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OCTOBER 2017 | 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC | www.SiestaSand.net | COMPLIMENTARY
SIESTA DRAWBRIDGES
Coast Guard reducing number of daily openings on Siesta drawbridges
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ROUND HOUSE
SURVIVING IRMA As Hurricane Irma continued to move north, on Monday morning, Sept. 11, many Siesta residents and business owners surveyed the damage left in the wake of the storm. Although the Key and surrounding areas escaped a direct hit, the powerful storm left significant damage, including large downed trees, and left some without power for weeks. But Siesta residents and business owners agree: The Key fared much better than expected, and as more than one resident put it: the area missed the brunt of it. Siesta Sand looks at what some folks did to prepare, how they’ve cleaned up the mess left in the wake of the storm, and some lessons learned. Rosemary Cannon: Siesta resident and coowner (husband) Coconuts of Siesta Key shared her experience. “When we first became aware of Irma we assumed like other recent storms we would not experience a direct hit. Just as a precaution, I reserved a room at Comfort Rosemary Cannon Suites at Honore & SR72.
The winds of Irma pushed the water back into the Gulf, Sunday, September 10, 2017, exposing the rock formations at Point of Rock, Siesta Key. Photo by Todd Nahrwold, Licensed Realtor, Key Solutions Real Estate
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162/168 Beach Road Round House on Sandy Hook Road wins county historical designation
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|County Commission says owners of two Siesta Key parcels can take the county’s offer for the land or take the county to court
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STATION 400
Start Your Morning on the Right Track at Station 400
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SKA PAID PARKING RESULTS Results from the Siesta Key Association survey emailed to members on August 4th
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By Rachel Brown Hackney / SarasotaNewsLeader.com On a 4-1 vote, the Sarasota County Commission essentially told the owners of two parcels on Siesta Key’s Beach Road that they can accept the $2,850,000 the county is willing to pay for the property, or they can file suit against the county for preventing them from building homes on the Gulf-front land. The board members also made it clear on Sept. 13 that they would not impose restrictions sought by the owner of the parcel at 168 Beach Road — Wendy B. Cooper, trustee of the Burton M. Cooper Credit Shelter Trust No. 1 — if the county ends up buying that land. The commissioners further directed staff to make the offer again in a timely fashion. A county staff report provided to the commission in advance of the regular meeting on Sept. 13 said the trust had requested designation of that property as a preserve, “with the only allowable improvement” to be a 10-foot-wide walkway from Beach Road “toward the Gulf of Mexico along the Continued on page 9 northerly boundary of the Property.”
Possible road swap Sarasota County staff has been in discussions with staff of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) about potentially assuming ownership of roads on Siesta Key in exchange for the state taking River Road, County Administrator Tom Harmer told the County Commission on Sept. 13. Improvements long planned for River Road — a county road with a regional impact
New boutique hotel on the island By Rachel Brown Hackney |If Siesta chiropractor wants to pursue hotel project, majority of County Commission decides, he can pursue a privately initiated zoning code amendment to ease street setback requirements The majority of the Sarasota County commissioners have agreed that a proposed amendment to the Siesta Key zoning regulations should be initiated privately, instead of having county staff undertake the work. A motion Commissioner Michael Moran made that called for staff to handle the changes died for lack of a second on Aug. 29. The action came in response to a staff memo following up on requests the board heard on July 12.
Siesta Key architect Mark Smith — who also serves as chair of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce — and several business owners urged the commission that day to amend the Siesta Key Overlay District (SKOD) zoning regulations to clarify that a new building constructed in a Commercial General district would not have to have a minimum setback of 25 feet from the street if it were taller than 35 feet. Continued on page 13
By Rachel Brown Hackney
— have become increasingly important as the county works with the Atlanta Braves, the West Villages Improvement District and the City of North Port on plans for the Braves’ new Spring Training complex in the West Villages. A Sept. 6 memo to Harmer from Spencer Anderson, interim director of the county’s Public Works Department, says staff has been talking about taking over portions of
Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Drive, Higel Avenue, South Osprey Drive and Bay Road, which are county routes, while the state takes ownership of River Road between U.S. 41 and Interstate 75 in South County. “Possible advantages of this transfer … may include advanced funding and construction of River Road between West Villages Parkway and I-75,” Anderson added. Continued on page 32
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SIESTA SOUNDS Music lovers are always happy when October rolls around because venues will be adding or increasing their live music
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By Roger Drouin
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