The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Several Lake Sarasota residents met with county road managers and zoning and real estate specialists Tuesday to discuss the design, placement, costs, and maintenance of new Mauna Loa entrance signs. The meeting was preliminary. In outline, Lake Sarasota folks indicated that the community would be agreeable to the removal of old walls and signage at Westminster and possibly at Wake (the wall there is apparently on a private easement), if some signage can be placed either at the Aberdeen Roundabout, or at the eastern end of Lake Sarasota to inform drivers coming from the East that they within the precincts of the Lake Sarasota community. Those present from the County agreed in principal to pay for a monument-style sign at Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge Road, so long as Lake Sarasota assumes responsibility for maintenance of it, and to explore what kind of signage might be suitable, and where, for those approaching from the East. Details all remain to be worked out as the planning for the ...

A few sample entrance signs found via a Google search: A - Overlook B - Covered Bridge C - Fields D - Highgate E - Brownsboro There's no assurance any of these will be affordable, feasible, or what we want. But if you did want to express a preference, the poll to the upper right will afford that opportunity for a few days.  

From Ray comes this summons: Good morning fellow workers of Lake Sarasota! Our front entrances (Mauna Loa & Westminster) need some attention! Trimmed, weed whacked, & mulched. Would like to set up a short work detail for this Saturday morning at 9 A.M. We will probably need 30 to 40 bags of mulch. Interested in keeping Lake Sarasota beautiful? Saturday morning some members of the beautification team will be out at the front entrance (Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge) with brand-new mulch and fertilizer purchased with some of our county grant money. So come out at 9 a.m., meet some of the busiest people in Lake Sarasota, and help give your community a nice uplift.

A brief summary of where things are at so far: Because HealthSouth is adding a 20-bed facility that will increase traffic at the intersection at Bee Ridge, an additional left-turn lane is required at the south side of the intersection, adding a third lane to Mauna Loa Blvd. for a left turn onto Bee Ridge. The flagpole will be relocated to the next median -- how this will be paid for remains to be determined. A concrete separator is required for safety. It is expected to be 4" high, and 3-4 feet wide. The separator must have no structures for the first three car lengths. After that, spaces for plantings are possible. It is also possible to consider stamped, colored concrete (to look like brick)  or other pavers for the front end. If there is an interest in further embellishment of our entrance (e.g., walls instead of the signs we have there now), the expense would fall to the neighborhood. The ideal time to do this work would be during the alteration of the traffic lanes. This will...

The next general meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 10. The agenda includes:  Mauna Loa Entrance changes Update on park initiatives Treasury Report Traffic concerns Citizens Patrol Yard of the Month Whatever else needs to be discussed Also, ReHabitat is still working on the home on Samoa and can use volunteers. Sign up here.

As has been mentioned, plans are in the works to reconfigure the intersection of Mauna Loa Blvd. and Bee Ridge Rd. The plan appears to call for the removal of the first median and the creation of a third lane that would be left turn only. Here is a picture of the concept that is being proposed: We'll post more information as it becomes available.

The Lake Sarasota Beautification Committee has bids from two landscapers for the entrances at Mauna Loa and Westminster Blvd. The Committee is authorized to sign a contract, but wished to give the community the opportunity to review the offers and the choice of plants before making a final determination. Note: The plants here are those that would most likely be part of the landscaping regardless of which landscaper is chosen. Golden Aster Diffley and Daughters Dreamscapes, Inc. Dreamscape Installation at the two entrances to Lake Sarasota - Total: $750.00 Westminster Entrance Diffley will take the plants from the Mauna Loa entrance and install them in those beds-balancing out both sides & Installing Pine Bark Mulch. Mauna Loa Entrance Diffley & Daughters will make both beds identical We will precut the decorative beds to emphasize them & Install: 2-Double Foxtail-4 ft. behind the Lake Sarasota signs 4-Dwarf Philodendron 6-Flax Lily 6-Golden Aster 4-Indian Hawthorn Install ...