Mon, Feb 23:  AVNA (Alta Vista Neighborhood Association) Board Elections coming up!  Next AVNA meeting Mon Feb 23, 7pm, at the YMCA
AVNA is the local neighborhood organization that is supposed to represent resident concerns to the City et.al.  Are you interested in participating by being on the Board?  AVNA now taking nominations, and at Feb meeting, to be presented in February, voted on at March AVNA meeting.  Last Chance to throw your hat in the ring for the upcoming year!  See AVNA page or go to their Facebook page for details.  

Feb 7, 6pm, at Payne Park Auditorium: The Sarasota Players annual fundraiser, "Play On"
Sarasota Players is the area's first performing arts organization, and proceeds from the fundraiser are going towards the old auditorium's transformation into their new theater space.
For some history of this project see our Players Payne Park page.
See The Sarasota Players website (theplayers.org) for details & to buy your tickets!

Sat Feb 7, 8-noon, Payne Park: Household Hazardous Waste dropoff.  Paints, motor oils, Southern Ag sprays, lots of stuff that SHOULD NOT GO IN REGULAR TRASH PICKUP!  I usually go out to the Collection Center at Rothenbach Park to drop mine off  (PLUS, they have the REUZIT shop there -- i call it the "Free Paint Store," where much still-good product is free, you never know what will be "in stock" that day).  But here's an annual convenient local opportunity.  Details, see City Haz Waste Dropoff news item on City website.

FEB 2026 UPDATE: 15 old poles have been removed!  A FOREST OF Duplicate OLD UTILITY POLES

In spring/summer 2024 FPL did a storm hardening project throughout Alta Vista neighborhood, installing a number of new utility poles. This is good, as it strengthens our electrical grid.

How this is supposed to work: FPL installs new poles, relocates electric wires, notifies telecom companies (mainly Comcast) so they can move THEIR lines to the new poles, and cuts the old poles off just above the telecom wires ("deadheading"); then later FPL comes back and yanks out the old duplicate poles. Telecom companies have 180 days, by law, to relocate their lines; however, they often fail to do so, leading to a visual clutter of poles that blights our neighborhood. For the lawyerly amongst you, reference FL Law CHAPTER 2021-191, Section 4; and Florida Statutes, Section 366.97 Redundant poles
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The old pole removal process hasn't been working well, city-wide. Public Works director Nik Patel and staff have been working with FPL, Comcast, and other franchisees to enhance this process.

Mon Feb 2, 9am, City Hall, City Commission meeting.  On agenda (Item XII):  Historic Designation for Payne Park Auditorium?  Stakeholders include Historic Preservation Board, Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, The Players, et.al.  Local versus national designation, interior or exterior, and all the rules that go with these:  It's a bit complicated.  So best to read the backup document prior to the hearing!

Jan 23-24 Concordia Lutheran Church Rummage Sale! Locally famous, a great-fun rummage sale! 8am-2pm Sat & Sun. Corner Wood & School. See concordiasarasota.org

Jan 12-13, East Ave Repaving Improvement Project (just the one block from Payne Park to Wood Street)
​Complete roadway resurfacing, remove on-street parking on the west side (just on the west side) to create an 8-foot-wide, protected shared-use ped/bike path, keep parking spaces on east side of street, and new marked crosswalks for the sidewalk/bikepath part. Temporary closure, detours, parking ban. City staff contact: Rick Romenesko, Capital Projects Engineer, [email protected]

Fri Oct 31, 7-10pm, HALLOWEEN ON SLIME AVE : Madam Dementia's Fairytales for the Underworld.  This is THE local place to stop by for a really cool Halloween experience! Free, family-friendly one-of-a-kind event. Outside 133 South Lime Avenue (just south of Ringling Blvd, or you might park in front of Lyra apts & wander across).  Brought to you by the artists of Enlightened Monkey Arts  

Alderman MURT The new trail across the south edge of Payne Park is open (Aug 2025), with new East Ave park entrance (very near Publix) with water fountain, benches & shelter, trash can!, & a bike repair station.  This is a City initiative, not County (Legacy Trail is County).  For maintenance issues, Erik Isern, Capital Projects Manager with Public Works, says that for trash can overflow issues, contact Parks & Rec., and also that Parks staff should be doing the regular mowing of this area.  See Alderman MURT page for details.  In conjunction, in the future, East Ave will be repaved to include a walkway, and a pedestrian crossing light will be installed on Washington Blvd to cross to Brother Geenan Way!!!  Also, speaking of Payne Park news,  Parks Dept HAS vacated the Auditorium, so Players Theater renovations can thence commence when they are ready.  Also, New Cafe:  a new vendor, La Cruton, is scheduled to open in the old cafe site by end of 2025.

