The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Letter to the Planning Commission June 11, 2021: Andrew.Stultz@ sarasotaadvisory.net , Colin.Pember@sarasotaadvisory. net , Kevin.Cooper@sarasotaadvisory. net , Laura.Benson@sarasotaadvisory. net , Teresa.Mast@sarasotaadvisory. net , Neil.Rainford@ sarasotaadvisory.net , Drew.Peters@sarasotaadvisory. net , Justin.Taylor@ sarasotaadvisory.net , Frank.Strelec@ sarasotaadvisory.net , The community of Lake Sarasota consists of more than 1,600 homes along and to the south of Bee Ridge Road immediately east of I-75. The Lake Sarasota Community Group has had constructive communications with TerraCap, the developer of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce (BRPOC), since 2013. The developer voluntarily signed a 2014 Covenant by which it committed to certain constraints upon uses to avoid nuisance issues. The original of that Covenant and a newly revised version of it are in your packets for this public review, and a document with both the original Covenant and the developer's proposed revised vers...

The proposed Enclave project comes before the Planning Commission June 17. It could add as many as 270 apartments, more than 700 parking spaces, and several thousand square feet of commercial or office space on North Mauna Loa Blvd. on Bee Ridge Road  The developer is Terracap, based in Toronto. Background: Bee Ridge Park of Commerce (BRPOC) Enclave application This link goes to several maps, images and data points . A 2014 covenant  committed Terracap to willingly refrain from certain uses such as a car wash, package store, or outdoor entertainment that could produce noise or light disturbing to nearby homes. TerraCap has submitted a  revised covenant. This link goes to a document containing the original 2014 Covenant of 2014 followed by a clean copy of the proposed update.  To gauge community response,  please complete this quick survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/ r/LHZGHHC

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.

A summary of the Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting of Sept. 11, 2014. Treasurer’s report - the group has $297 and no debts. It voted unanimously to renew membership in CONA Sarasota . Update on Bee Ridge roadwork : Speed limit remains 35 mph throughout the duration of the project. Police are actively enforcing the limit. Racetrac  has begun work on its gas station at Mauna Loa Blvd. and Bee Ridge Rd. opposite the entrance to Lake Sarasota. The station will have 20 bays and a large store footprint. Racetrac construction TerraCap and the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce : TerraCap requested and received a postponement of its petitioned rezoning for the 50-acre plot at the north side Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge Rd. to allow time to meet with neighborhood representatives who are seeking a legally binding covenant to limit impacts on traffic and nuisance issues (bright lights, noise at night, etc). The rezoning will be heard at the County on Nov. 4. Representatives of resident...

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...

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...

Representatives of the developer of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce say they plan to attend the quarterly meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group this Thursday, June 12. They indicate the possibility of working with Lake Sarasota residents on a neighborhood-friendly Covenant regarding the site and business uses. The meeting begins at 7 pm at Sarasota Alliance Church. The letter from Mr. Peter Dailey reads in part: Thank you for inviting us to your  June 12 th Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting. We have been authorized by our clients (Terracap Management, Inc.) to attend and look forward to sharing meaningful dialog per matters of concern (this is “Notice” we will attend).   As requested, please accept the following outline of matters we are prepared to discuss and those we simply cannot:   We are prepared to discuss the possibility of a “privately initiated” Restrictive Covenant Agreement (to be filed with Sarasota Clerk of Circuit Court) per permitte...

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...

On Thurs. April 3, a request to rezone a portion of the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce from PCD to CN will be heard by the Planning Commission. See here for details . Below are descriptions of what is permitted under each designation. Are there any uses we as nearby residents would prefer not to see across from our front entrance? Have a look, let us know . =========== PCD vs. CN by level of permission (Sarasota Cty Code Appendix 5) Info taken from the Municode for Sarasota County 4.7. - Commercial and Industrial District Intent Statements. 4.7.1. Commercial Neighborhood District (CN). a. The CN District permits small-scale, neighborhood-oriented commercial facilities. Their proper development and use shall be facilitated through design techniques and sufficient buffering (as set out in Article 7 ), which provide for walkable, pedestrian-friendly uses compatible with nearby residential uses. The district is not intended for use by major or large-scale commercial...

The Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting of 3.13.14 took place at Sarasota Alliance Church. Here's a brief summary: 1. Tax Attorney Mary King presented some tips on what to do if you're audited by the IRS, and gave out a copy of each of her books: Resolve IRS Problems , and Protect and Defend . 2. The Board will ask the Treasurer to renew the LSCG's 501(c)3 status and its CONA membership. The Group also noted that the Treasury is running low and some means of replenishing it need to be found. This will be an agenda item for the next meeting, set for June 12th. 3. The Garage Sale is set for March 29th . So far some 35 homes are on the Neighborhood Garage Sale Map . Sandy has asked for volunteer to help distribute the maps on the day of the sale. To get on the map, or to help hand them out anytime between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., contact her at Sarasotadreams@gmail.com. 4.  A letter to the County Commission expressing a desire that the County proceed cautiously wit...

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 ...

The next regular meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group is Thursday, March 14th, 7 pm, Sarasota Alliance Church offices (behind the church). It has been suggested that we in Lake Sarasota identify what we consider as "acceptable kinds of businesses" for the TerraCap development. Why? Because if TerraCap's petition to rezone to CN is approved, a lot of what is now supposed to be medical use can become any of a wide variety of other uses, in some cases needing no approval from the county or the neighboring communities. TerraCap at Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge Rd. Sandy has compiled a very good comparison of potential uses in PCD zoning (the current designation), and those in CN (the designation TerraCap is seeking). (More  here. ) In general, PCD is much broader - e.g., light industrial uses are permitted, so are loud activities such as shooting ranges -- which are not allowed under CN. CN also requires more buffering and landscaping. Gluttons for punishment...