and why Sarasota Audubon opposes it
Sarasota Audubon Society continues our efforts to prevent development at Celery Fields. We are engaged on several fronts to stop D.R. Horton from building next to Celery Fields. There are two ongoing lawsuits against the county involving the Smith Farm.
1. Challenge to Rezone Denial: D.R. Horton and the Smith family filed a Writ of Certiorari to challenge the county’s denial of RZ 23-30, claiming the denial was unauthorized. We retained legal counsel, successfully obtained intervenor status in the lawsuit, and filed a brief to supplement the county’s arguments and present critical points from our testimony at the rezone public hearing to the judge.
2. Live Local Act Lawsuit: Taking a new approach, D.R. Horton applied to build 864 multifamily housing units in buildings up to 65 feet tall on the Smith Property on Raymond Road under the Live Local Act, which typically bypasses the county commissioners and public comment. However, the County Commission determined that OUE and OUR zoned properties do not qualify as commercial use and are exempt from the Act. In response to the Commission’s action, four developers, including D.R. Horton, sued the county. The county is vigorously defending its position. We will participate in this litigation as feasible and hope to report our actions to you soon.
Live Local Law Explained: John Kennedy Capital Bureau | USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA explains in this July 24, 2026, article in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Our Fight Continues: We continue to investigate every avenue with our lawyers to stop this unnecessary, overly dense development. We will keep you updated as the research unfolds.
Whatever We Don’t Preserve Will Be Lost: Voters to decide on advancing push to protect land in Sarasota County, Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY NETWORK, July 26, 2026.
A deep dive into the history of the Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program including interviews with Jon Thaxton, Christine Johnson and Jono Miller. This explains why we want to continue the program.
We will not stop fighting this development on Raymond Rd. Any development beyond the current zoning at Smith Farm will be extremely detrimental to the area. If you are able, please consider donating to support this ongoing fight by using the link below. Our commitment to this cause remains unwavering.
