Celery Fields

A long-running fight over a proposed subdivision next to Sarasota’s Celery Fields has escalated into a lawsuit, with D.R. Horton abandoning an arbitration process and suing Sarasota County after officials repeatedly rejected its scaled-down plans to build up to 170 homes on nearby Smith Farm.

Three times now, environmental advocates hoping to stave off a housing community proposed next to the Celery Fields bird sanctuary have seen huge victories in the Sarasota County Commission chambers. But a developer that calls itself "America's largest homebuilder” is still carrying on with its plans.

County commissioners heard several hours of public comment from opponents who said the development would lead to more flooding and fewer birds.

If approved by county commissioners, the Smith Farm, near Celery Fields, would be rezoned from its current limit of five homes across 50 acres to more than 120.

Dozens of speakers told the planning commission Thursday night about fears of flooding, that wildlife would be harmed and residents' quality of life would suffer.

Planners will meet to discuss the proposal, which seeks to rezone farmland so that 170 homes could be built in an area where only five residential units are now allowed.

Planning work is underway for 170 homes adjacent to the wetland restoration project.

New conservation easements on three parcels adjacent to Celery Fields will keep development from encroaching on the reserve.

With the exception of the time he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, Willie Charles Shaw has lived his entire life in Sarasota, much of…

Sarasota County commissioners decided on Wednesday to side with residents and prevent the industrial rezoning of an area adjacent to the 400-acre Celery…

Fresh Start for the Celery Fields, a group concerned about having development coexist with one of the birding areas in Sarasota County, chose four options…

A coalition of 50 homeowners presented a report to Sarasota County Commissioners on Wednesday suggesting potential land-uses surrounding Celery Fields,…