionally four commercial buildings on Bee Ridge Rd. are planned - no uses specified. Lake Sarasota and TerraCap have a Covenant that places limitations on lighting, noise, kinds of businesses that are acceptable.  Use this link to ccess the Covenant . A few residents may have received notice of a Neighborhood Workshop on Wed. July 15 at 6 pm. ONLINE. The Workshop is an opportunity for neighbors to ask questions, express concerns. How will this impact traffic, noise, lighting, and more? More details about accessing the Workshop will be posted o...

Residents of Lake Sarasota and nearby communities are welcome to attend a community meeting this Thursday to discuss what kinds of uses would be welcome, and what uses might be unacceptable in the 83,000 square feet of commercial and possible residential space planned for the land behind and east of the Racetrac at Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge Rd. Below is the latest site plan - the buildings would fit behind the Racetrac, between it and the hotel, retention pond, and wetland area. Some considerations:  Traffic generation: S ee table below showing trip generations for different sorts of uses. Nuisance issues : Excessive noise, light (at night), potential for odor or waste. Compatibility with area: A slaughterhouse would probably be incompatible. What about adult entertainment? Package stores, bars, vape shops? Site Plan 

Commercial Center Planned around Racetrac Thursday, Aug. 22 - 7 pm - there is an important meeting to look at the plan for a commercial center behind and East of the Racetrac at Mauna Loa. Why does this matter? For one thing, whatever is built there will be visible, audible, and potentially smellable for the residents of Lake Sarasota who live along Bee Ridge Road. Also, our community has a  legal Covenant  that gives us some say over what kinds of businesses can be there, and their hours of operation. But if we are not watchful, if we do not participate in the planning process, we could lose that power forever. Come to the meeting in the offices at the rear of Sarasota Alliance Church Thurs. 7 pm. A version of the proposed commercial site Meeting Thursday 8.22.19 7 pm Sarasota Alliance Church -- offices behind church 7221 Bee Ridge Rd. Sarasota, FL 34241 To help understand the issue, here's the County's Zoning Use Table that clarifies what can...

Residents of Lake Sarasota - not all, but a few hundred - have received a letter notifying them of a lawsuit. Apparently someone wishes to develop more than 100 lots between the current western boundary of Lake Sarasota and I-75. Below are comments from NextDoor regarding what it all means: The letter, as people have pointed out, is confusing and difficult to understand. But here's what I've gathered from reading it: There are a bunch of people who own undeveloped wooded lots in Lake Sarasota abutting Route 75. These landowners (of the wooded lots) want to sell their properties to developers. A "Development Review Committee" has already met (on July 19, 2018) and seemingly approved the development of the wooded lots. BUT...residents of Lake Sarasota had created the "1988 Declaration of Restrictions for Lake Sarasota, the 1995 Amendment to the Declaration of Restrictions for Lake Sarasota, and the 1996 Declaration of Restrictions for Lake Sarasota", wh...

TerraCap, the Canadian owner of the property opposite the Mauna Loa entrance to Lake Sarasota on Bee Ridge Rd.,  voluntarily signed a Covenant in 2014  to work with our community with regard to certain business uses it might wish to include on its 7-acre  property. The land lies behind, as well as both west and east of Racetrac. TerraCap recently asked whether the community would accept an automated car wash east of Ractrac on Bee Ridge, and multi-family housing behind the service station - both uses are restricted by the Covenant. The Covenant document is here . Next Thursday, Dec. 6, the community will meet to assess these proposals. A planner working with TerraCap will be present to discuss. Neighbors who live near Bee Ridge might be especially interested in seeing plans and discussing. Where: Meeting rooms behind Sarasota Alliance Church When: Thursday, Dec. 6, 7 pm If you cannot make the meeting but have concerns, share with Keith Russo, LSCG president, at ...

The Lake Sarasota Community Group will hold its quarterly meeting on Thursday Sept. 13, at 7 pm at Sarasota Alliance Church, on the north side of Bee Ridge Rd. across from Chaucer. The meeting rooms are to the rear of the church. The agenda will include: A representative of TerraCap, the Canadian owner of the land north of Bee Ridge at Mauna Loa, will attend. TerraCap has been approached by a number of businesses seeking sites on its property, and one or more of them could present a potential conflict with the  Declaration of Covenant signed by TerraCap in 2014 . That document lists a variety of kinds of businesses that might create a nuisance for residents of Lake Sarasota, especially those who live near Bee Ridge Road. The group might be asked to discuss and offer input on these potential neighbors. There will also be an update on the existing developments now on the site. HealthSouth, for example, could be expanding, and Ridgelake, a new apartment complex with something l...

Lake Sarasota - come out for the July 4 Picnic at Hina Park - where Palau meets Hina Dr. FREE hot dogs and hamburgers on America's Birthday! What could be better than that? Good neighbors. We still have plates and napkins and utensils and condiments left over from Fall Fest. If any of you want to bring a cooler and some drinks, that could round it out. No need for sign-up or anything. 4 - 9 pm

The Spring community garage sale is set for April 7, It will be advertised in the paper. We’re planning another neighborhood yard sale for April 7 at 8 a.m. The neighborhood group will place an ad for the community yard sale, but we won’t hand out maps or otherwise organize the event. Anyone who wants to participate is welcome to. In addition, if you have items to sell but don’t want to hold your own yard sale, you can donate them to be sold to benefit the neighborhood group. Feel free to drop them off anytime at 4032 Westminster Drive. Thank you! FPL update from Keith Russo FPL had a public forum six weeks ago. Power lines need to be connected. Along 75 between Proctor and  Fruitville. 40-80  foot tall power lines. One option would be straight down bee ridge, another goes along Clark, a third along Fruitville Rd. All end near the Hi Hat Ranch, a 10,000-acre area that is going to be developed in the near future. Maps and more detail on the three options are here . We’re go...

This Thursday, March 1: Everyone's welcome to our quarterly meeting in the main building at Alliance Church at 7 pm: 7221 Bee Ridge Rd, north side of Bee Ridge opposite Chaucer. Make your voice heard and meet some neighbors!   The proposed agenda: Community concerns Voting to renew our license Spring community garage sale date Fresh Start FPL Power line placement on Bee Ridge Bus Stop at Allan Place The men of Alliance Church want to know about any needy residents again. Note that the meeting will be in the Main Building.

CONNECT February 2018 The Impact of Neighborhood Relationships Social Disorganization Theory was developed in the 1940s by two criminologists, Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay. The modern theory proposes that crime prevention is significantly impacted by our social networks. A willingness of neighbors to trust one another and to intervene in a problem situation can help balance residents when other factors are tipping the scales. In a June 2007 article written for Old Dominion University's Quest, professors Ruth Triplett and Randy Gainey outlined three causes for the impact: Knowledge of our neighbors gives us the feeling that we have a responsibility to watch out for them. This same knowledge tells us when someone is out of place or something inappropriate is going on. Caring neighbors are more likely to agree upon common problems and work together to solve them. We've recently engaged in multiple conversations about a grassroots desire to form or strengthen neighbor...