Longboat Key News and Sarasota City News encourages Letters to the Editor on timely issues. Please email to: letters@lbknews.com or mail to PO Box 8001, Longboat Key, FL 34228. We also print letters sent to Town Hall that address Longboat Key issues. We reserve the right to edit.
Sleepy Lagoon Follow up call
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
Thank you for these, Isaac. I had a great catch-up with Blythe yesterday, she has some thoughts on what will be useful to residents in terms of the “dashboard” content. Let’s keep in touch as that project comes together, sounds like Charlie hopes to present it on the late Aug LBK North Zoom?
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Sleepy Lagoon Follow up call
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Yes, sounds good, thank you!
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Sleepy Lagoon Follow up call
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Here are a few emails that will help with the context preceding the recent Zoom meeting Kalee and I had with Sleepy Lagoon. Thank you!
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Manatee County Days at the Florida Capitol
To: Longboat Key Assistant to Town Manager Savannah Cobb
Can you reach out to the county and make plans for me to attend? Not in the hotel we were in last time Susan made reservations. Thanks.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Manatee County Days at the Florida Capitol
To: Longboat Key Commissioner BJ Bishop
He also thinks it’s a good idea if someone from the Commission wants to represent Longboat Key there. Let me know if you need anything from me.
Savannah Cobb
Assistant to Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Manatee County Days at the Florida Capitol
To: Longboat Key Assistant to Town Manager Savannah Cobb
I think this is a good idea – ask Tip what he thinks please.
BJ Bishop
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Manatee County Days at the Florida Capitol
To: Longboat Key Town Commission
We’re excited to invite you to join us for Manatee County Days at the Florida State Capitol, taking place February 4th and 5th, 2026! This special event brings together representatives from Manatee County Government, our municipalities, and a wide range of local partners to showcase all that makes Manatee County a premier place to live, work, and play.
There will be many great ways to participate in this event, ranging from sponsorship opportunities, tabling at the Capitol, and general attendance. There are differing sponsorship levels, depending on what your group is looking to support. As a municipality within Manatee County, we want to give you an early opportunity to reserve one of these spots. If interested, please reach out to brent.anderson@mymanatee.org. Please save the dates and see below for a preview of what’s planned:
Wednesday, February 4: Join us for a Welcome Reception at the Governor’s Club from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to connect with members of the Manatee County Delegation and the many participating organizations in an informal and engaging setting.
Thursday, February 5: We’ll be hosting individual 20–30 minute meetings on the 22nd floor of the Capitol, where members of the Manatee County Delegation will meet with representatives from attending organizations. More details and a finalized schedule will be shared as the event approaches.
We truly hope you’ll be able to join us for this important and exciting event! Official agenda and additional information are to come in August. If you have any questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Crosley Jones
Legislative Aide
Bradenton
FDOT
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Steve Branham
Hi, my name is Hannah Weary and I am a communications coordinator consulting with the FDOT District 1. The FDOT is hosting a Public Hearing for the I-75 at Moccasin Wallow Road Interchange Modification Project. FDOT is required to send a Public Hearing notice to Elected and Appointed officials and wanted to send the notice to Commissioner Steve Branham because of his position in the Sarasota/Manatee MPO Board.
Hannah Weary
Longboat Key
St Regis Landscape plan
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Penny Gold
Thanks for passing along the question regarding the landscaping on the north side of the St. Regis project. I looked at the landscape plans to see if there were differences between what was depicted on the plans that included the parking structure and the landscape plans that were approved (without the parking structure). There was no change to the plantings that were proposed (and ultimately planted) between those two plan sets. I’ll pass along to the development team that there’s been complaints from neighbors about the landscaping.
Allen Parsons
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
St Regis Landscape plan
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Penny Gold
Good afternoon Commissioner Gold, I have copied our Planning, Zoning, & Building Department with your question.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
St Regis Landscape plan
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
The December 2023 rendering with the parking garage includes a planned row of trees between the hotel wall and the Aquarius Condominium property. If I recall, their original proposal also included a line of trees on the north side. I have received several complaints from Seaplace owners about the bare brick wall on the north-facing side of the hotel. Can we encourage St. Regis to move forward with that version of the landscape plan?
Penny Gold
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Follow up to Inquiries
To: Bob Gault
Here are the approved landscape plans from December 2023, which revised previously approved landscape plans for the project. Also attached is a rendering used during Unicorp’s presentation of the parking garage concept, which preceded the December 2023 plan update. Not sure if their intention was that the rendering (which most likely depicts fully matured trees and foliage) was for that concept to carry through with or without a parking garage.
Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Follow up to Inquiries
To: Longboat Key Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman
Thank you Isaac.
Bob Gault
Longboat Key
Follow up to Inquiries
To: Bob Gault
Yes, let me work our Planning, Zoning, & Building group to track that graphic down.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Follow up to Inquiries
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Gary Coffin
Thanks Gary again to you and Isaac for the follow up on St Regis landscaping. As I recall the elevation rendering presented in the public hearings depicted a very dense grove of palms helping screen the facility, etc. I was thinking how
Thanks Gary again to you and Isaac for the follow up on St Regis landscaping.
As I recall the elevation rendering presented in the public hearings depicted a very dense grove of palms helping screen the facility, etc. I was thinking how can they plant palms so closely together side by side? It was a wall of landscaping.
Currently there are only a handful of skinny Queen Palms and allot of low grass type plants. Can we get a pdf of the rendering perspective presented in the Commission meeting please?
Just trying to understand what happened.
Bob Gault
Longboat Key
Follow up to Inquiries
To: Bob Gault
Thank you for your enquiry this week. Here are the responses from our directors to your questions. Should you have any other questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reply back or attend our next regular meeting scheduled on September 8th at 1 p.m.
Gary Coffin
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Follow up to Inquiries
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Gary Coffin
As a follow-up to your questions last week, here are some answers below. Please let me know if you have any follow-up questions.
1.Landscaping in front of St. Regis.
1.Hearing from at least one resident that the expectation was that the landscaping would be heartier/more dense.
The landscaping installed at the St. Regis is consistent with the approved landscaping plan.
1.Does the landscaping they have implemented match their approved landscape plans?
Yes. Allen Parsons walked the site with the project’s Construction Manager to ensure the installed landscaping was consistent with the approved landscaping plan.
1.Does the landscaping implemented and approved on the landscape plans match the rendering they supplied during public hearings?
Yes.
1.Do they have any plans of adding more?
Beyond ensuring the installed landscaping was consistent with the approved landscaping plan, Town staff would not have any involvement in the St. Regis’ future plans for additional landscaping.
1.Seems sparse for a 5-star resort and condo development.
The landscaping installed at the St. Regis is consistent with the approved landscaping plan.
1.St. Regis Parking Lifts
1.Also, the recollection is that the final approved plan would have parking lifts. Have those been implemented?
As a part of an amendment package in 2023 (Resolution 2013-12), all 62 mechanical parking lift spaces were removed, and the parking was made up on an expanded surface parking area. The final approved plan in 2023 added one more parking space beyond the original 2021 plan that had the lifts. The 2023 approved plan included a total of 469 parking spaces.
1.971 Longboat Club Road
1. Property is out of sorts (still damaged from storms and no apparent repair activity in sight).
2. Any update/status to repairs on that property?
A Notice of Violation has been filed against the owner. Code Enforcement staff have been in communication with the property owner, who has committed to having her contractors file the correct permits. Code enforcement spoke to the property owner yesterday morning. The owner stated that she has signed contacts and does not know why the contractors haven’t applied for permits. The Code enforcement officer has requested twice for her to send him the contracts and still have not received anything. The Code Enforcement officer informed her that she has until 7.30.2025 to have permits applied for. If they are not applied for by then she will receive a Notice of Hearing to appear before the Special Magistrate.
As a side note, she stated to the Code Enforcement officer that she has been dealing personal matters as well.
Isaac Brownman
Assistant Town Manager
Town of Longboat Key
Commission budget and roads communications
To: Longboat Key Commissioner Sarah Karon
Yes I am good after 8:30 EST.
Blythe Jeffers
Longboat Key
Commission budget and roads communications
To: Blythe Jeffers
Since tomorrow is no good, any chance for Wednesday before 1 p.m.?
Sarah Karon
Commissioner
Town of Longboat Key
Information on Visitors on LBK from Visit Sarasota County
To: Longboat Key Commission, Sarasota City Commission
Here we are with Q3 data on visitors to LBK. Adding Kim to this email as I see I didn’t include her last quarter which is my fault. Reminder, this is brand new data to us too – so we know how we’re using it (to help us better target the high spending visitor, during the right time, with the right message) but you may see value in these insights too.
Let us know if there is someone else you’d rather see us share this data with – or if there is anyone else we should add to the list when we send each quarter.
