The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

COMMUNITY GROUP - MAKING IT 'OFFICIAL' : *We have been accomplishing much as a "community group", but have found that it would really be easier if we had a checking account. So, we are going to "incorporate" in order to have a tax i.d. # for this purpose. To incorporate, we need to officially name officers. This is probably another good idea and maybe a way to get some "fresh blood" on the scene. If you, or a neighbor you know, would like to help make a positive impact in our neighborhood, please let me know. We are taking nominations and will vote at our next general meeting on October 9th @ 7 pm. Right now this is our "officers" line-up: Laura Mathis Administrative Director Dawn Steele Treasurer & Beautification Co-Director Tisha Farrington Beautification Co- Director Mark Blumenthal Beautification Co-Director Judy Johnson...

This press release is from Sarasota County: The Supervisor of Elections, Kathy Dent, is holding three public open houses to demonstrate the new voting system. The times and locations are as follows: Friday, October 5, general public 4-8 p.m. in North Port at the George Mullen Center. Monday, October 8, general public 4-8 p.m. in Sarasota at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. Tuesday, October 9, general public 4-8 p.m. in Venice at the Venice Community Center. The optical scan voting system, manufactured by Premier Election Solutions, formerly known as Diebold Election Systems, Inc., and the AutoMARK * Voter Assist Terminal, for use by voters who are visually impaired or disabled, will be introduced at the George Mullen Center in North Port on Friday, October 5, at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium on Monday, October 8, and at the Venice Community Center on Tuesday, October 9. All three events, which will feature a simulated polling room and offer information about absentee ballots and ...

The Sept. 11 general meeting addressed a number of beautification, traffic, and property valuation concerns. In brief: The first median will be landscaped by a professional -- the cost is very reasonable, the result will be a new flagpole surrounded by plants, boulders, and some Hibiscus trees. The remaining medians will get trees from the county, but probably not until Spring 2008, in order to make sure the county can meet the need for regular watering. Those present signed a letter directed to the traffic dept. requesting more stop signs for Mauna Loa. George Morgan will hold the next training session for Citizens Patrol before the next general meeting, Tuesday Oct. 10 . The class will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Sarasota Baptist Church, and is open to any resident who wants to become involved. The Patrol plans to begin sending out cars on certain weeknights or even weekdays, Morgan added, because crime reports show increasing activity during the week. This might also make it possible for ...

Hello neighbors, our next meeting is: Sept. 11 @ 7-8 pm Sarasota Baptist Church Room #100 (via Administrative Offices entrance) We are in the process of working thru the permitting, landscaping, and insurance details involved in getting the first median on Mauna Loa done with a new flag pole and new landscaping . We are also working with the county regarding getting new trees for the remainder of our medians. If only we could just waive our magic wand and make it all just appear… It does take time, effort, and money, but it will be worth the wait. It will cost more than what we are getting from Geico to replace the flagpole and do the type of landscaping we want to make our entrance median look as good as it did years ago, when there was an association (with more funds coming in) and an irrigation system. Please contact me if you would like to make a donation toward this effort. (I still have Lake Sarasota T-Shirts available for a $15 donation) We also have anot...

The Lake Sarasota Community Group will hold its next regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. at Sarasota Baptist Church . On the agenda: Landscaping of the front entrance. Care of the medians on Mauna Loa. Yard of the Month Other business as it presents itself.

Click on the image to enlarge, and also click here for more about the Community Housing Trust's 2007 Housing Fair :

Some Lake Sarasota residents are reporting that the January 2007 county appraisals on their homes actually rose over January 2006, and are wondering how this came about, given the falling real estate market for the entire region . Below you'll find information on how to see the valuations for 2006/2007 on your home as well as for your immediate neighborhood, along with some background info: This might be a useful tool for checking how the Appraiser handled property valuations this year. Enter your address -- your street pops up, so you can handily see what the values are for 2007 as compared with 2006 for your home those around you. Here, for example, is a section of Mauna Loa . We've clicked around on many homes, and have yet to find one whose value went down from 2006 to 2007. Also: You can pull up your property record here , and see what info the county uses for its appraisal. Some homeowners are finding inaccurate square footage or other data. More background on what seem ...

