The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at pubcom @scgov.net.     Proctor, Wilkinson community cleanup scheduled for  June 7 Sarasota County will hold its annual free community cleanup for Proctor and Wilkinson area residences  Saturday, June 7 . Public meetings scheduled to review Sarasota 2050 process The meetings will take place in June and July for those interested in learning more about proposed changes.    'World No Tobacco Day' is  May 31 In honor of "World No Tobacco Day" on  May 31 , Sarasota County's Tobacco Free Partnership is commemorating the important progress made in the fight against tobacco while also shedding light on the latest facts released this year about tobacco use and its deadly consequences.   County extends beach lifeguard hours Sarasota County's Beach Lifeguard operational hours will be extended on

Sarasota County approved a construction contract for Bee Ridge Road on Tuesday May 20th. Work should begin between 45 and 60 days from that date. It's not yet determined where on Bee Ridge the work will start. Here's the latest we have on the plans. ADOPTED/APPROVED      57. PUBLIC WORKS A. Public hearing to consider a proposed Resolution, Budget Amendment No. B2014-037, amending the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget to appropriate funding to Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project No. 75830 - Bee Ridge Road East, for the improvements associated with Bee Ridge Road from Mauna Loa Boulevard to Iona Road, in the amount of $375,333.00; B. (Not a public hearing.) The Board considered a proposed Contract with Westra Construction Corporation, for construction of the Bee Ridge Road Improvements (from Mauna Loa Boulevard to Iona Road), in the amount of $22,019,093.83; C. (Not a public hearing.) The Board considered a proposed Contract with CDM Smith,

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at pubcom @scgov.net.     Memorial Day closings and events America's veterans, past and present, as well as first responders, will be honored by thousands of Sarasota County residents on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26 , at parades and ceremonies in Sarasota and Venice. Most Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, recreation centers, chemical collection centers and the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County, will be closed in observance of the holiday.   Top-ranked county website changes Sarasota County's website now has  "one-click" access to information for community members to ask questions, make requests and provide comments about the county, its services and programs. Ready or not, here it comes! Prepare yourself for hurricane season during a meeting with local county and emer

A good disaster preparedness plan provides a margin of safety protecting you, your family and your neighbors. Having a disaster plan improves your communities’ ability to recover. County Preparedness Info here . Shelter locations . Evacuation map .

The Sarasota County Commission Wednesday voted to continue the rezoning petition brought by the developers of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce. The Commission voted unanimously (5-0) to postpone consideration of the proposed plan for the BRPOC , situated opposite the entrance to Lake Sarasota at Mauna Loa Blvd. and Bee Ridge Rd. The Commissioners cited several reasons for not approving the petition:  For one thing, the proposal for an 77,000-square-foot building lacked clear definition of how it would be used. "You could do something more imaginative and appealing," said Commission Nora Patterson, adding that with some creative work, it could prove to be a community asset. For another, the request for an extra median cut in North Mauna Loa Blvd. opposite the planned Racetrac Gas Station raised public safety concerns because of its proximity to the signal at Bee Ridge and Mauna Loa Blvd. A third issue mentioned by three of the five Commissioners was that the developer,

Ted sends along the April crime report: The April 2014 Sheriff's Dept. crime report shows a sharp increase in criminal activity compared to previous months. I've been afraid that something like this would happen. There were a total of 13 incidents in April, compared to five or less over previous months. There were two acts of vandalism, five burglaries, and six thefts (auto and building). The two acts of vandalism occurred at 4129 Wake (Sat. Apr. 19, reported 9:54 p.m.) and 6809 Jarvis Road (Tues. Apr. 29, reported 5:33 p.m.). Four burglaries occurred Wed. Apr. 9 at the following addresses: 7226 Rangi (reported 2:49 p.m.), 4222 Palau (reported 4:34 p.m.), 3957 Palau (reported 5:09 p.m.), and 4085 Hina (reported 7:00 p.m.). A fifth burglary occurred Fri. Apr. 18 at 4163 Palau (reported 5:04 p.m.). Two thefts occurred Sun. Apr. 6 at the following addresses: 4006 Hina (reported 12:20 p.m.) and at 4100 Westminster (reported 12:19 p.m.). Tues. Apr. 15 a theft occurred at 4192 L

The public hearing for Rezoning Petition 13-26 is coming up at 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 21 before the County Commissioners at the Administration Building on Ringling Blvd. The petition is to rezone about 8 acres of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce to Commercial Neighborhood. Residents of Lake Sarasota with the support of the Bee Ridge Neighborhoods Committee have attempted to work with the developer, Terracap, and its agents to create a scope of acceptable commercial uses. On April 3, the Planning Commission directed the developer to work with the neighborhoods' concerns, but they have ignored all efforts to communicate and to seek a win/win formula for the new development. More details here and here . If you think neighborhoods have a right to play a role in development that impacts them, you can call or write to the County Commissioners asking for fairness. For example, residents can ask that the Commissioners enter a stipulation that would minimize the prospect of certain

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at pubcom @scgov.net.     County area transit relocates one of six pick-up points for veterans' service On  Monday, May 5 , Sarasota County Area Transit will move one of the six pick-up points it offers for veterans' transportation to Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in Bay Pines and James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa. County planning for redevelopment before disaster strikes  Sarasota County's new Post-disaster Redevelopment Plan proposes best practices for redeveloping the community following a major disaster. Home repair loans available for local low-income residences The Sarasota Office of Housing and Community Development is offering zero-percent deferred loans for home repairs on owner-occupied homes throughout Sarasota County. High school seniors urged to get fr