Saturday, January 21, 2023

Call to Action - Sarasota’s Grand Tree Protections Are Not Enough

To: Sarasota County Stakeholders

    Email cc: County Commissioners Moran, Smith, Detert, Neunder and Cutsinger, County Administrator Lewis

Call to Action - Sarasota’s Grand Tree Protections
Are Not Enough

Date:   1/21/2023

Dear Friends, Business Associates, Acquaintances, Sarasota Institutions,

What more will it take to open our eyes to the destruction of Sarasota County’s natural beauty?

Despite certain protections for twelve species of Grand Trees, our County Commission will meet on January 31, 2023 to discuss further relaxing current rules to allow the “Grand” developers of Sarasota the right to determine whether a grand tree should remain or be cut down for housing.


Pictured below: Example of current Grand Tree ” preservation” in north Sarasota County.
Surrounding forest of tall pines was cleared to complete a townhouse complex.  

Despite certain protections that are lawful such as existing land planning codes, future land use designations or county preserved lands, time and time again our elected county commissioners have sought “input from stakeholders” and bowed to the recommendations of developers, the “One Percenters” of our beloved Sarasota County. 

For the past twenty years, our commissioners have greenlighted development to occur by use of mitigation. 

As reported by the Sarasota News Leader, Benderson Development recently clear-cut every Grand Tree on the 24-acre Siesta Promenade site. Despite the county identifying grand trees on the property, every tree on the parcel at U.S.41 and Stickney Point Road was removed, including nine maples, 26 oaks, 55 palms, 16 pines (two Grand Trees) and 17 trees of other species.

Sarasota County conceded to Benderson Development to mitigate the removal of these mature trees with the promise of planting 509 new trees. This mitigation occurred without public input and without transparency. This deal was done via emails with tweaks to the original approved site plan.

Mitigation, if you are not familiar, is when a small swath of useless land held by either the county or developer is traded for a desirable piece of land deemed buildable by the developer and the county. It doesn’t matter if the desired property is a bog or home to a bald eagle.Those trees and other natural assets are going to be paved over. It’s a sham of a land trade, and we, Sarasota’s stakeholders, are also getting paved over in a different sense.  It’s all smoke and mirrors. Mitigation ain’t saving a thing.

Turn the page to 2023 and now, in lieu of mitigation, the County Commissioners claim that Sarasota stakeholders are demanding that protections for Sarasota’s Grand Trees must be diminished. Last fall, Commissioner Maio even claimed that Grand Trees are “perishable items.” Apparently he is now a certified arborist.

On January 31, 2023, our Commission will vote to approve an ordinance which loosens protections for “grand trees,” including live oaks. I have read Sarasota Municode in relation to trees and grand trees. It appears that the rules applied to most trees in this county are lax and clearly from the picture above, illustrate that Sarasota County trees need MORE protections, not less.  Those protections must occur today. 

Please email our Commissioners and tell them to vote No on January 31st.

Email to: bcc@scgov.net or commissioners@scgov.net
Individual Commissioners: mmoran@scgov.net, mhsmith@scgov.net, ncdetert@scgov.net, jneunder@scgov.net, rcutsinger@scgov.net
County Administrator: countyadministrator@scgov.net,

Please share this message with friends and neighbors who care about quality of life in Sarasota County. We are running out of time, each day, swaths of trees in Sarasota County are being chopped down.

We, the majority stakeholders, of Sarasota County demand the following regarding Grand Trees:

  • The county must retain all current and existing protection for Grand Trees. 

  • The county must implement preservation protections designating grand trees as the following:

  • Economic value provided by Grand trees are a financial eco-bonus to the county budget.

  • Home values remain higher in established old growth-maintained trees.

  • Decrease impact of heavy rain and flooding through tree canopies which slow heavy rain and decrease flooding impact.

  • Decrease utility costs and overuse of energy resources for tree canopy cooling to most homes and roads, reducing use of air conditioning and watering needs. 

  • The county must implement and strengthen Tree Code. Grand Trees must be used as centerpieces of beauty, history and preservation. 

  • The county and developers must share and advertise Sarasota County as a destination where Grand Trees are as much of Sarasota culture and heritage as our abundant arts, science, charities, beaches, and natural habitat. 

  • It is proven that engineers and planners know how to work and design around grand trees with more than a hundred years of life. 

  • Mitigation for Grand Trees is not an option unless:

  • Every option to save the tree or trees has been exhausted, reviewed by the stakeholders (Sarasota citizens) and allowed public input to prevent further scraping of trees whether deemed Grand Tree or a someday “Grand Tree” that is growing to adulthood. 

  • Fatal rotting, blight, etc. has been verified and documented by a certified and accredited environmental expert/arborist with no connection to the county or land developer.   

Thank you for your consideration of our comments and request. 

Respectfully,

Adrien Lucas

Sarasota County resident


Source: Sarasota County Grand Trees published 2015

Sarasota News Leader published 1/15/2023


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