|
Newsletter
of the Nokomis Area Civic Association
Vol. 10, No. 4, September 2005
Special Meeting co-sponsored by NACA & the Osprey
& Laurel Civic Associations
Tuesday, September 27, 2005, 7 pm, Nokomis Community Center, on the impending
widening of US 41 from the Venice By-Pass to State Road 681
All Are Welcome! Bring Your Friends and Neighbors!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next NACA General Meeting
Tuesday, October 18, 7 pm, Nokomis Community Center
The quarter-mil tax for buying urban green space & additional
environmentally sensitive lands, our commercial-corridors "Vision," US
41 widening
All Are Welcome! Bring Your Friends and Neighbors!
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
John Ask, NACA President
Dear Nokomis Neighbors:
There is so much positive and exciting happening in Nokomis these days, this
article will only serve to summarize and provide details on how you may learn
more. This edition of The Voice of Nokomis is early so that we can
announce a special meeting on September 27, 2005, being co-sponsored with the
Osprey and Laurel Civic Associations, addressing the impending widening of
Tamiami Trail from the Venice By-Pass to State Road 681.
First of all, NACA has a new internet website: http://naca-nokomis.com
The site is intended to provide Nokomis news; current topics of relevance such
as the extension of Honore; Nokomis history, as well as current revitalization
plans; a listing of our NACA homeowner associations; useful local web-links such
as County-government contacts, airports, local businesses, visitor-related
attractions; and much more. Please check us out, and also provide feedback
on what content can be added to increase value. We seek to make this site
a useful tool for residents. It's going to be a dynamic site, constantly
changing and improving. We encourage our homeowner associations to link to
this site, and we'll link to your site, too, if you provide the address and
permission.
Please read Bruce Dillon's article regarding the two upcoming public meetings
dedicated to the US 41 widening project that's finally going to start.
These meetings will provide an outstanding opportunity to meet some of the key
people in charge of the project, learn specific details, and ask questions.
NACA is presently seeking community input in "freshening" the vision
for our two commercial revitalization corridors, Colonia Ln. and US 41. We
will review and briefly discuss this vision at our October 18, 2005, quarterly
meeting prior to the road-project feature presentation. You may see the
detailed vision on our website. Related, we are pleased to see landowners
and business people in these corridors begin to revitalize. NACA and the
Nokomis Center Revitalization Committee seek to be a resource and to provide
support in facilitating quality development. Matthews-Currie Ford and the
Nokomis Motor Inn & Suites are on the vanguard of revitalization efforts.
The development of Sarasota County's new "linear park," or "Rails
to Trails," is beginning and should be completed by early summer 2006.
Again, the full details of this new amenity are on our website.
Perspective: NACA is "us" not "them." NACA is simply
an organization of individuals with a common purpose of seeking the betterment
of our community and county. I am thankful to you for your support of NACA
by being a member and ask for you to continue supporting us by renewing your
membership when it expires.
We clearly are able to have more of a positive influence with increased
membership. It is for this reason I also ask each of you to please ask a
friend or neighbor to join, and, especially, to expect your homeowner
association Board members be members of NACA. Thank you!
NOKOMIS REVITALIZATION NEWS
Bruce Dillon, NACA Revitalization Officer & Nokomis Revitalization Committee
Chair, bkdillon@verizon.net
DETAILS OF UPCOMING US 41 PROJECT AT SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Co-sponsored by NACA and the Laurel and Osprey Civic Associations
The engineering firm Greenhorne & O'Mara will lead area residents through an
overview of the upcoming US 41 road-improvement project at a special
citizen-information meeting to be held Tuesday, September 27, at the Nokomis
Community Center at 7:00 pm. The Community Center is located at 234
Nippino Trail.
Representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation will also take
part in the meeting. Invitations have also been extended to other
principals involved with the project. With utility work already underway,
actual work on the $32.4-million, 650-day road project should begin in early
October.
Issues needing follow-up will be addressed at the regular quarterly NACA meeting
Tuesday, October 18. Other topics for the October meeting include a
discussion of the proposed extension of the quarter-mil tax for the purpose of
acquiring urban green space and additional environmentally sensitive lands, as
well as continued dialogue on the commercial-corridors "Vision."
NOKOMIS REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE MEETING
Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 22, at 6:30 pm for the Nokomis Center
Revitalization Advisory Committee (NCRAC) meeting. John Ask will report on
the progress on the commercial-corridors "Vision." Three
workshops have been held so far to gather suggestions from area residents on
what they would like to see as the community's revitalization efforts move off
the drawing board toward reality. There will also be a report from the
sub-committee on the Colonia Ln. gateway area Commercial Transition Overlay
District along Nash Ave. and Nippino Trail.
WATERWAYS REPORT
Patrick McCarthy, NACA Waterways
I had hoped that by our fall issue we would have some more information on the RR
Bridge issues. A public meeting with the Coast Guard should be
forthcoming.
Other projects already in the works include the access road/bridge to the
Nokomis boat ramp, which will be closed soon while the small bridge leading to
it is being replaced. This project could last 180 days. Progress
also continues on the Loretto Court boat ramp. On recent inspection, it
appears that the utility pole is ready for removal. Ongoing vandalism is
marring this treasure of our community. The recent purchase of 16 acres of
waterfront property by the County for much needed public access is certainly
appreciated.
With the conversion of Gulf Harbor Marina to "rackominiums," the
displacement of the working-class boater's water access continues. While
many of the "renters" could afford the monthly payments, having to
purchase a "slip" for $55,000-$170,000, plus a monthly maintenance
fee, will certainly be a hardship. This will translate into more folks
trailering their boats to local ramps.
As quoted in the Osprey Observer, Gulf Harbor Marina Vice President
Thomas P. Lawler correctly stated: "This is the wave of the future. I
don't think it will be too long until this is all there is." I invite
anyone who wants to see the future of Nokomis to take a drive to the East Coast.
See you on the water--if I can find a parking spot at the ramp!
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Tom Bartholomay, NACA Secretary & Membership Chair
We're growing--but have to keep our eye on our membership target of 2000 in
2005. To meet the challenges put forward in this issue, we will need all
the help we can get to make Nokomis a better place. There is strength in
numbers, so with more members we will be stronger and will make "Nokomis a
better place to live."
At the NACA meeting on October 18, we will announce a benefit to encourage you
to sign up a new member. In the meantime, please take this issue of The
Voice of Nokomis to a neighbor and invite them to join. The
application is right here.
For those of you whose neighborhood Associations are at 100% NACA
membership--Thanks!
|
