Help us fight development 200 ft. from Celery Fields
Conservation Funds | August 9, 2024
Sarasota Audubon is a steward of a very special area in Sarasota County known as The Celery Fields. A regional stormwater facility developed by Sarasota County in 1997 and 2009 (lands were previously used as a celery farm) has transformed into a internationally recognized refuge for birds and other wildlife visited by over 100,000 people over the last year. The lands of The Celery Fields proper are well protected by a conservation easement held by the Conservation Foundation but proposed development surrounding the Celery Fields is a significant threat.
A current threat to The Celery Fields is a proposed rezone (Sarasota County RZ 23-30) that would convert the Smith Farm, lands historically used for agriculture, into a residential development of 170 dwelling units on + 49 acres of land that juts into the wetlands in the South portion of the Celery Fields. The DR Horton development that would be allowed under this proposed rezone will have significant damaging impacts to the wildlife and birds of the Celery Fields. Dates for the public hearings before the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners have not yet been set, but dates in August or September, 2024 are anticipated.
Sarasota Audubon is working diligently preparing our opposition to this rezone and needs your financial support now. To mount a convincing opposition to the rezone, Sarasota Audubon needs assistance from experts to testify at the public hearings and submit written testimony. We need to have expert testimony to counter experts that the applicant will parade before the County Commission. Our experts will cost money and your support and contributions are essential in protecting the Celery Fields and the wildlife and birds that call it home.
