Sarasota residents rally to protect Rosemary trees

At the back of Wednesday’s Development Review Committee meeting, a group of about 10 residents sat quietly, all dressed in green.

Although the public isn’t allowed to speak at DRC meetings, the residents were attempting to make a statement. The group is concerned about a project proposed for 1329 Fourth St., a 62-unit condo that is part of the ongoing residential building boom in the Rosemary District.

At the DRC meeting, city staff reviewed preliminary plans for the project. During the discussion, city arborist Mark Miller said there had been no decision on the proposed removal of two ficus trees on the edge of the property, but that a report on those trees would be available shortly.

Those trees, 60 inches in diameter and located at the corner of Fourth Street and Cocoanut Avenue, represent much-valued green space in a rapidly developing neighborhood. The idea of removing those canopy trees to facilitate a five-story building is hard for the residents to handle.

“The public is going to be stuck with cement building, cement sidewalks, cement concrete,” said Donna Moffitt after Wednesday’s meeting. “We’re going to be a cement ghetto. If that’s what they want for the Rosemary District, that’s what they’re going to get.”

As the Rosemary District builds out, stakeholders have targeted parks and other green space as a future need. The city has focused on writing more stringent tree protection regulations, but that wouldn’t prevent a builder from removing diseased ficus trees as long as more trees are planted.

The plans for 1329 Fourth St. include the removal of 59 on-site trees. The mitigation plans included planting 24 palm trees in a courtyard at the center of the development, though Miller questioned whether trees in planters would qualify for the mitigation effort.

Residents expressed concern that new palm trees would do little to make up for the loss of robust shade trees.

“No mitigation is going to replace the beauty of that canopy,” Jean Fleming said.

Residents also questioned another aspect of the project’s mitigation plan, which would place trees in Centennial Park — located more than half a mile from the project.

“Sometimes the closest park doesn’t have the room to accept trees,” Miller said. “Parks and rec has master planting plans, so it has to fit in with those.”

Once the city reviews an arborist’s report on the health of those trees — and if the site plan for 1329 Fourth St. is approved — the developer could be clear to remove the trees. Still, the tree-loving group isn’t giving up, and they may soon have an opportunity to make their voice heard.

Sarasota Chief Planner Ryan Chapdelain encouraged the developer to hold a community workshop to go over the plans with residents. Architect Michael Halflants, who represented the developer Wednesday, said his team would be happy to do so.

The plans may ultimately prove difficult to stop, but the residents are going to take every chance they get to fight for preserving trees in downtown Sarasota.

“We need a balance between the built versus the green space,” Debora Ahmari said.