Rezone vote due for section of Lorraine Road in Lakewood Ranch

Colleen Blumenthal walked through Blumenberry Farms, surveying the damage done by Hurricane Ian.

Ian flooded most of their crops, killing everything. The greenhouse was ripped apart. Trees were down everywhere on the property.

But in no way does she consider Hurricane Ian as the farm's biggest threat.

On Oct. 25 Sarasota County Commissioners will decide whether to designate a small section of Lorraine Road roughly from Blue Lake Road south to Fruitville Road, along with a section of Lorraine Road from Clarke Road to State Road 681, as part of the county's new Business Park Corridor. Such a designation would allow landowners with 10 acres or more and access to Lorraine Road to apply for a rezone to allow light industrial and office uses.

Originally, the amendment included a strip of Lorraine Road from University Parkway through Fruitville Road, but before sending the amendment CPA 2022-F to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review on Aug. 30, commissioners voted to exclude the portion of Lorraine Road from Blue Lake Road north to University Parkway.

Whether Lorraine Road residents in opposition to the rezone pack the commission meeting on Oct. 25 remains to be seen, but many of those in opposition at the Aug. 30 meeting live on the stretch of Lorraine Road that was excluded.

Their interest could be waning.

Blumenthal has faith that those to the north of her will continue to add their voice in opposition to the rezone.

"I think what (Sarasota County commissioners) are doing affects more than just us," Blumenthal said.

By "us" she meant those who live on Dog Kennel Road and in the Windward, the new Neal Communities village across from Dog Kennel Road.

"Development happens," Blumenthal said. "I get it. But this is not an appropriate place for industrial development."

She is worried about a 13-acre frontage property that borders Lorraine and shares a border with her land. She is worried about pollutants leaching into the soil and infecting her land. She worries about storm water runoff, noise and air pollution, and the effect industrial development will have on her bee hives.

"It's 20 steps from my mailbox," she said.

If commissioners approve the rezone, Blumenthal said it could mean the end of her farm.

"We are the last organic farm remaining (in the area)," she said.

She said it is such a "bad look for a county to be shoving through a rezone" when the agricultural industry, such as citrus, is struggling.

Besides hoping that Lorraine Road residents pack the commission meeting, Blumenthal said a petition is circulating against the rezone and a letter-writing effort has been organized to convince commissioners such a rezone is unnecessary on the small section of Lorraine Road.

Sarasota County commissioners voted 3-1 to send the amendment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review, with commissioner Michael Moran absent.  

Commissioner Nancy Detert was the only one solidly against a rezone. She said developing that area of Lorraine Road wouldn't fulfill the Business Park Corridor goal of providing jobs. Of light industrial, she said, Those aren't even jobs for human beings. They are robotic."

In order to approve the amendment which adds the Lorraine Road sections to the Business Park Corridor, four of the five commissioners need to vote in favor of it.

Commissioners Ron Cutsinger and Alan Maio both made their positions clear they were in favor of developing the area.

The focus goes to Commissioner Christian Ziegler, who appeared to be against the amendment until the section of Lorraine Road from Blue Lake Road north to University Parkway was excluded. He could have killed the amendment with a no vote when it came to sending it to the state, but he didn't.

The focus also goes to Moran, who was absent at the Aug. 30 meeting.

Blumenthal isn't optimistic, but she hopes commissioners will consider the importance of agriculture in the area and its declining presence.

Her husband Mitch chose the property at 2151 Dog Kennel Road in 1995. At the time, Colleen Blumenthal said a Mennonite family owned the farm and had 3,000 blueberry plants.

"Take Blumenthal and 3,000 blueberry plants, and you've got Blumenberry Farms," she said.

Her husband wanted to "live off the land" and she said he worked to improve the soil. That strategy, however, didn't favor the blueberries.

"We continued the blueberries for five years, but my husband kept improving the soil and he didn't know he was killing the blueberries," she said with a laugh. 

Eventually, they diversified their plants and organic offerings. Some of the area's top chefs ask their to grow specific foods for their kitchens.

Whether that continues in the future might be dependent on the upcoming vote.

Blumenthal said she won't move from her land "because it is home," but she isn't sure she can afford to mitigate whatever might be needed to reduce the effects of an industrial property next door.