SEERD's May Update

Some promising developments have taken place over the past few weeks, hopefully things that will lead to positive results for the Bee Ridge neighborhood and help us survive the upcoming storm season.

Ongoing County Code Compliance Challenge. We have been in direct contact with County Commissioners and key staff about chronic code violations at 8000 Bee Ridge Road (TCA Bee Ridge campus) and the impact on our neighborhood. We reminded the County not only about the Court Order issued in February from the 12th Circuit Court quashing the permission granted by the County for TCA to use modular classrooms on its Bee Ridge Road campus, but also our recent complaint on behalf of neighborhood residents concerning traffic, parking and lack of buffers between the school and Bee Ridge Road. On May 13, the County issued a Notice of Violation and Order to Correct citing the school and ordering the removal of the modular classrooms by June 15th.

To read the fairly brief but direct order, click on the hyperlink below:

Violation Notice & Order to Correct

Recently, SEERD had an opportunity to meet with representatives from TCA to discuss concerns and solutions, for the first time in two years. It was a productive meeting where each side expressed its views and agreed to begin to explore possible solutions. Hopefully, further talks can occur and result in solutions to mitigate the school's impact which also reflect the cumulative impacts of other ongoing and planned development in the neighborhood.

Our Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code make mention of neighborhood planning about 170 times. Yet land use applications are considered largely in isolation of surrounding development and rarely consider the cumulative impact of growth beyond just the demands created by individual applications. It's beyond time to seriously consider neighborhoods as essential planning units as a means to better manage growth and ensure the future livability and quality of life that attracted most of us to Sarasota County to begin with.

Preparations for Hurricane Season. SEERD, our partner organizations and HOAs are more intensely engaged with County Commissioners on the flooding threats to our neighborhood and those living and working elsewhere in the county. And not a moment too soon with some early rains this week and the official start of hurricane season just weeks away.

The campaign to write to our commissioners and key staff to inform them of our concerns is in full swing. Preparations are underway later this week for the May 21st County Commission (BCC) workshop to review where we are and agree on priority actions that can be taken this summer before the storms hit. We have distributed the agenda and materials being provided to the Commissioners now that the hyperlink was posted on the County website and urge those who can either join in person or view the webcast to do so.

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Thanks for your continuing interest and support to protect our neighborhood.