A letter to the Englewood REVIEW editor from Karen Dega Martin
Manasota Key, Englewood, FL, is a spectacular and magical place, home to awe-inspiring beaches, flourishing wildlife, and nesting areas for many endangered species, including birds, sea creatures, and especially the rare Kemp’s Ridley turtle. Many watched in wonder as one came ashore and laid its precious eggs on Manasota Key, right in front of the Manasota Key Resort on the Gulf side.
These beautiful creatures’ nesting area, our serene, wonder-filled beaches, sunsets, small-town vibe and home to many wildlife species, is in danger because of the new design request by Manasota Key resort, including a 10 foot sea wall right on top of the nesting area. A beautiful, astonishing, and rare moment when a Kemp Ridley laid her eggs was a huge and exciting moment last year.
The hurricanes severely damaged the Manasota Key Resort, previously known as the Wanna Bee Inn. Milton took out one of their two-story beachfront buildings. Now, instead of filing to rebuild within the original footprint, size, and height as they had before the storms, they are requesting a zoning change to increase from 80 units to 256! From low and medium density to high density. This would be one of the most tragic occurrences ever to happen to Manasota Key, even after surviving three hurricanes. It would destroy so much natural beauty of a very rare and special place and open the door for other developers to follow suit.
The County Overlay Code and the Manasota Key Community Plan govern most residential areas in the Manasota Key Overlay District (MKOD). Both emphasize preserving a low-density character to protect the barrier island environment. The code and plan specifically preserve and protect the islands’ existing low-density character and environment. Zoning district overlays are low-density RE-1, allowing for one unit per acre, or RSF-3.5, 3.5 units per acre.
Large portions of the Key (especially near the state park and conservation areas) have even stricter density limits, sometimes as low as 1 dwelling unit per 10-40 acres if zoned as Environmentally Sensitive. The local steering committee and county policies generally preclude future changes that would increase residential density on the island because of hurricane evacuation constraints and infrastructure limitations.
It would destroy the nesting area for the Kemp Ridley and other sea turtles that lay many nests all along that shoreline every year in October.
It would steal a place of sanctity and raw nature and turn it into an over-run playground for Manasota Key Resort. The ten-foot wall would steal the precious nesting spots, and these endangered species would push closer to extinction.
The proposed plan is so huge it is equivalent to seven Sarasota Ritz hotels placed right before the entrance to Stump Pass State Park. It also includes an extravagant and completely out-of-place bridge across the road. This will change our relaxed, sandy beach road to paradise into a blacktopped, two-lane, double yellow lined road in the proposal, essentially capturing the most amazing place on earth for themselves, stealing it away from generations of locals and newbies alike.
Stump Pass State Park is one of the most precious places on Earth, and for any one entity to monopolize it for themselves only to enhance their bank account is unconscionable, irresponsible, and beyond greedy. The delicate barrier islands will suffer irreparable damage. Endangered species. Life as “Englewoodians” know and love will forever change.
The traffic increase will be disastrous with an already overburdened road system plagued with daily accidents and fatalities.
It will increase flooding, runoff will pollute our waterways, overburden the watershed, and strain the water supply to local citizens during a time when we are already in one of Florida’s worst droughts in history. Nearly 99 percent of the state is in an extreme drought, with 22 percent at the highest intensity level ever. So this leaves us vulnerable to frightening and dangerous wildfires and pollution of local waterways because of runoff.
The state laws are very clear and in place to protect the barrier islands, the environment, wildlife, and citizens. There is plenty of legal foundation to oppose the rezone. We say “NO TO THE REZONE” that would create deadly conditions and threaten paradise, wildlife, and citizens.
We must say no to this and the proposed Manasota Key Road Extension. Florida Statutes 163.3178 (Coastal Management), which requires local governments to restrict development that would damage coastal resources or endanger human life, protected specifically both. The already insufficient evacuation routes would further burden citizens, adding to the long list of ways disasters can put their lives in greater danger. This violates the Coastal Management Element of the County’s Comprehensive Plan and increases evacuation times.
The Englewood Water District is also not prepared to handle the additional water and sewage needs. Englewood would need more wells and another sewage treatment center, which would stretch its already over-maxed budget. Englewood is still recovering from major hurricane and storm damage.
Under Florida Statute 161.55, barrier islands in the Coastal Building Zone (CBZ) have the strictest construction standards in the state: “Development must NOT interfere with dune stability or public beach access.” The additional traffic would also burden the very tiny road system and interfere significantly with access to Stump Pass State Park. The expected surge in traffic added to an already backed up road lined with vehicles waiting for entrance would create dangerous conditions for fire, Ambulance and other emergency responses.
The Environmental Protection Ordinances: Charlotte County Code Chapter 3-5 ( Sea Turtle Protection) and state CCCL (Coastal Construction Control Line) regulations provide grounds to challenge projects that threaten nesting habitat or increase light pollution.
Why, when so many are still struggling to recover from the damage left by the hurricanes with constant hurdles, is the red carpet being rolled out for an out-of-State Developer with a project so big it will probably sink the island literally and figuratively. Any increased density is clearly in violation of the mentioned laws.
The proposal will go before the Planning and Zoning Commission for a vote soon. We intend to show up in strong numbers, which is what will hold a lot of weight with the commission, every month starting on May 11, at 1:30 at the Murdock location, 18500 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, FL.
We will also protest on May 2nd, “NO TO THE REZONE,” at the Englewood Beach Sea Shell Circle, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Bring Your signs!
And again on May 9th, 12-2 p.m. at 776 and Beach Road.
Let the Citizens’ Voices echo that we do not want this change, and it’s AGAINST THE EXISTING LAWS created exactly to protect us from such devastating absurdity and reckless and endangering action.
The citizens of Englewood’s peace, sanctity, and safety should and must come before any greedy business agendas. It is out of character and inconsistent with Englewood Old Florida Charm and Natural Beach Character. It is also inconsistent with the County’s comprehensive goals for Coastal High Hazard Areas.
“SAY NO TO THE REZONE!” “SAY NO TO ROAD EXTENSIONS THAT CREATE DANGER FOR THE CITIZENS!” “SAVE OUR BEACHES!” “SAVE THE TURTLES!” “SAVE THE WILDLIFE!” SAVE MANASOTA KEY!
*The Proposed Manasota Beach Road Extension also falls under the same rule of law. Under the Florida State Constitution, residents can challenge the expansion because it primarily serves the interests of private developers rather than the public.
For more information and events, follow “SAVE Manasota Key Englewood, Florida” on Facebook
– Karen Dega Martin