Erin Duggan
Presiden/CEO
Visit Sarasota
Information on Visitors on LBK from Visit Sarasota County
To: Longboat Key Commission, Sarasota City Commission
Great seeing you two gentlemen last night at the Argus event. It reminded me to reach out to you both and share this information. Please feel free to let us know if there are others within the Town that we should be sharing it with as well.
One of the new “toys” we have access to this FY is a platform called Zartico. We’re appreciative the Tourist Development Board and Board of County Commissioners approved this new funding in our budget this year. One promise we made internally within VSC’s walls was to share these insights – especially the ones we could pull from regions within the County – with those that might be interested. If this data can help others in crafting marketing / business decisions – all the better!
Please see attached some quarterly data that targets Longboat Key as the geographic region.
Should you have any thoughts/questions, do not hesitate to let us know. I’m Copying Jess Bertolini on this email as she is the internal lead on this system/platform and would be best for answering detailed questions. We have been finding this data useful to help us craft content when we target visitors. Happy to jump on a call to discuss – but the idea is we’ll send these along for Q3 and Q4 and see what changes we see/what insights we glean.
Erin Duggan
President/CEO
Visit Sarasota
Suncoast Waterkeeper Weekly Review
To: Suncoast Waterkeeper Pia Ronquillo
This is one of the reasons why our focus is primarily on stormwater retrofits of the older neighborhoods adjacent to the bay, where the development occurred prior to the 1980s-era stormwater rules. That is pretty much untreated stormwater runoff, full of pollen and oak leaves and grass clippings, cigarette butts, un-bagged dog poop, “dust” from brake pads, flecks of asphalt from our roads, etc.
There is, rightfully so, a lot of attention on stormwater rules for new development, like Lakewood Ranch and places like that. But in terms of impacts, those older neighborhoods next to the bay produce, by far, the greatest amount of pollution per acre.
On the plus side, the recent retrofit projects at Hudson Bay and especially at the Bobby Jones Golf Course now treat over 6,000 acres of residential neighborhoods that had no stormwater rules in place when they were developed. That’s good, but that’s also less than 10% of our watershed.
Dave Tomasko
Executive Director
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
Suncoast Waterkeeper Weekly Review
To: Sarasota Executive Director Dave Tomasko
Yes and it rained heavily the night before and the morning of this week’s sampling event. This was the state of the stormwater pipe at Indian Beach.
The rain can carry polluted runoff from yards, including pet waste, and leaky sewage infrastructure into local waterways, causing spikes in fecal indicator bacteria levels. This can make the water unsafe for swimming or recreation for up to 72 hours, especially in areas near storm drains or in poorly circulated areas.
Suncoast Waterkeeper uses the data from our enterococci monitoring program not only to inform concerned residents and visitors about where it is safe to swim, but to advocate for sewage and stormwater infrastructure upgrades that reduce pollution.
Pia Ronquillo
Water Quality Specialist
Suncoast Waterkeeper
Suncoast Waterkeeper Weekly Review
To: Suncoast Waterkeeper Water Quality Specialist Pia Ronquillo
Thanks Pia – great detail on the conditions!
By the way – those pipes, if they are stormwater, are intended to discharge into the bay. They may be a pollution source (in fact they are) but it’s not something that the City can do much about, most likely, as it probably drains dozens if not hundreds of acres of watershed that were developed prior to modern (i.e., 1980s era) stormwater rules.
David Tomasko
Executive Director
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
Suncoast Waterkeeper Sampling Results
To: Longboat Key Commission, Sarasota City Commission
On July 14th, the enterococci survey was carried out during an incoming to high tide between 1.25 ft to 2.42 feet. Sampling was done after and during a heavy rain event. The stormwater pipe at Indian Beach was overflowing into the water, and this was reported to the City of Sarasota. Thick wrack was present at Herb Dolan Park and Longboat Key Bayfront Park. Decomposing Dapis pleousa was still present at Emerson Point Preserve. Lastly, there were no horses in the water or on the shore of Palma Sola Bay.