We will be holding a beautification committee meeting tentatively on Tuesday August 21, 2007 at 7 p.m. at George's House. For more info. please call Dawn at 941-377-4710 or e-mail drsteele3@gmail.com . We will be discussing maintenance at Mauna Loa Entrance and re-doing Westminster Landscape. It really needs some help. Anyone wishing to join the Beautification Committee, again please contact Dawn at above number. We always need volunteers. Your Friend and Neighbor Dawn Steele

An update on the water line project for the Jarvis/Lago area in Lake Sarasota from the county utilities coordinator: On August 24 [the Lake Sarasota water line project] will be advertised for bids. One month is allowed for responses so there will be a bid opening near the end of September. The bids will be reviewed and the qualified bidder selected. Then the contact goes to the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners in order to be signed. It is anticipated that by the end of November the contract will be awarded and then the contractor has 120 days to complete the project so it should be done by the end of March. We have been working on this project and trying to coordinate it with sidewalks. We realize that you have been waiting a long time and we appreciate your continued patience. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Linda Seashore Larsen Administrative Assistant IV Community Outreach Coordinator Program Management llarsen@scgov.net 941-861-0662

The Mauna Loa median will soon be offering more shade from some very sensibly chosen trees, thanks to some hard work by LSCG members along with the dedicated expertise of county liason Debbie Marks and county forester Dimetra McBride. At the August Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting, those attending voted in favor of installing two species of low-maintenance trees to adorn the central boulevard: One will be an evergreen, podocarpus nagi. The other will be a deciduous but water friendly cypress cultivar. Several factors had to be taken into account in choosing suitable trees: resistance to old and new bugs and pathogens (including the brand new and 100% lethal Texas Phoenix that blights palms), ability to deal with standing water, suitable shape to not interfere with power lines, color and general survivability. The Podocarpus Nagi is a hardy evergreen: The cypress clone will offer varied colors through the seasons, and is bred to resist the usual ills: Both trees, being native spe...

We will vote on this at August 14th meeting @ 7 p.m . , so be sure to attend: Median Beautification During a prior meeting, we voted that trees would be most suitable for our medians. Dimetra McBride from the Forestry division discussed at our last meeting how trees would be low maintenance, and environmentally friendly. We can get trees planted and irrigated by the county once we decide on what type of trees and exactly where to plant them. She will be presenting 3 options at our August meeting that could include removing some existing palms . FLAG UPDATE Good news! Geico is settling a claim for replacement of the flagpole and bushes damaged beyond repair in an accident at our Mauna Loa entrance. Since the Bee Ridge Rd widening project has been pushed back to 2014, we won’t be losing the front median anytime soon. We had voted to replace the flag in the second median, but with the Bee Ridge news, the votes are now leaning toward put...

The Bee Ridge Neighborhoods Committee consists of representatives of the communities along Bee Ridge Rd. east of I-75 in Sarasota County. The committee has updates on its site about two matters: Improvements to Bee Ridge Road - thanks to property tax cuts, the construction will begin later, and take longer, than originally anticipated. Palmer Place Housing Overlay - this is heading for final approval on August 29, 2007. The BRNC has several concerns about this new housing development: Intensity – Palmer Place increases the area’s density by 60 percent while occupying less than 10 percent of the land. see BRNC Intensity Illustration (1mb) >> Timing – Palmer Place gains a significant density increase without providing any affordable housing. Integration – Palmer Place violates best practices by segregating the affordable villages from the market rate ones. Subsidies – Palmer Place pricing scheme requires tens of millions of dollars in additional taxpay...