Mon Oct 27, 7pm, at YMCA on Euclid & Bahia Vista,  AVNA meeting.  Guest speaker:  Fayth Jenkins, Principal of Innovation Academy SRQ (previously Suncoast School for Innovative Studies). See AVNA Facebook 

School Zone automatic traffic speed cameras are up and running now!  Speed enforcement cameras in Safety Zones on school days, near Sarasota High and Alta Vista Elementary; they WILL automatically ticket you ($100) if you speed in the posted school zones.  Speeders beware!

Tuesday August 19  FDOT public meeting, 5-7pm, Selby Library:  Future Repaving US301/Washington Blvd between Mound Street and 10th Street.   Early design phase of project.  Project includes adding a pedestrian crossing light at South Payne Parkway, a.k.a. Alderman Street, across to Senior Friendship Center, north side of that pedestrian-horrible Mound/Washington intersection..  More info, see FDOT website at https://www.swflroads.com/project/451017-1

Monday August 18 City Commission Mtg 9am City Hall:   County plans to build a new Criminal Judicial Center (currently next door to the jail) on Ringling Blvd.  Considering two alternate sites nearby.

MORE Tree opportunities; June 2025 update: The City announced another round of two programs providing incentives for residents to green up our neighborhood, one to get subsidized, large trees, and one to get you a small free tree from ArborDay Foundation.  See Trees page  for details.

The Euclid Canal  Some details all about our local Euclid Canal, Hudson Bayou, and things stormwater-related, including Further Reading.  July 2025:  Sarasota County formed new Stormwater Department.  See 7/2/25 Observer article.

Monday August 11  School Starts.  Be prepared for heavy traffic, on Bahia Vista, School Ave, Shade, Hatton & Euclid!

June 18, 9am, City Hall:  DRC (Development Review Committee) Midtown Plaza project.    See City Agendas site for background documents.  (DRC meetings are technical evaluations of details of planned project; public is welcome to listen but no public comments at this venue.)   See Midtown Plaza page for details.

Sumday April 13:  Second Sundays at the SAM.  Did you know that on the Second Sunday of each month the Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) (the old Sarasota High School building on Tamiami Trail) hosts free admission days, with special activities for kids and adults alike.  Check it out!

Feb 24 & Feb 25: Temple Beth Sholom Apartment development project Neighborhood Presentations. Joel Freedman will be presenting on this proposed 270-unit apartment building project, at corner Tuttle & Bahia Vista, at AVNA meeting Mon Feb 24, 7pm, YMCA, and at APNA (Arlington Park) meeting Tues Feb 25, 6pm, Arlington Park Gym. Bring your questions and comments! For more info see Temple Beth Sholom Apartments page.

Wed, Feb 5, 9am, City Hall, Development Review Committee meeting: Temple Beth Sholom Apartment development project    Application Documents here (large), in two portions; the second portion pp 1-181 of 202 pages pertain solely to tree analysis.  Remember, DRC meetings are public for observation only, with no public comment portion.

2024-2026  SHS construction alert:  Hatton Street
Notice all the orange Gilbane fencing along Hatton Street; that shell lot west of Shade (across from the batting cage), plus the grass field east of Shade. Using it for staging materials & equipment, worker parking, and other construction needs, for the major renovation of buildings at Sarasota High, East Campus: new HVAC (air conditioning) system. Expected to take 2+? years. No, nothing's being "built" there, just construction staging.

Speaking of responsibilities of residents, did you know that residents are required to maintain the public right-of-way between their front yard and the street, including sidewalk:  keeping abutting sidewalk (if there is one) clear of debris, weeds, sand, and overgrown/overhanging vegetation.  Also, you cannot park your car so that it obstructs a public sidewalk!  (Does this really need to be pointed out?)

April 2024 Local Construction / Traffic Alert . Continuing into April FPL contractors continue replacing/upgrading power poles & wires (on School Av, Wood, Shade, etc.). Temporary street closures and traffic detours occur as work progresses; watch for big orange signs.