Sarasota couple fights to protect rural neighborhood from nearby development

Share
Stack of "Keep the Country...Country" signs in Sarasota // Credit: "Keep the Country Country" Facebook July 2022

Listen:

A couple is fighting a plan for thousands of new homes near their rural northeastern Sarasota County neighborhood. The couple has taken legal action and is awaiting a decision from the courts.

Michael Hutchinson lives in northeastern Sarasota County. His calm, rural neighborhood has horses, very little traffic, and an overall slow pace. But he fears new developments not far away may threaten what makes the area unique.

“We’re really nervous that when this comes in, it will change everything for us.”

Sarasota County Commissioners approved Lakewood Ranch to build a community of up to 5,000 homes on 4100 acres near the neighborhood.

So Hutchinson, and his wife, Eileen Fitzgerald, sued Sarasota County.

He says the fight has been happening since last February when Lakewood Ranch presented the idea to county commissioners.

“It’s a different lifestyle living on five-, ten-acre parcels. It’s different for a lot of different reasons. A lot of the homeowners that have that property have it for horses. They’re into horses one way or another.”

A ruling is expected this month.

You may also like

voting sign
Plaintiffs fire back in felons’ voting case in Florida

Plaintiffs want to continue a lawsuit challenging how Florida is...

Court sides with homeowner on insurance law

By: Jim Saunders ©2023 The News Service of Florida. All...

Tampa Bay shorebirds dealt with record heat this summer

Summer this year was one of the hottest on record...

band instruments and middle school students
Music program proposed for Florida middle schools

A Florida bill would supplement middle school science, technology, engineering...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

Follow us on Instagram