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AUGUST 2014 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
LHA Drainage Project The following letter was sent to each owner in the Association regarding steps that the Board is taking to correct periodic drainage problems in portions of The Landings for which the LHA is responsible. ” Your LHA board faces many typical neighborhood situations; however, drainage throughout The Landings community is of the highest priority. We have been studying several specific areas in our community that are not draining properly. It has become apparent after this review that the problems cannot be corrected by dealing only with individual properties. To resolve ongoing flooding (which occurs based on weather conditions), we have decided to undertake a comprehensive solution to
www.LANDINGSEAGLE.com
By Bill Whitman
restore the swale system within the Association’s portion of The Landings community where required to provide adequate drainage. Some history is in order. Roadside “swales” were constructed as part of the storm water management system for The Landings when the project was first developed in the 1980’s. Both the LMA and LHA covenants require each homeowner to maintain their portion of this storm water management system. [Article IV of the Association’s Declaration of Restrictions states “No drainage easement or swale may be obstructed, filled in, or altered without Developer’s written approval.”] The term “swale” is used to designate a human
created system designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants and increase rainwater infiltration into the soil. Specifically, The Landings swale system was designed to convey storm water to the appropriate storm drain piping and storm water lakes. In addition, the swales provide pre-treatment of the surface run-off, including oils, fertilizers and silt prior to discharge into our lake system and ultimately Sarasota Bay. Over time, many of the existing swales have “disappeared” due to an accumulation of soil, silt, grass clippings, etc. Thus, the capacity
of these swales to remove storm water and provide pretreatment has been greatly diminished, and in some cases eliminated. This has resulted in serious periodic flooding of certain streets, driveways and lawns within our community. In order to correct this ongoing major issue, the LHA together with Kurt Jensen, a civil engineer who also advises the LMA, will undertake a comprehensive review of all Association properties to bring our share of The Landings storm water management system back to its original condition and design where periodic
flooding is an issue. All property owners in these areas will be required to reshape and maintain, in perpetuity, the swales that comprise their portion of the storm water management system. While we realize that this requirement may result in a homeowner making an additional investment in their property, resolving our drainage problems will reduce neighborhood disputes, protect the value of our individual properties and benefit the community at large. This letter is being sent to all LHA homeowners. Please be alert for forthcoming details regarding your individual property situation and join us at our monthly LHA meeting to answer any questions you may have.”
Republican District Four Candidates Address Issues Prior to Upcoming Primary By Robert Frederickson For the first time since 1998, Nora Patterson’s name will not be on the ballot this fall to fill the District Four seat on the Sarasota County Commission. As was the case with former commissioner John Thaxton, the decision not to run
again was not up to the popular Republican; instead, it came about as a result of term limits. Two of the Republican Candidates hoping to replace Patterson on the commission, Alan Maio and Lourdes Ramirez
will square off in the Republican primary on August 26th. The winner will face the Democratic candidate Ray Porter in the general election this November. Siesta Sand interviewed Maio and Ramirez recently to help voters
get a sense of where they stand on some of the issues in the news recently, as well as to learn about their backgrounds and experience. Each candidate was asked the same general questions. Alan Maio’s interview was conducted
in person on Siesta Key, while Lourdes Ramirez was unable to meet face-to-face due to prior commitments, instead e-mailing us her responses to our questions that had been forwarded in advance.
Interview with Alan Maio
Interview with Lourdes Ramirez
Q: Mr. Maio, what personal and professional qualities, experience and credentials would you bring to the county commission that you believe would enhance its work on behalf of the citizens of district four?
Q: Homelessness: Commissioner Nora Patterson recently said that the county’s partnership with the city – while not broken – is wobbly. Do you support Robert Marbut’s approach to addressing homelessness in Sarasota County, and specifically his plan for a come-as-youare shelter near downtown Sarasota and satellite facilities in South County? If not, what direction would you support in dealing with this issue?
Maio: “I’ve been here for thirty years. I’ve run successful businesses. I started a vacation rental business; I’ve built two successful restaurants. I’ve also built up a very large engineering firm. I’ve served on the Sarasota County planning commission, the code enforcement board, the board of zoning appeals. Continued on page 18
Lourdes: Homelessness is a complex problem that will require a variety of solutions. Continued on page 20