Sarasota County commissioners on Wednesday unanimously voted down a proposal to rezone farmland by Celery Fields, citing the risk of flooding nearby homes and destroying an environmental "gem."
Developer D.R. Horton had sought the county's permission to build 126 homes on a 50-acre plot owned by the Smith family. It is zoned for five homes and is mainly farmland for grazing.
"I don't want my personal home to be flooded because a national developer wants to make a killing at our local expense," said Sarasota resident Tim Litchet, a retired attorney who specialized in zoning and development.
He was among about 60 people who spoke against the deal.
Others in opposition included birdwatchers who are fond of the Raymond Road boardwalk area, where many species can be seen in the wetlands.
"It is not compatible, in my opinion, with what this gem is. I do not think this was a difficult decision," said commissioner Teresa Mast.
The area flooded in August during what was then Tropical Storm Debby, and many residents spoke about witnessing the high waters firsthand.
"To me, it seems pretty simple. The area floods. And bringing fill into a site that floods is going to disperse the water elsewhere, and we are not supposed to do that," said commissioner Mark Smith.
Celery Fields is a 440-acre stormwater tract for the Phillippi Creek Drainage Basin. Formerly an agricultural area for growing celery, it now a well-known wildlife habitat with 250 bird species that visit annually, according to Sarasota Audubon Society.
