Workshop doesn't satisfy opponents of development near Celery Fields

Opponents of a planned 170-home development next to the ecologically sensitive Celery Fields say little, if any, new information was provided at a virtual neighborhood workshop May 14.

“It has not significantly changed,” since a similar meeting a year ago, said Jeanne Dubi, president of the Sarasota Audubon Society. 

Tom Matrullo, a member of the watchdog group Citizens for Sarasota County, also participated in the recent workshop. He said the May 14 meeting “was like ‘Groundhog Day.’”

The new project, planned by Texas-based developer D.R. Horton, would sit on what is now known as the 43-acre Smith Farm, along Raymond Road, south of Palmer Boulevard.

The problem, said Dubi and others, is that it borders a 100-acre wetlands area that has gained a reputation as an internationally recognized bird sanctuary.

It’s part of the Celery Fields, a 400-acre site owned by the county and managed by the local Audubon Society. 

A single home sits on the Smith property, along with some sheds and a few dozen cattle. But negotiations are underway to rezone the land to facilitate its sale to D.R. Horton, one of the largest homebuilders in the country.

The developer wants to build up to 170 detached single-family homes on the property. 

Opponents of the plan say the density of homes is not compatible with the surrounding area, and the mostly two-lane roads around the property will not be able to handle the added traffic.

They also say light from the development will spoil the Celery Fields as a location for stargazers and local astronomy clubs who routinely use the area because of its remote location.

Dubi said concerns about how the project will affect birds in the sanctuary have not been adequately addressed. “It’s a gigantic concern to us.” 

Dubi worries about noise from increased traffic and the introduction of street and home lighting to the area. 

“All of those things affect wildlife,” by forcing birds to retreat from the disturbance, toward the center of the sanctuary. That will cause more competition for limited resources, and “death by aggression.”

Representatives from Kimley-Horn, the consulting firm hosting the meeting, tried to allay concerns, saying traffic and environmental impact studies are being done to comply with county regulations. 

They also said street and home lighting will comply with “dark sky” standards; it will be focused downward, preventing light from leaking outside the development.

Kelley Klepper from Kimley-Horn also noted that the density of homes is below what would be allowable under the requested rezoning.

Dubi conceded the builder has made some concessions. 

“They have listened to us and are trying to address our concerns,” she said, noting a larger buffer is now planned between homes and the bird sanctuary, with additional native trees and a swale. 

“The Audubon does not want this development, no matter how many concessions they make," Dubi said. 

Matrullo also remains skeptical. 

“They were trying to sound us out to see if they could do anything to calm our concerns,” he said, but “it didn’t really speak to the core of the issue. ... This is carpetbagging. They're not being honest about what the adverse effects of this will be."

Developer no stranger to Sarasota, Manatee counties

D.R. Horton is currently selling homes in more than a dozen developments in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

D.R. Horton has met with opposition before. Last September, Manatee County Commissioners approved a similar development by D.R. Horton on Linger Lodge Road, near the Braden River. This project includes 99 homes on 34.5 acres adjacent to Johnson Preserve.

Residents who live near the development opposed the project, saying the development was too close to environmentally sensitive areas. 

Despite a petition with 2,700 signatures opposing the project and vocal opposition by dozens of citizens during a public land use meeting, county commissioners approved the project.