The Sarasota County Commission has set aside an entire day on August 23rd to hear testimony regarding the siting of a Construction/Demolition Waste Processing Facility at Apex Rd. and Palmer Blvd.

On June 1, the Sarasota Planning Commission unanimously voted No on all three elements of the Gabbert/TST Ventures proposal to amend the Critical Area Plan; No to Rezoning to Industrial Light Warehouse (ILW) and No to a Special Exception that would allow an open air waste processing facility on a 16 acre site adjacent to the Celery Fields.

The Planning Commission’s No vote to Mr. Gabbert’s requests does not mean the battle to prevent the sale and development of lands next to the Celery Fields is over.

Mr. Gabbert has stated that he has “spent hundreds of thousands of dollars” and a few years on this matter to ensure he gets his dump developed and located where it suits him.

A number of Sarasota County Commissioners risk much by voting against Mr. Gabbert’s proposal due to the campaign donations they have received from him. The Commissioners risk their careers if they vote in favor of this dump. We need to make it clear, one more time, that the Celery Field belongs to the stakeholders of Sarasota, not to Mr. Gabbert and his proposed dump.

In this email we have included:

• important upcoming dates, we hope you will join us
• County Commissioners email addresses and phone number so you may contact them to voice opposition to this proposal
• Tips on speaking at the August 23 meeting
• a Donate Now link for expenses that are accruing in order to fight the dump proposal. Any donation is appreciated and will be used wisely to stop the development of this dump via marketing and legal fees.

We hope you can join us on August 23 and if you can’t, please continue emailing or phoning the County Commissioners to voice your opposition to the proposed location of this dump.  Your testimony is needed and will go on record and presented in the packet given to the County Commissioners prior to the August 23 meeting.

Respectfully,

Friends of Save Our Celery Fields

1. A peaceful protest will begin at 8 a.m. in front of the BOCC building on the Ringling Boulevard sidewalk.
2. Please bring signs, we will have some signs on hand but colorful signage is encouraged.

PARKING: Public parking may be found behind the County Building, we encourage carpooling.

August 23, 2017 @ 9AM

Mr. Medred will present the TST Recycling Dump project to the BOCC for the following:

Proposed Land Use Change for: Critical Area Plan Amendment Rezone Petition No. 17-01 to Rezone approximately 16 acres from ILW (Industrial Light Manufacturing/ and Warehousing) with Stipulations and OUR (Open Use Rural, 1 Unit to 10 Acres) to ILW with Amended Stipulations, and Special Exceptions No. 1765 to Allow a Recycling Facility in ILW Zone District.

We will have up to five (5) minutes to speak during public comments to the board.

A technician is available to presenters throughout the public hearing. Speakers may bring printed materials set to landscape to display on the document camera no larger than 12″ wide by 8.5″ high.

If you wish to speak, look for speakers’ cards. The cards are available on either side of the chamber as you walk in. Fill out the card fully, then take the card and leave it with the clerk seated to the right of the dais.

If you are interested in speaking and are unsure about what you wish to say, please view some topics for consideration below.

QUALITY OF LIFE:

1. traffic congestion with introduction of new truck traffic to dump
2. diminished air quality
3. impact to home values
4. road safety
5. impact to Tatum Ridge Elementary children commuting by bus or by parent
6. impact to local neighborhood traffic commute times

ENVIRONMENT:

1. pollution will harm threatened and endangered birds, fauna, insects, fish and wildlife of park will be in harm’s way with location of dump
2. integrity of Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility will be impacted by additional burden of “filtering” fugitive airborne concrete particulate and leaching of dump materials
3. birds listed as threatened or endangered remain fragile in numbers
4. noise pollution will mask bird calls, birds use their calls to find mates

COUNTY GOVERNMENT:

1. County failure to recognize changes to the area using antiquated zoning and land use designations going back one quarter of a century
2. failure to recognize value of Celery Field’s eco-tourism as a growing and sustainable revenue tax base for the county
3. failure to protect the investment of county dollars ($30 Million +) invested to build the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility, observation mound, bird walks, park trails and preserve area
4. failure to adhere to Sarasota’s Zoning Mission Statement that Zoning’s fundamental purpose is to protect a community’s health, safety and welfare.

THIS SATURDAY!

AUGUST 19 @ 10AM – 12PM

Save the Celery Fields Community Protest

Corner of Apex Road & Palmer Boulevard

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

AUGUST 23 @ 8AM

Save the Celery Fields Rally –
Pre-Meeting/All Day Table Outside

1660 RINGLING BLVD., SRQ, FL 34236

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

AUGUST 23 @ 9AM 

COUNTY COMMISSION

PUBLIC HEARING MEETING
1660 RINGLING BLVD., SRQ, FL 34236

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

The Palmer East Group has been working exhaustively since January, 2017 as a group (and individually, some of us began working much earlier) to stop the threats to the Celery Fields.

The Palmer East Group has established a legal defense fund under the management of the Meadow Walk and Enclave homeowners associations. An attorney and a professional land use planner have been retained to defeat the waste site proposal. Donations have ranged from $50 to $1,000, and come from businesses, homeowners associations, and individuals. Your investment of $25, $50, $100, or more is much-needed ammunition in this fight.

An urgent threat looms as James Gabbert—via his company, TST Ventures, LLC—has petitioned Sarasota County to allow the construction of a 15-acre construction- & demolition-debris processing facility on Celery Fields lands.  Mr. Gabbert has invested “hundreds of thousands” to ensure his dump will be developed, we appreciate any amount to help with expenses to fight this horrific threat to the Celery Fields and local neighborhoods and businesses.

Emails to the Sarasota Planning Commission:
Michael Moran – [email protected]

Paul Caragiulo – [email protected]

Nancy Detert – [email protected]

Al Maio – [email protected]

Charles Hines – [email protected]

CALL THE SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSION PRIOR TO AUGUST 23 AT 

(941) 861-5344. Give your full name and where you live or phone number. Be Polite!  Let the receptionist know you are opposed to the sale of surplus land for Mr. Gabbert’s dump.

If you have received this email, it is because:

• you attended the 1/30/17 TST Ventures neighborhood workshop and signed in
• you signed up to receive Celery Field information
• you signed a Celery Field petition
• you are a friend of one of the activists who contributed to this email

If you no longer wish to receive email from Save Our Celery Field, simply respond with “Delete Me” in the subject line.