The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Thursday, June 17, 2021: The Sarasota County Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of TerraCap's proposed mixed-used project on North Mauna Loa Blvd. The Commission is a volunteer board appointed by the Sarasota County Commission. It reviews proposed plans and offers comments before deciding whether to recommend approval or denial of the project, which then goes to the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners for final approval. Planner Brian Lichterman presented an overview of the project, which is called The Enclave at the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce (BRPOC), which will be behind, and to the left and right of the RaceTrac at Bee Ridge Road and Mauna Loa Blvd. Lichterman shared some artistic renderings of what it can look like when completed. Here are three captures: Artistic rendering of commercial and residential buildings seen from the West Aerial view of the Enclave on the right and the area already built out (left) Rendering of The Enclave with Commercial i...

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...

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...

A re-zoning long sought by the owners of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce (BRPOC) was approved Tuesday by the Sarasota County Commission. The approval (changing zoning from PCD -> Commercial Neighborhood) was delayed due to complications of road design as well as concerns from nearby neighborhoods about impacts of the development upon traffic, tranquility, and property values. The owner/developer, the Canadian firm TerraCap, entered into discussions with neighborhood representatives that led to a compromise agreement. A voluntary Declaration or Covenant, it limits the kinds of businesses that can operate in the Park of Commerce, and imposes other constraints upon hours of delivery, lighting, noise and signage. Once signed and recorded, it is legally binding upon the developer. The Commission made the rezoning approval contingent upon the signing and recording of the Declaration. A copy of the final document can be downloaded here . In addition, the developer stipulated that no spa...

The Lake Sarasota Community Group has been working on reaching agreement on a voluntary set of Declarations (a Covenant) by which the developer (and al future owners of the BRPOC property) agrees to abide, regarding permitted uses of the property. A Public Hearing is set for the proposed Re-Zoning of 6.9 acres of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce, directly opposite the main entrance of Lake Sarasota at Mauna Loa Blvd. Rezone petition 13-26 PCD to CN, 6.9 acres and special exception #1720 to allow an individual use greater than 20,000 square feet in a CN zone district. Nov. 4 at 1:30 pm Robert L. Anderson Admin Center, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, FL Stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE: Late this afternoon, the attorney for TerraCap confirmed that the firm, which owns the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce, has asked the County to postpone a rezoning hearing previously set for Sept. 10th. The reason is to allow time to work on a mutually beneficial agreement between TerraCap and the Lake Sarasota. See below for details of the neighborhood's reasons for seeking such an agreement. === At a meeting yesterday with TerraCap and a land-use attorney it has retained, representatives from Lake Sarasota and the Bee Ridge Neighborhood Committee laid out neighborhood concerns related to the prospective development of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce (BRPOC). The meeting was the first with corporate officers for TerraCap , which owns the land. Earlier discussions with its local agents had stalled . Key points of our presentation: - The 50-acre plot of land lies directly opposite the front entrance to Lake Sarasota, at an already difficult intersection that sees frequ...

Members of the Board and other interested residents of Lake Sarasota will meet today with representatives of TerraCap in a final effort to negotiate a neighborhood-friendly agreement addressing the concerns regarding safety, tranquility, and property values. The results will be reported here. === A conversation about a legally binding Covenant between Lake Sarasota residents and agents for TerraCap Mgmt. has not progressed since a June 12 meeting . The community has concerns about traffic, nuisance noise and odors, and damage to property values that could arise from mishandled development of the commercial land opposite the front entrance of the Lake S. community at Mauna Loa Blvd. and Bee Ridge Road. Agents for TerraCap , the Canadian owner of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce who sold the front property to Racetrac, were approached in April about a Covenant, but ignored the Community's overture. After the developer's latest rezoning plan failed to receive County app...