The results for sites sampled in Manatee County are as follows:
· Longboat Key Bayfront Park (bay side): 52/100 mL
· Town of Longboat Key Boat Ramp: Undetected
· Herb Dolan Park: 3076/100 mL
· Palma Sola Causeway North: 1067/100 mL
· Braden River: 156/100 mL
· Palmetto Bridge: 250/100 mL
· Emerson Point: 20/100 mL
· Terra Ceia Bay: 4106/100 mL
Any count exceeding 71 is considered unsafe for swimming, indicating a potential health concern. The standard for enterococci in Class II and Class III Marine waters is “MPN or MF counts shall not exceed a monthly geometric mean of 35 nor exceed the Ten Percent Threshold Value (TPTV) of 130 in 10% or more of the samples during any 30-day period. Monthly geometric means shall be based on a minimum of 10 samples taken over a 30-day period,” (62-302.500 F.A.C.). The two Longboat Key sites are located in Class II waters (https://geodata.dep.state.fl.us/datasets/FDEP::surface-water-class-boundaries-areas/explore?location=27.336358%2C-82.433979%2C10.00). We are committed to bringing these critical issues to your attention and believe your active involvement is crucial. The official reports for this week’s sampling activities, courtesy of Benchmark Enviroanalytical, are attached to this email. We want to encourage you to direct all questions, suggestions for additional analysis, and feedback to Dr. Abbey Tyrna at Executivedirector@suncoastwaterkeeper.org and Pia Ronquillo-See at waterquality@suncoastwaterkeeper.org. Your input is invaluable in our collective efforts to address these water quality issues.
Pia Ronquillo
Water Quality Specialist
Suncoast Waterkeeper
Saint Armands Fillmore Lot
To: Sarasota City Commission
I wanted to reach out and ask for some help with the maintenance of the Fillmore parking lot on Saint Armands Circle. I realize that we are all still putting the pieces back together from last year’s horrible hurricane season but the Fillmore lot has become over-grown and unkept. I’m not sending this to complain or speak poorly of city services but am asking for some help to improve the appearance of the lot. It looks like the people that maintain the landscaping issues of the parking lot are an outside contractor. If that is the case, I don’t think that the city is getting what they contracted for. We are using our employees on a weekly basis to empty overflowing garbage cans and picking up yard waste but it’s not enough. We are very thankful for the beautification that is occurring in the circle park but the parking lots are not getting enough attention. Attached are some photos to reference the current situation of the parking lot. Thank you for your time and appreciate any help that you can provide.
Scott Macdonald
Crab & Fin Restaurant
Saint Armands Fillmore Lot
To: Scott Macdonald
Thanks for alerting us to this issue. I saw you copied Deputy City Manager Robinson, but I am going to copy him and the interim City Manager with this response so that the appropriate staff can respond.
Mayor Liz Alpert
Mayor
City of Sarasota
Media Inquiry
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch
My name is Clinton Engelberger, and I’m a freelance reporter for Suncoast Searchlight. I’m responding to resident complaints about a religious protester yelling into a megaphone near a beach, and I had some questions about the sound ordinances in Sarasota. I saw in the City’s Code of Ordinances that between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., no person “shall make, cause, allow or permit the operation of any continuous source of sound…that exceeds seventy-five (75) dBA, eighty (80) dBC or has a ten (10) dB or greater difference between the dBA and dBC sound levels.”
I was wondering how this ordinance would apply to the religious protester using a megaphone. Do police have a right to stop him if residents claim he is disturbing peace, or must officers have his sound levels on the record to stop him?
Also, would he only need a permit if the sound exceeded that sound level, or would he need one regardless of his sound level as a protester?
Thank you for looking into this, and please let me know if there’s anything I can clarify in the meantime.
Clinton Engelberger
Sarasota
Bikram Yoga studio
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch
When I heard of the legacy business acknowledgement happening at City Hall for the Bikram Yoga studio I routinely practice at, I immediately felt compelled to share a meaningful testimonial about this extraordinary business. Perhaps it can serve in some way for the strategic planning of the Downtown Improvement District as it relates to culture and economic development. If so, I am honored to contribute.
For a small space, this business uses every inch of its physical location to benefit its customers/practitioners and to set a tone of culture, including its exterior. The welcoming warmth of vibrant colors and painted poses on the building’s external walls is distinctive and adds to its Downtown presence for its community and visitors alike. Those of us who appreciate and practice Bikram yoga are known to seek out this “hot room” yoga wherever we travel, and that is certainly what I have experienced – and have sought out – at Bikram Yoga Sarasota.
There is a peace and a natural order to the business as a whole. When one walks in, often there are fresh towels being folded, chilled water visible, and a welcoming space to place your shoes. In a minimalistic yet intimate fashion, credit card transactions take place at a tiny counter with an array of mats displayed like artwork on the wall directly behind the counter. The Bikram yoga teachers in simple garb welcome you in, handle the credit cards gently, and all business is complete in a few seconds. The entire rest of the studio experience is focused on entering the “hot room” through a softly lit pathway, with changing areas along the way.
