Recent Coalition Activities
• Our membership has grown to 70 neighborhood and condominium Associations comprising over 6,400 households.
• For months, experienced land use attorney Patricia Petruff of Dye, Harrison, Kirkland, Petruff, Pratt & St. Paul, PLLC has been working on our behalf on legal issues with the hotels proposals.
• We engaged Dan DeLisi of DeLisi, Inc., an MIT-educated, Florida-licensed professional land planner to educate and prepare us for the regulations and code applicable to these proposed hotels.
• We hired William Oliver, a professional traffic engineer and transportation consultant that has been very active locally and regionally to present our traffic concerns at the hearings.
• On July 13, our Traffic Consultant Bill Oliver went on the record at the beginning of the Board of Commissioners Meeting that day to call for the Commissioners to do a “bridge to bridge” traffic impact analysis on SK to analyze the cumulative effect of multiple high-density hotels and the coming Siesta Promenade on our already constrained roads and barrier island access (3 of our Coalition officers also spoke endorsing the need for the County study before proceeding to precedent-setting hotel.
• On May 18th we sent a Letter to the Board of Commissioners outlining major concerns and requesting face-to-face meetings (to date, only one has accepted our multiple requests).
We are mailing our 2nd Coalition postcard to every property owner on Siesta Key next week and will include five other Sarasota County zip codes to broaden education and contacts onto the mainland.
• All 500 of the “Stop High-Density Hotel” signs have been deployed throughout the Key. (If you brought yours inside during Tropical Storm Elsa, please put it back out!)
• Our leadership team has actively engaged in all four of the Neighborhood Workshops for each of the four hotels and followed up with written issues emails to County Staff and planner@scgov.net to reiterate for the public record the key concerns of the individual applications.
• We have worked with other consultants and a significant volunteer team to research and prepare other content for presentation at the upcoming meetings.
• We have actively engaged with the press at the Siesta Sand, the Sarasota News Leader, the Sarasota Observer, and the Herald-Tribune on many target articles on the hotels, including TV interviews. (See under “Press Coverage” below)
• We have worked in close coordination with leadership of the Siesta Key Association and Siesta Key Condominium Council to share insights, communication and efforts.
Press Releases
SIESTA KEY COALITION HAS CONCERNS ABOUT DUE PROCESS
Sarasota County Planning Process for New Hotels is Flawed
SK COALITION OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED SIESTA KEY HOTEL GROWS
Unwelcome Project and Dangerous Precedents
SIESTA KEY COALITION CALLS FOR BIG PICTURE APPROACH
Impact of All Proposed Hotels Should be Reviewed Collectively, Not Separately
Press Coverage
August 15, 2021
Derek Gilliam Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Key Fight Siesta Groups Rally As Hotel Bids Head To Planning Board
July 29, 2021
Rachel Brown Hackney
Siesta Key nonprofit contends county planning staff deferring to developers and failing to engage with residents in regard to proposals for four hotel projects
June 2, 2021
Please read since it captures key requests of our Commissioners
SIESTA KEY COALITION - IMPORTANT UPDATE
May 27, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Siesta Key Coalition seeking meetings with county commissioners to discuss need for comprehensive analysis of impacts four hotel projects would have on the barrier island
May 13, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney
Island residents voice multitude of concerns about plans for redevelopment of Siesta Key Beach Resort and Suites from 55 rooms to potentially 170
May 5, 2021
Chris Anderson Sarasota Herald-Tribune
OPINION: Siesta Key hotel development will turn masterpiece into money-driven mess
April 29, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney
May 10 Neighborhood Workshop planned on the redevelopment of Siesta Beach Resort in Siesta Village
April 22, 2021
Sarasota Herald Tribune, Tim Fanning
Could more hotels be coming to Siesta Key? Fourth developer submits proposal
March 11, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Siesta Key Coalition working to hire consultants and raising funds to pay for them in fight against proposed high-rise hotels that would increase density on the island
March 8, 2021
Mark Spiegel, Siesta Key Coalition President
Siesta Key Condominium Council
March 2021 PowerPoint Presentation
March 3, 2021
Siesta Sand, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Deficiencies found in Calle Miramar hotel application
March 1, 2021
Siesta Sand, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Commissioners move forward with hotel amendments
February 12, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Numerous deficiencies cited by Sarasota County staff in application for eight-story, 170-room hotel proposed on edge of Siesta Village
February 5, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Condominium Council encouraging members to join Siesta Key Coalition
February 2, 2021
Siesta Sand, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Traffic analysis completed on proposed south Siesta Key expansion
February 2, 2021
Siesta Sand, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Protests aplenty aired over proposal for 170-room, eight-story hotel on edge of Siesta Village
January 28, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Sarasota residents fail in quest to prevent county staff review of proposed changes to barrier island density regulations outside normal cycle
January 27, 2021
Siesta Key Observer, Brynn Mechem:
Commission approves out of cycle hotel proposals
January 27, 2021
Herald-Tribune, Tim Fanning:
Sarasota County to press ahead with review of hotel proposals on Siesta Key
January 21, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Siesta Key Coalition calling for county staff to review three island hotel proposals in one general review
January 14, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Protests aplenty aired over proposal for 170-room, eight-story hotel on edge of Siesta Village
January 14, 2021
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Only 92 extra vehicles expected to be associated with 120-room hotel and 203-space garage proposed near stickney point road on Siesta Key
January 11, 2021
Herald-Tribune, Tim Fanning:
Residents Slam Effort to Fast Track Large Siesta Key Hotel Proposals
January 11, 2021
ABC7 TV WWSB, Seshmi Hayes:
Seshmi Hays interviews Mark Spiegel regarding the proposed Calle Miramar Hotel on Jan 11 at 6 pm
January 4, 2021
Siesta Sand, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Residents Voice Strong Opposition to proposed Stickney Point hotel and Garage
December 18, 2020
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Siesta Key residents remain Adamant in Opposition to Plans for 120-Room Hotel and Five-Story Parking Garage
December 5, 2020
Herald-Tribune, Tim Fanning:
Ask Gary Siesta Key hotel proposal gets earful at first Workshop
December 3, 2020
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Kompothecras’ Hotel and Garage Project Team Members Hear Numerous Complaints
December 3, 2020
Siesta Sand, Island Chatter:
Condo Council Members Strongly Opposed to Hotel Plans
November 13, 2020
Sarasota News Leader, Rachel Brown Hackney:
Siesta Seen – Condo Council members strongly opposed to hotel plans
October 22, 2020
Siesta Key Observer, Brynn Mechem: