Sarasota County changes conservation status of Nokomis land for construction project
Sarasota County is changing a Nokomis land parcel’s future use designation from conservation to build a fleet maintenance facility in one of the fastest-developing areas in the country.
County commissioners spoke of the growing need for government services in southern Sarasota County, which has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country. The land itself is about a quarter of a mile down the street from the Magnolia Bay housing development that is under construction.
County officials said the location was efficient and cost-effective, and that the growing population in southern Sarasota County requires an expansion of government services.
Although the land is zoned for government use, its “future land use” was marked for conservation, which led many people to urge the commission to vote against the facility.
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The facility would be around 63,000 square feet, meant for maintaining emergency service vehicles and “parts storage, property storage, administrative functions, vehicle acquisitions, and asset management,” according to county plans.
Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the spring of 2025 and be completed by the fall of 2026.
Joan Farrell, a council member for the nearby city of Venice, pointed out that the 2050 growth plan calls for preserving and conserving designated land “in perpetuity.”
“It’s imperative that we prioritize the long-term sustainability of our ecosystems and preserve our natural habitats, as mandated by the 2050 comprehensive plan,” Farrell said.
Shari Thornton, a County Commission candidate for District 3, said she worried that the new facility would compound traffic in the area, which is already near new housing developments and a landfill. Thornton also pulled out an artist’s rendering of the facility, which she pointed out bears “no resemblance” to the natural habitat.
“It seems like the county is chipping away at this land, and it won’t be there once we take it away,” Thornton said. “You can never bring it back.”
Commissioner Mark Smith said he thought the land’s future use designation as conservation when it would be needed for government use caused unnecessary confusion.
“It’s just unfortunate because it just gives the wrong message,” Smith said. “But we need the service area for our planned growth and the growing southern part of our county. I think this is a big oops on (the county staff’s) part years ago, and we’re suffering through it now.”
A staff report pointed out that the resolution “only seeks to establish consistency between the site’s existing zone district and the Future Land Use Map designation.”
The plot of land is about 107 acres and is northwest of the intersection of Rustic Road and Knights Crossing Road in Nokomis. It is part of a larger county-owned property of about 320 acres. It sits east of Knight Trail Park, the Sarasota Gun Range, and a Sheriff’s Office training facility.
Contact Sarasota Herald-Tribune Local Government Reporter Christian Casale at ccasale@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @vanityhack.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County changes conservation designation for vehicle facility
