The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

The January 16th Brainstorming Meeting (of the Lake Sarasota Community Group) produced some doable project ideas. Folks also clarified what purpose any such project is about. It's really about contributing in any way we can to the 1,600-home community we call home. Here's the thinking: If you own or rent a house here, then Lake Sarasota matters to you. If bad things happen, chances are the value of your property will sink. If good things happen -- because people care -- the value of the neighborhood will rise, not just in Realtors' eyes, but in the eyes of all of us. Here are the ideas that came up at our January Brainstorming meeting. The one we have committed to putting into action is the March Neighborhood Garage Sale. The rest will depend upon support from you -- not necessarily money, but a bit of your time and energy. UPDATE: Take a moment after reading this to use the POLL at the right tell us which one or two projects matter most to you. It will be open fo...

The BMX track built by some neighborhood boys over the summer has been flattened. It was on Jarvis St. next to the home of one of the boys, and had been getting lots of use by some 15 or more BMXers. A recent picture of how it looked (click to enlarge): Here's how it looks today: Demetra McBride, a forester with the county, had explained in an email (click here for full text) why the county looked on the track in an unfavorable light. However, to the best of our knowledge, notification of the county's intention to raze the track this week was not communicated to members of the Lake Sarasota Community Group. Ms. McBride did say in an addendum to her email: I spoke with Mrs. ___ about inviting her son Michael to be a "neighborhood spokesperson" when we open the community conversation on this project. From his work, it appears that he is motivated, organized and a good youth ambassador. As this potential project is intended to serve that demographic, we feel it is impo...

Regarding the BMX project undertaken by some neighborhood residents , here is an email from Demetra McBride, a Natural Resources Manager for Sarasota County: I spoke with Mrs. _____ (the owner of property adjacent to the BMX track) on Monday, early evening. The creation of that track has disrupted and damaged root systems of trees in that corridor. In addition, the use of the area for that purpose has created grade variations that could form trip hazards for people unaware it is there (especially in the dark). The fact is, this is County property, and any conversion or alternate use of it should have been cleared with the County and properly vetted and permitted. I am looking into the possibility of finding a location that is more suited for this purpose. Also, please note that this is a transportation corridor, not a parks property, and the expectation is that this will be the site of a project that is a "learning transportation corridor" for youth. This site seems idea...

Tuesday night's general meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group covered a lot of ground. Here are the highlights: Our Treasurer was not present, but we assume we have much the same as was reported in July in our account: $1364. Ted is seeking volunteers for future Citizen Patrols . He also provided this analysis of the Sheriff's July crime report: There were a total of 13 incidents, down from 20 in June. There was one burglary, seven thefts, and five juvenile disturbances. There were no instances of vandalism. Most incidents occurred in mid-month. from the 14th through the 23rd. Most incidents occurred between 4 p.m. and Midnight. The incidents were evenly distributed through the week, with more incidents occurring between 10 p.m. and Midnight. Vana had three incidents. Palau and Samoa Drives both experienced two incidents. The following streets had one incident each: Brentford, Berkshire, Eton, Friendship, Mauna Loa, and Molokai. From the data, it looks like w...

The Community Group meets this evening and should hear updates on several initiatives, including the Lakeview sump pump installation, the business directory, the yard sale (this Saturday, April 18th), and more. "More may include discussion of the Mauna Loa Walkway - if you have an opinion, come and voice it. Lake Sarasota Baptist, 7 p.m., Room 100.

Lakeview Park CleanUp - April 4, 8 am at the Pavilion in Lakeview Park Mauna Loa to Hand Rd.: Road or Walk? Next Regular Meeting: April 14, 7 pm, Sarasota Baptist, Rm. 100. Lake Sarasota Community-Wide Garage Sale : Saturday, April 18th, 8 am - 1 pm

A while back some people from the county looked at the space between Mauna Loa Boulevard and Hand Road -- it's a sidewalk with a wooded area, mainly, with a crossing on Jarvis -- and suggested it might be possible to create a kids' walk that would offer a safer, "greener" walkway, and possibly fun-use and educative environment for the many Lake Sarasota kids and parents who use that route to get to Lakeview Elementary, or to the park. So far, the area has been cleared of invasive plants, risks and brush.  What's next might involve getting some input from the community. But first, there needs to be clarity on the question of whether the community does or does not wish to have a road punched through from Mauna Loa to Hand Road. Apparently this issue has never been completely resolved. Please give this some thought and let us know what you think about the road, and the walkway idea. You can email us at lakesarasota@gmail.com , and/or come out to the Lakeview Park Cle...