MKA Fall 2015 Newsletter

Important information for Manasota Key Association Members.

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MANASOTA KEY NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015

Welcome to the FALL 2015
Manasota Key Association Newsletter

Lots of news and activities for all our members.

Dear Deborah

We hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful autumn and know that many of you are getting ready to return to the Key for the season. You will find information on the possible acquisition of land by Sarasota County, 8215 mangrove update, security, a schedule of events for next season, and other information we hope you will find useful and interesting.

We have introduced the "Coming and Going on Manasota Key" column. In this issue, we have only included a list of new members for neighbors to welcome. If you have moved off the Key and would like your forwarding information included in the newsletter, please let me know.

We hope you enjoy the Fall Newsletter. Thank you to all who contributed! If you have any suggestions or contributions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Nancy Lukas - NANCO2000@aol.com

Message from President DAVID GREEN

Dear Manasota Key Association Members,

This summer has been an eventful one for the Manasota Key Association with the discovery that Sarasota County is seriously thinking about buying property on the south portion of the Key for development into a preserve or limited access park.

Your entire board has been working hard to inform County personnel and Commissioners about our serious concerns about this effort. We have appeared before County committee meetings and had one-on-one conversations with all the Commissioners.

Our position is clear. We believe the County has not followed it’s own procedures in evaluating this purchase and has not informed residents of the Key about its specific intentions for using and developing this property. There are many issues including security, public access, parking, safety…let alone the limited public benefit and substantial cost of this potential acquisition. Theses issues have not been adequately addressed, and, therefore, we oppose this potential purchase.

We continue to dialog with the County and will be present again this week at County meetings concerning this purchase. My special thanks to board members Jackie Ruthman, Louise Tario and Janet McIntyre who have organized our efforts to appear at these meetings and to all the residents who have shown their support of our efforts by publicly speaking against this purchase.

Every member of the board has worked diligently on this issue and we will continue to be very vigilant.

In other news, the mangrove issue at 8215 has yet to be fully resolved. Our understanding is that the State and landowners have a tentative agreement on remediation but we have seen no sign of it being implemented. On a related note, because of this event, the County has started the process of taking over enforcement of mangrove management from the State. We will keep everyone informed as we get updates.

The most important part of this summer is that we have had no major storms or weather related impact on the Key and no security concerns. We are all looking forward to a great season as we gather once again on our little slice of heaven. We have many outstanding social events scheduled for this season and can’t wait to get together with all of you.

See you soon on the KEY!

David Green

Message from our Treasurer LAURA MICHELINI

If you haven’t already, you will be receiving the membership renewal forms. We are looking forward to having you once again join us for the many activities planned for this year. To ensure that you don’t miss out on any of it, we need to have your membership dues paid in a timely manner. We ask that you pay the dues by Nov 15^th. Please don’t wait until you get down here from your northern home. So much of what we do depends on being able to count you as a member. The smooth operation of the Association also depends on receiving your renewal in the fall with any updated contact information. Thank you for your support.

COMING AND GOING ON MANASOTA KEY
by LOUISE TARIO

Please welcome the following new neighbors who have recently joined the Manasota Key Association:

6010 Don and Jody Denison
6095 Daryl and Debra Clark
6117 Gnarled Oak Murray Smith and Katie Morey
6119 Gnarled Oak Janet Egbert and Robert Naseman
6133 David and Cammy Corzilius
6300 Stephanie Weisband
6390 Chuck and Nancy Schappert
6510 R. Martin and Patti Salzgeber
6590 Earl Blust and grandchildren Max and Donna Guzman
6625 Jim and Beth Clark
6900 Flaminia Kaminski
7040 David and Jane Marquet
7175 Stefan and Bobette Brunner
7209 Mark Swanson (former member, new to this property)
7295 Kenneth and Barbara Alflen
7475 James and Helen Martyn
7560 Leandra Pope
7625 Michael and Linda Baskind
7860 Betty and Lee Smith
7870 Lynn and Julie Nelson
7880 Ada and Ita DeSouza
7960 Robert and Denise Krause
8370 Eileen and Theodore Strauel

Please let us know if you have moved off Manasota Key and would like your new address included in the newsletter.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE by JACKIE RUTHMAN

SAVE THE DATE

October 31 Sunset (6:45) Cocktails at the Hermitage Palm House. BYOB, Appetizer to Share, Chair.

November 12 Welcome Back Luncheon @ Boca Royale Country Club 11:30 AM; Look for RSVP and particulars via regular mail.

Annual Meeting Luncheon February 11, 2016 (11:30AM) @ Jacaranda West Country Club. PLEASE NOTE THIS DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM FEBRUARY 18.

