Episode 11: Lourdes Ramirez, 3H Ranch & Overdevelopment in Sarasota

The Detail with Cathy Antunes

Community leader and smart growth advocate Lourdes Ramirez joins me to discuss the Sarasota County Commission's August 27th approval of 6,576 homes for Pat Neal's 3H Ranch (instead of the permitted 386 homes).
Residents in Sarasota County have experienced four major flooding events in the past 18 months. Hurricane Debby was the most recent event. At the August 27th hearing, residents called upon the County Commission to pause new development approvals and study the new flood maps issued by FEMA and the impact of new development on existing neighborhoods. The County Commission ignored residents' request for a pause on development approvals and forged ahead with gifting Pat Neal a massive housing density increase.
The wildlife habitat and open space protections which should have been required to get Neal's home density increase from 386 homes to 6,576 were shattered by the County Commission. Our bought Commission simply gifted Mr. Neal with a massive density increase, and required very little of him. The already watered down requirement of the Sarasota 2050 (which was gutted in 2013) were dismantled even further by our County Commission.
Why do these Commissioner's fail to uphold sound planning standards and give away the store to Pat Neal? Neal's campaign and dark money PAC donations have a lot to do with it.