A bid to rezone 50 acres of farmland adjacent to Celery Fields in Sarasota so that 170 homes could be built there was narrowly voted down by the Sarasota County planning commission on Thursday, after strong pushback from residents.
Critics of the proposed development pointed out it would interfere with the quiet and dark spaces that wildlife need, and would be packing a neighborhood of new homes on land that is mostly in a floodplain.
"You can only engineer your way so much out of a flood," said Nancy Simpson, a floodplain manager who spoke during public comment.
"People are still reeling from Ian. People are still reeling from Helene and Milton, and we will not see full recovery from any of those storms for years to come," she said.
Other residents brought pictures that showed the land, known as the Smith family farm, was under 2 to 3 feet of water in August when Debby passed over Sarasota as a tropical storm and made landfall as a hurricane in the Big Bend region.
Homebuilder D.R. Horton and design firm Kimley Horn Associates countered with detailed accounts of measures they would take to mitigate any harm, such as creating buffer zones for wildlife and collecting water in a large detention pond at the center of the neighborhood.
"I am not seeking to minimize or diminish Hurricane Debby and I am not saying it could never happen again but it was a hurricane," said attorney Charles Bailey.
The planning commission finally voted late Thursday evening 4-3 to deny the rezone bid.
"We have a lot of reasons, whether it is schools, the stormwater, the flooding," said planning commissioner Donna Carter, who voted no.
"I don't think that is a buildable property and I hope the county does find a way to buy that property and just add it to the Celery Fields," she said.
The development is expected to come before the full county commission early next year, just without the support of the planning commission.
"The Celery Fields is one of the most beloved places in Sarasota County," said Tom Matrullo, describing it as "a bird nesting area that relies on peace and quiet and darkness and tranquility for its value."
Matrullo is retired, but heads the Sarasota Citizens Action Network, which mobilized residents to speak out against the proposal. He said the fight is not over.
"We expect that Kimley Horn and Mr. Bailey — who is an excellent attorney — will be back with even sharper, more finely honed arguments," Matrullo said.
"So we will be busy."
