Author: WSLR News

Jamie Carson: Don’t stare at the cone – think about the potential. And beware of the storm surge.

It’s now two for Siesta Key activist Lourdes Ramirez, zero for Sarasota County in an ongoing legal battle over two high-density hotels approved to be built on the barrier island.

Vast areas of pasture land in rural east Sarasota County are at stake. 

Last fall, the Sarasota City Commission voted to allow developers to build at higher densities in certain areas if their projects include affordable housing. But will it work?

Get caught up on how you can get involved this week with our latest Activist Calendar.

Benderson Development, probably the most active commercial developer in the region, has benefited from a tax loophole to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now state auditors want to close it, but Benderson is suing Florida to keep the loophole open. 

On his listening tour throughout Sarasota County, Superintendent Terrence Connor responded to anxieties and fear over a 12-year-old public school student suspected of planning to cause harm to his former teachers.

The Sarasota City Commission unanimously voted to approve the 2030 Public Art Plan, which doubles the fee luxury developers have to pay to support public art in order to match other competing Florida cities.

Commissioners say that state regulations are just fine. But residents, environmental activists and scientists all urged local officials not to go through with the plan.

A veterans housing project in West Bradenton was put in limbo by County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge. But at a recent town hall, none of the neighboring residents were confused as to why it had been shelved.