You can help to amplify our voice with the following messages:

• Care: We care about Rookery and the ecosystem that supports it. Please include a personal message about why you care for the Rookery - how has it impacted you and your family, and contributed to your appreciation of Florida's natural resources?
• Concern: We are concerned about the impact of this development on the Rookery ecosystem and the loss of natural habitat.
• Hope: We hope that strong measures will be taken in the County’s decision by adding conditions to protect the Rookery such as requiring:

         (1) Timing: Heavy construction activity must take place outside of nesting season (Feb-June)

         (2) Buffer:  Establish a robust native vegetative buffer on the border of the project facing the Rookery

        (3) Traffic: Implement measures to reduce the “shortcut” traffic on Annex Road, which passes within 400 feet of the Rookery

        (4) Water: Design to protect water quality and prevent flooding in the surrounding area

        (5) Hazard mitigation: Design to mitigate light and noise pollution and prevent bird window strikes 

        (6) Tree protection: Maximum possible preservation of existing trees and native vegetation

        (7) Wetland protection: Preservation of the wetland area on the south end of the project site nearest the Rookery.
Add information about these types of actions and others to protect the environment. Your message will be more effective if it is personalized and not copied and pasted.

Public Comment

Email your written comments to planner@scgov.net and  commissioners@scgov.net as soon as possible. Last minute messages are less likely to be read. You can address your email to your Commissioner and Commissioner Ron Cutsinger who represents District 5 where the Rookery is located. Information on districts can be found here – scroll down and click on “Find My District”.

Hearing: Tuesday, April 11, 9:00 am. It is item #37 on the agenda and likely will not come up until the afternoon.

• Attend the hearing to show your support – wear a green shirt if possible
• Speak during the public comment period (limit of 5 minutes per speaker)
• More about the meeting Rules of Procedure are on our website.

DOCUMENTS:  Links to documents related to CEM Development Apartments Project (2651 Jacaranda Blvd., Venice FL 34293):

Agenda 4-11-23 Sarasota Board of County Commissioners

BCC Memo - CPA 2022-G Adoption

Ordinance 2022-084 CPA 2022-G

Sar Co Planning Commission Minutes 11-17-22

Sarasota Board of County Commissioners - Agenda 1-18-23: Sarasota Bd Cty Comm Agenda 1-18-23.pdf

CEM Development Petition Summary and Land Use Petition Staff Report: CEM Dev Pet Summary and Staff Report.pdf

Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners Rules of Procedure: BCC Rules of Procedure Ex.pdf