Highlights of the June Quarterly meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group (LSCG): 1. Representatives of TerraCap Mgmt Inc. told the LSCG board and members of the community that they could be open to a "Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions" modeled upon that employed at the Publix Plaza at Bee Ridge Extension. A rough draft of a Declaration for the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce will be drawn up and shared with the Community for comment and feedback before further talks are held. The purpose is to identify legally binding constraints that would protect Lake Sarasota residences from noise, glare, and other potential nuisances, as well as produce an appealing upscale commercial center. 2. Plans were made to rescue the Lake Sarasota signs at the entrance at Mauna Loa. The task proved easier than expected, and the signs are now in safe keeping. The concern was that they might be lost once the Bee Ridge road widening begins. If a child reports that they were stolen, plea...

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 o...

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,...

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 ...

A letter requesting the developer of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce was sent to the developer, TerraCap Management, to its agents, Peter Dailey and Richard M. Fischer, and to several members of the County's planning staff. The letter asks that the BRPOC voluntarily sign a binding agreement, or Covenant , stipulating that they will not allow adult entertainment, shooting ranges, or other uses that could degrade or otherwise harm the property values and / or relative tranquility long enjoyed by residents of Lake Sarasota and other communities along the Bee Ridge Corridor. The uses identified as objectionable were determined through neighborhood polls. A copy of the letter is here , or here . If neither link works for you, you can request a copy by writing to LakeSarasota@gmail.com. The developers are seeking Sarasota County's approval to rezone a portion of their 40-acre site to Commercial Neighborhood. They come before the Board of County Commissioners at a hearing on May ...

The Sarasota County Planning Commission voted 6-1 to forward the re-zoning petition for the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce to the County Commission. That is, the Planning Commissioners, after about an hour of probing discussion and remarks from nearby neighborhoods, agreed to give Mr. Peter Dailey and Richard Fischer the right to convert 6.9 acres of the Park of Commerce -- adjacent to the north and east of the Racetrac parcel - to Commercial Neighborhood. In a separate ruling, they allowed the agents to expand from CN's usual limit of 20,000 square feet to 37,000 square feet for one building, without committing to specific uses for it, or for two other parcels. In return, Dailey and Fischer on behalf of TerraCap agreed to honor a 50' setback buffer along Bee Ridge Rd. The CN designation does not require that large a buffer, but it was already built into the plan and will remain intact. Commissioner John Burrus cast the only dissenting vote, stating that the absence of specif...

The Planning Commission will review TerraCap and Peter Dailey's request to rezone the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce from PCD to CN, and to create a right-in/right-out turn on Bee Ridge so cars heading West can enter 460 feet East of the Mauna Loa intersection.

The agent for the Canadian owner/developer of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce -- the site opposite the entrance to Lake Sarasota -- offered a more detailed, pared-down version of a plan he presented in February . The plan now calls for creating a 77,400-square-foot commercial building and two restaurants on land on the north and east sides of the site designated for a Racetrac gas station. The presentation by Peter Dailey contained a few surprises, and was somewhat different from what appeared on earlier paperwork submitted to the county planning department. This is a summary of key items. A longer analysis will come later. 1. The petition seeks permission to build a single commercial building about 77,400 square feet in size. Earlier, the developer had wanted two separate buildings. The single structure now proposed would have one floor, eliminating a second-story residential floor sought in earlier stages of the plan. 2. The developer seeks to raise a limit to 33,700 square f...

UPDATE OF THE UPDATE: This meeting has been rescheduled for Dec. 16th, 6 pm, Sarasota Alliance Church. [Former UPDATE: This meeting has been postponed by the developer's agent, citing "an advertising glitch." They are seeking to reschedule for mid-December - stay tuned.] A second Neighborhood Workshop focusing on a request to rezone a portion of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce (the land for which the Racetrac and other businesses are planned) has been scheduled. It is to be held Monday, Nov. 25th at 6 pn at Sarasota Alliance Church -- the same building where we hold our quarterly Lake Sarasota Community Group meetings. A previous meeting with Peter M. Dailey, representative of TerraCap, owner of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce, was held on Feb. 20th, 2013, and was  reported here.   Video here. This new proposal is similar -- a request to rezone a portion of the property, some 8.8 acres, to Commercial Neighborhood from PCD. No explanation for why this is sought has ...