April Fool’s Picnic – Friday, April 1, 2016 (4-7PM) @ Lemon Bay Park

SECURITY by BOB CHEYNEY

The following is a question received from a new resident. Hopefully, the information will be informative to all members.

"I have contributed to the Security fund, but I’m wondering if you can tell me what duties, responsibilities, and authorities are assigned to our security team. The car driving up and down the key is obvious, but I’m wondering what their more detailed marching order are."
Manasota Key Association employs TRVST Security to patrol our key on a weekly basis at various times of the day and night, as well as alternating days of the week in order to provide a visible and significant deterrence to crime in our area. The patrol traverses our entire Key many times during each patrol

session in an impressive security patrol marked vehicle looking for any suspicious vehicles, persons or activity in addition to any unusual conditions or circumstances such as fire, road hazards, etc. Should the patrol encounter any of the aforementioned situations, appropriate authorities such as the Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, County officials, etc. are immediately summoned. TrVst Security also carries our Manasota Key Association Directory with them in order that immediate contact may be made in the event of any type of incident. It should be noted that the patrol vehicle travels at a slow speed in order to also observe driveways and residences that are in view, again looking for any abnormalities, suspicious vehicles, persons, activities or like situations.

Our history of having a continuing visible presence of security has definitely enhanced the primarily crime free and tranquil environment that we enjoy here on Manasota Key.

We have also had questions regarding iguanas. The following is from our resident iguana specialist Robert Jackson:
"Besides notifying MKA the standard operating procedure is to report sightings to:

Chance Steed

Environmental Specialist II

Sarasota County Natural Resources

Conservation & Environmental Permitting

1001 Sarasota Center Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34240

941.650.1206

csteed@scgov.net

It is also helpful to record information as to the coloring, size, time of day and location of the iguana.

The County will only deal with iguanas if they are on County land. It is still important to notify the county as they need to be aware of the scope of the iguana population on Manasoata Key. Property owners may try a variety of solutions.

Trapping is seldom successful. High powered pellet guns can work.

Do keep in mind that using firearms is prohibited in Sarasota County."

FLORIDA BACK ROADS by LARRY BOLD

I ride motorcycles with a group of guys every Wednesday. On average we ride about 200 miles roundtrip. We spend as little time as possible on the interstates, as we prefer the back roads. One of the places we visit several times a year is Avon Park, Florida. It is about a 105 mile ride from Manasota Key. Here is one of the routes we take to get there:

1. Take I-75 north to Exit 210 (Fruitville).
2. Turn right onto Fruitville and take it about 10 miles until it dead ends at Verna.
3. Turn left onto Verna and go about 1 mile to Singletary.
4. Turn right onto Singletary and continue to a stop sign.
5. Turn right at the stop sign which keeps you on Singletary and continue until you get to State Road 70.
6. Cross 70 and stop at the Myacca Service station. They have all sorts of stuffed animals on the walls and fabulous fried chicken.
7. Turn right out of the service station not on 70 but on a continuation of Singletary which is now called Wauchula Road. Continue about 10 miles to SR 64.
8. Turn right onto 64 and continue to SR 27/98. To have lunch at the Jacaranda Hotel, continue on 64 about 1 mile to the Jacaranda Hotel which will be on your left. There is a parking lot behind the hotel. If you want to have lunch at the Olympia Restaurant, when you get to the intersection of 64 and 27/98 turn left less than a mile. The Olympia is on your right.

To return home you can just reverse the way you came. Another route home is:
1. Turn South onto 27 and go about 14 miles to SR 66.
2. Turn right onto 66 and go about 24 miles to 17 (Zolfo Springs).
3. Turn left onto 17 and take it about 15 miles to Brownville Road (just past a mobile home park on your right).
4. Turn right onto Brownville until it dead ends at 661.
5. Turn left onto 661 to SR 70. At this point you have two alternatives:
a. Turn right onto 70 and take it to I-75; or
b. Turn left onto 70 less than 1 mile to SR 72; turn right onto 72 (Clark Road) and take it to I-75.

The Jacaranda Hotel (863-453-2211) is owned by a college that teaches hotel management and culinary arts. During tourist season they serve a very nice buffet lunch that includes a piano player who plays show tunes and classical pop music. During December they have beautiful decorations. The Olympia has good food and a salad bar.

UPDATE ON 8215 MANGROVE REMOVAL by MICHAEL CLARK

There are two separate proceedings against the property owners of 8215 Manasota Key Road involving the destruction of mangroves on their property. One was brought by the State Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the other was brought by Sarasota County.

