General Harris Foreclosure: Mark Your Calendars (Again)
To: Nick Gladding
Yes sir, thank you! Commissioners, the date is September 24, 2026.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
General Harris Foreclosure: Take Two, September 4
To: Longboat Key Commission
As a follow up to last week’s email, a new date has been set for the foreclosure sale of 501 General Harris Street. It is now September 4, 2026, at 11 a.m.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
General Harris Foreclosure: Hurry Up and Wait
To: Longboat Key Commission
Good afternoon Commissioners, just FYI below. Once a new date is set, we will forward to your attention. Thank you.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
General Harris Foreclosure: Auction Scuttled by the Clerk
To: Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board
Frustrating news on this one. The Clerk’s office cancelled the public auction of 501 General Harris. The stated reason was that publication of the sale was not timely. From my quick review, it looked like the timeframes were met. However, the Clerk has the final say. Next step is for Plaintiff to reset the sale date. So, it will probably take another month to resolve this matter. I will watch for the new sale date and advise.
Daniel P. Lewis
Town Attorney
Town of Longboat Key
General Harris Foreclosure: $61,200 in Fines and Counting
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
As you know, the Town has been pursuing foreclosure on the 501 General Harris St. property due to the continued lack of compliance with property maintenance related code provisions and an ongoing daily fine & lien ($50/day) associated with the failure to comply. The daily fine total, through today, is $61,200. The Town Attorney’s Office has provided a copy of the Final Judgement that was entered on 7/24/26 with a public sale date coming up on 8/19/26.
Allen Parsons
Director Planning, Zoning & Building Department
Town of Longboat Key
Sarasota Comp Plan: A Radical Traffic Jam
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
Thank you very much, Howard! I know the Town Commission is and has been on summer recess but if you and/or Commissioner Bishop can add any comment to Donna Harris today, that would be very helpful. The Department has up to 30 days from the August 4 transmittal to respond, so time is short.
It should be kept in mind that this is not just about a second bridge and cooperative concurrency review, but is more so about a radical abandonment of controlling traffic which should have the Town very concerned. It even mandates compliance with the Sarasota Transportation Plan that the Town opposed and the Sarasota City Commission rejected 3 to 2.
Dan Lobeck
Law Offices of Lobeck & Rowe, P.A.
Sarasota
Sarasota Comp Plan: A Seven-Year Swing and a Miss
To: Dan Lobeck
Good morning, Dan. I just wanted to share my appreciation for your letter to the Dept. of Commerce advocating that the Dept. require the City of Sarasota to go through the full review process and not the expedited route. One point that you
Good morning, Dan. I just wanted to share my appreciation for your letter to the Dept. of Commerce advocating that the Dept. require the City of Sarasota to go through the full review process and not the expedited route. One point that you make in your letter that I felt should have been a stronger pillar for this argument is that the Plan is supposed to be reviewed every 7 years but hasn’t been reviewed since 2017. That’s not a miss by a few days, or weeks, or months. That’s a swing and a miss. The apparent disregard for review compliance should be enough by itself to trigger the more complete and thorough process. Anyway, appreciate all your efforts to ensure a full and complete review takes place.
Howard Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Seawall Stardom: Amazing Teams Do Amazing Things
To: Longboat Key Vice Mayor Penny Gold
Thank you, Penny, for sharing how it was displayed at the conference and for your kind words as well. Amazing teams do amazing things!
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Seawall Stardom: Front and Center at the League of Cities
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
Good afternoon! I just wanted to be sure you are aware of the great recognition Longboat Key received at the Florida League of Cities Annual Conference. Specifically, the Town’s Award for Environmental Stewardship was projected over the hotel registration area and presented during the Annual General Session. I was able to catch these slide photos about the Town’s Seawall project. Well done! You all make us proud every day.
Penny Gold
Vice Mayor
Town of Longboat Key
Seawall Stardom: Preparing a Response
To: Dan Lobeck
We are preparing a response.
Howard N. Tipton
Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Gulfside’s Leaning Tower: Shored Up and Seeking Elevation
To: Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton
Providing a status update on the property at Gulfside Rd. As you’re aware the structure was deemed unsafe and past actions, by the property owner, to address the unsafe conditions were proceeding too slowly. The Town then entered into a formal Compliance Agreement with the property owner to address having the structure made safe, with an emphasis on having that done by early in this hurricane season.
The property owner completed temporary shoring of the structure on June 30th (ex. of steel beam and cribbing underneath the structure below).
The Town had an independent structural engineer assess the temporary shoring and opine that it is providing sufficient support (provided it is maintained). This has resulted in addressing the immediate unsafe structural conditions (along with preventing occupancy of the structure and providing security fencing around the structure). Because forced demolition is a last resort option, the Town is continuing to work with the property owner and their attorney to amend the Compliance Agreement, as it is the owner’s intent to keep and elevate the existing structure.
This secondary aspect is the permanent stabilization of the structure via the installation of new pilings and elevating the existing structure approximately 6 ft. to meet current FEMA flood elevation requirements. The property owner initially indicated that this permanent stabilization work would be completed by August 1st. The property owner has requested an extension, which will be considered in a revised timeline/Compliance Agreement, a draft of which is expected any day. At a minimum, an amended Compliance Agreement will address ongoing maintenance of the temporary shoring and an obligation to report weekly on the status of the temporary shoring. I will follow-up when that requested timeline is received.
A building permit has been issued for the permanent stabilization of the structure and FDEP (which has a permitting review role due to the structure’s location seaward of the CCCL) has issued an emergency permit. The work will involve the installation of new pilings, including new underground helical support piles (see front elevation cross section below). The structure will also be elevated from its current finished floor elevation height of 13 ft. above sea level to 19.4 ft. above sea level.
Allen Parsons
Director Planning, Zoning & Building Department
Town of Longboat Key