The care, attention, and devotion given by each of the Bikram yoga teachers during the 90-minute class is so individually specific, and at the same time, completely inclusive of all in the room, that a sense of community – along with a collective feeling of “accomplishment” naturally arises.
To me – in so many distinctive ways – the Bikram Yoga studio co-owned by Farky and Timi exemplifies the very best of what Sarasota has to offer, class after class. The beauty of Sarasota’s downtown close to the bay – the value of taking care of oneself while developing a capacity for balance and lifelong health – the deep commitment to customer relationships – all of these qualities are a reflection of what Sarasota has become known and appreciated for.
Thank you for honoring this legacy business. May this small testimonial resonate in consonance with creating legacy business acknowledgement in the City of Sarasota.
Carrie L. Williams
Atlanta, Georgia
Bikrim Yoga studio
To: Carrie williams
Thank you so much for the kind words and also for the beautiful (and accurate) testimonial for Bikrim!
I have copied the City Manager and Economic Development Director on this email in the hopes that your words can be added to Bikrim Yoga Studio’s online narrative on the City’s Legacy Business Web page.
The City of Sarasota is fortunate to have a number of local businesses to create our tapestry which makes us unique, and our Bikrim Yoga Studio is a wonderful example of a small, but mighty business that is a service to the residents and an attraction for visitors, adding economic value while increasing our quality-of-life.
Thank you again for taking the time to email me and to add you voice and support of the City’s Legacy Business Program and specifically for our Bikrim Yoga Studio.
Jen Ahearn-Koch
City Commissioner
City of Sarasota
Bird Key Yacht Club Follow Up
To: Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn Koch
I am providing a response to the clarification questions you had on the Bird Key Yacht Club project. I hope this provides the clarification you were seeking. Please see below:
Trees: The Tree Report was submitted with the initial application materials and the plans were updated several times after submittal. The tree removal count on the Tree Report is off by 9 trees (tree numbers 9-16 and 36). It appears the Tree Report was not updated as the plans were being reviewed and changed. The landscape plan has the correct information including those 9 trees to be removed, 8 of which do not require mitigation. All other information is consistent and accurate.
Lighting: Tennis court lights are all new, the parking lot was previously illuminated but they are replacing the lights with new LED bulbs and new fixtures. The applicant stated they put a test light but its gone now. The photometric plan will be required during the building permit phase and all lighting will have to be in compliance with Section VII-1402 of the Zoning Code. This petition contains a condition of approval limited the hours of the tennis court lights. In addition, the applicant has submitted this statement:
“A light of the same specification as that proposed for the parking lot and tennis courts was installed on the BKYC site on January 14, 2025. It has remained there in operation for the public to observe. The BKHOA and Architectural Review Committee were advised of the light and welcomed to review at their convenience. The President of the HOA Board and the former Chairman, and current member, of the Architectural Review Committee have reviewed the light and found it to be acceptable. We do not know how many other residents may have viewed the fixture. It has been available for review for over six months. A photometric diagram was provided showing no light bleed. Tennis lights are proposed to mimic daylight savings time during the winter hours. BKYC committed to a hard shutoff at 9 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next day. No lights will be on unless a court is in use.”
As of this time we have received no negative feedback on the proposed light fixtures.
Financial Site Plan Criteria: The applicants’ response to the financial Site Plan criteria is below. Staff accepted this as meeting the criteria.
Planning Board Public Input: The Planning Board minutes included in the City Commission agenda request back up states that only affected persons spoke during public input and no general citizens. It appears that there were general citizens that spoke. Staff is looking into this and will update the minutes as needed.
Historic demo: The Planning Department stated that the building at 301 Bird Key Drive is listed on the Florida Master Site File as eligible for both local and national historic designation. It will require historic review and most likely a review by the Historic Preservation Board before a demolition permit could be approved. The applicant is fully aware of this requirement. I will try to check in with the Planning Department to see if there is any additional information on this.
Hours of the Club: The hours are not changing as part of this petition. The applicant has submitted a proffer statement stating what the hours are but they are not listed as conditions of approval.
Lucia Panica
Director of Development Services
City of Sarasota
Bird Key Yacht Club Follow Up
To: Sarasota City Director of Development Services Lucia Panica
Thank you Ms. Panica for the follow-up information. I do appreciate it.
I am asking this item be pulled for formal discussion, clarification, and questions on these item and any others that may arise. Also, I have requested Consent 1 item 2 (Stormwater) to be pulled as well, to discuss the Action Plan, p 69-76.
Jen Ahearn-Koch
City Commissioner
City of Sarasota