Page 6 Friday, June 29, 2012 Longboat Key News

KeyOpinion

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Contributing WritersDick Hershatter • Tom Burgum

Al Green • Hal Lenobel Karen O’Dowd • Susan Goldfarb Dan Dowd • Peter O’Connor

Matthew Edlund M.D. • Gene JaleskiMichael Givant • Larry Kassouf

Letters to the Editorletters@lbknews.com

On the 21st of June the Town Commission adds a special meeting to the scheduled workshop. This is to meet several deadlines, maybe all self-imposed. The main task was to pass on second reading Ordinance 2012-06, Comprehensive Plan Amendments.

I had to witness this one.This ordinance is the grand result of two years work.

The commission ran the risk of not getting it done; close call here. As I reported earlier the interested par-ties all left early from the June meeting. (Perhaps they really don’t know what is going on. They would not be alone.) After a rather ham-handed start, commis-sioners had removed again the Whitney Plaza overlay. This was ostensibly to permit its professional design. The two dueling factions could stand back — having brought their positions to the fore — jobs well done so far. Maybe, just maybe, the town manager and planning director might get a hold of this one before real damage is done.

They didn’t, setting the stage for the 11th-hour action at this special meeting.

And so the high drama continued at two on a Thursday

afternoon. I noticed that most of the ‘suits’ were absent. The agenda for the special meeting had but one item, the Comp Plan Amendments. This is “the” big item culminating two years work since the Longboat Key Club application days. This might be the long way around, but it is a way, and here we were on the brink of success. That pesky attempt to snatch failure from the claws of victory appears to have been disposed of in the ensu-ing weeks. The original overlay was back in the ordinance text. I noticed a statement projected on the chamber screen, which claimed that ORD 2012-06 was the result of 22 public hearings from November 2010 to May 2012. The screen further noted for all to see that the ‘proposed’ amendments to the Comprehensive Plan are to create a Town Center area (oh?) and a Whitney Beach Overlay category. I guess that’s the story, and they’re sticking to it. Time to move ahead.

I thought that the quality of this day’s events in the commission chamber far surpassed those we witnessed during the May and June commission meetings. I have

A bit more learning curve

PETER O’CONNORContributing Columnistoconnor@lbknews.com

O’CONNOR

And so the high drama continued at two on a Thursday afternoon.

O’Connor, page 8

survive being submerged with seawater over them for extended periods of time. Rutger says it will take time to determine which nests actually survive the water inun-dation. While all areas have not been assessed, according to Rutger, Mote researchers have verified 244 nests out of 1,367 that were marked before the storm. Rutger says

reported on those two events earlier. Today things were almost civil. I hope the new push for civility will contin-ue. I did take some notes during those short afternoon happenings. My thoughts from that scribbling…

Interestingly, at least to this non-planning pro, was the absence of any reference –absent the words pro-jected on the screen — to the actual amendments to the town’s Comprehensive Plan. But then these might have been covered adequately during first reading. Maybe; I thought I saw some classic misdirection here. Nobody mentioned the lack of interest. The suits were content. They understood the importance.

The new planning director, Robin Meyer, dove right into the overlay discussion. He noted that this was a unique overlay relying on the underlying zoning catego-ries with a needed zoning ordinance to follow. Don’t they all? Meyer emphasized that no change in building heights are included. This may have satisfied the anti-hotel crowd.

The same Meyer, in his initial performance, said that he “would be reluctant to stand in the way of progress.” He correctly reads the mood of government here now. I’ll say no more on this subject.

Several speakers rose to oppose the ‘original’ overlay

It has 360-degree panoramic views and more than 2,500 square feet in terraces.

For Coldwell Previews Managing Broker Bob Stanley, it was a banner day.

“I am so proud of our team members to put together a sale of this magnitude. It is consistent with what we have seen this year. The upper end buyer sees the value and the seller is willing to move the price through strong negotiation. We are finding that the buyer and seller are redefining the values in this market,” said Stanley.

Stanley credits the knowledge and experience of both Hicks and Kepecz.

Hicks grew up and has worked her entire career on Longboat Key.

“Maggie Hicks has been a long-time top performing veteran of Longboat Key and brings tremendous skill and knowledge to her clients,” said Stanley.

that hopefully the large volume of nests laid so far this season will help offset the potential losses from the storm.

“Until Debby, nesting numbers were looking great, with more nests laid between April and June 2012 than during all of the 2011 nesting season,” stated Rutger.

Below are the numbers of sea turtle nests Mote has verified in each area as of Tuesday, June 26:

Longboat Key: 77 verified of 341 nests previously documented (23 percent)

Lido Key: Eight of 47 nests (17 percent)Siesta Key: 55 of 198 nests (28 percent); inventory

is not complete.Casey Key: 21 of 580 nests (4 percent); inventory is

not complete.Venice: 83 of 201 nests (41 percent) Patrol volunteers have now resumed their normal

nest-monitoring duties now that the storm has passed. The Patrol includes Mote scientists, interns and more than 300 volunteers who monitor 35 miles of local beaches during the turtle nesting season which lasts from May 1 through Oct. 31.

Special Instructions to get rid of storm debris, yard waste

The same rules for yard waste preparation apply to the fallen branches, trees, leaves and other yard waste materials from your property generated by the high winds of Tropical Storm Debby.

Properly prepared yard waste is containerized, bagged or bundled. Yard waste may be placed in 32 gallon cans, yard waste bags or bundled with twine.

Bundles and containers are limited to 40 pounds. Bundles are also limited to four feet in length and 16 inches in diameter. Loose debris may not be hauled away.

In order to insure that Waste Management picks up your yard waste it must be properly prepared and placed on your curb by 7:00 a.m.

Please remember that Wednesday, July 4th is a col-lection holiday; your alternate pickup date is Thursday, July 5th. Your regular garbage pick up will also be on Thursday.

Please place your garbage container at least three feet away from your yard waste.

For Kepecz, who was the number-1 salesperson for Coldwell Banker in the State of Florida in 2011, it was a blend of technique, technology and hard work.

“My colleague and I persevered, and everyone walked away happy,” Kepecz said.

Kepecz described how the sale came about: “This Beau Ciel residence is considered one of the

most beautiful in the area. The seller was a great person to work with and did not panic when the unit did not sell as quickly as he had hoped; he listened and trusted my expertise.”

In context, in the past seven years the following con-dominium sales have been made in and around Sarasota:

• In 2005 a Ritz Carlton residence sold for 5 million. • In 2006 a Vizcaya sold for 5.45 million• In 2008 an Orchid Beach residence sold for $6.9

million

Beau Ciel, from page 1

Turtle loss, from page 1