The property owners and the FDEP entered into a Consent Order in June 2015. This Order requires the replanting of mangroves in the wetland portion of the property. It also provides that fill be removed from the wetland area and that the property owners pay fines and expenses of $4,500 to the FDEP. The owners have until October 12, 2015 to replant the mangroves. They had until September 10 to pay the fines and remove the fill – the fines and expenses were not paid as of Sept 15. The Consent Order also sets out a detailed monitoring program to ensure the mangrove replanting is successful. The Consent Order permits a fill pad on a strip of wetland and an upland retaining wall for the purpose of constructing a single family residence.

In March 2015 the Circuit Court Judge handed down an opinion involving the County's action. This decision affirms that the County had jurisdiction to regulate earthmoving activities and also confirmed that the property owners must replant native species (other than mangroves) on the property. The decision held that the State had jurisdiction over mangroves. The County is waiting for the property owners to obtain an after the fact earthmoving permit and complete their restoration plan. Until such time the lien on the property continues to grow at $250 per day.

County Commissioners recently authorized further action to seek permission from the State so that in the future the County will have authority to regulate mangroves.

Real Estate Report
By

Debi Healy

Nelda Thompson
& Associates

As promised, there are fewer properties on the market even during our slowest time of the year! In May there were 32 active residences; in our last report, there were 25; and today the count is down to 22. We have 4 pending with one to close in a week. There have been 21 closings in 180 days!! That is pretty amazing for our stretch of Manasota Key in Sarasota County!! There are now 11 lots active and one pending. One has sold since last report. There have also been homes that have sold above $3M. This is bringing our values up but without a rapid inflation rate.

Inventory is scarce, and the agents who work on Manasota Key are as delighted as you are! I have reached out to agents on our sister keys letting them know we have few waterfront homes left. In our sharing, we have all seen an unprecedented demand with diminishing inventories that we have not seen in years.

Sarasota and Manatee areas were ranked second in the nation for their large percentage of residential cash buyers; and this, of course, has helped make our real estate transactions a bit easier than some other areas. There has been a recent change with a handful of buyers enjoying the use of mortgage money included in their transactions.

There continues to be a substantial amount of building new and remodeling of homes all along the Key. Some are “in waiting” for their permits.
We truly believe we will be in the “cat-bird seat” this season with surrounding Keys running low in their marketable homes and our homes always being priced at a more favorable point. The small amount of bank owned properties are off the market and being restored for resale or owner occupation.
Please, everyone knock on nearby wood, as we are almost through the 2015 Hurricane Season and have been fortunate so far!

Photos courtesy of Jack Littler.

TURTLE RECORDS SHATTERED IN 2015 by KATE PIRIO

Turtle Records shattered in 2015
Manasota Key Data to consider: 2015 vs. previous records
Loggerhead nests = 3768, false crawls = 4131 vs. 2014 @ 3262 & 3432
Green nests = 118, false crawls = 57 vs. 2013 @ 69 & 24
Kemps Ridley nests = 4, FC= 0 vs. 2014 @ 2 & 1
Green sea turtles are the largest of the hard-shelled sea turtles, but have a comparatively small head. While hatchlings are just 2 inches long, adults can grow to more than 3 feet long and weigh from 300-350 pounds. Scientists believe that they may live to be 100 years old. Adult and juvenile green sea turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivorous and primarily eat sea grasses and algae.
Female green sea turtles dig a broad pit with their front flippers and an egg chamber with their rear flippers. She deposits an average of 110-115 eggs and covers the nest by sweeping sand over a broad area with front flippers.
The eggs incubate for about 60 days before hatching, depending on the temperature of the sand. The temperature of the eggs during incubation also determines the gender of the hatchlings. Lower temperatures will produce more males, while higher temperatures will produce more females. When they are fully developed, the hatchlings work together to dig to the surface and then emerge at night and crawl down the beach to the ocean. On a dark beach they are attracted to the light reflected off the ocean. Artificial beachfront lighting can cause turtles to become disoriented and prevent them from finding their way to the ocean.
Our baby turtles are still hatching as of mid - September and the “season” extends till October 31. Please keep those lights off at night and the beach clear of furniture. But also be cautious with your pets and nighttime strolls.

Here is what a coyote did to a Green turtle nest just north of Manasota Beach. As reported by Susan Young of CWC Volunteers on 9/17/15
“Coyote dug this deep to wipe out Green nest on zone 6. One hatchling buried in the thrown sand. “
It takes a good sized animal to dig that deep. Be aware!

For wildlife emergencies, including dead or injured adult sea turtles and disoriented hatchlings, and to report a violation or imminent violation against gopher tortoises, contact FWC, Division of Law Enforcement, at: 1-888-404-FWCC FREE (888-404-3922 FREE)
or visit: MyFWC.com/law/Alert