Siesta Isles’ project troubles spur ordinance changes

The Siesta Isles Association’s successful appeal of a tree-permit denial may have lasting effects.

At its Jan. 12 meeting, Sarasota County commissioners voted to approve a public hearing on changes to the county’s tree ordinance, spurred by the SIA’s appeal.

If the changes are approved, an environmental review and a land-development regulations review will be included in the Neighborhood Initiatives Grant application process. That will allow the county to change its tree ordinance to automatically authorize projects in the public right of way if they've received Neighborhood Initiatives Grants.

Sarasota County ordered the SIA to stop work on its beautification project – to remove eight trees from medians in Siesta Isles' entrances and replace them with 10 royal palms – in September, just a day after it broke ground, because tree ordinances only allow county employees to alter trees in public right-of-ways. But the SIA secured a Neighborhood Initiatives grant from the county to pay for half of the project. As part of the application process, county staff reviewed the project for landscaping standards, and commissioners approved the award.

In December, the SIA successfully challenged the county's stop-work order.

“I’m sorry,” said Commissioner Christine Robinson at the Dec. 8 Commission meeting, “but this is just government at its finest. There’s not much else to say.”

The public hearing to authorize changes to the tree ordinance is scheduled for Jan. 26, according to a memo from Director of Planning and Development Services Tom Polk.