SARASOTA
Observer
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 11, NO. 14
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ARTS+CULTURE
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ODA CELEBRATES 90 YEARS PAGE 1B
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015
INSIDE Your guide to the Florida Winefest & Auction
Bob’s?
MARCH 19-22
Nearly a year after the county tightened its sound regulations, residents near Bob’s Boathouse say noise problems persist.
2015
DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR
THE ART OF NOW Discover performance art at the Ringling.
BLACK TIE
Animal Rescue Coalition celebrates ‘Unconditional Love.’
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YOUR TOWN DO THE HOP
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When the curious students at the Forty Carrots Family Center checked on their class garden, they noticed something moving in the mulch. The mysterious guests were four baby rabbits that had made their home in the garden. Staff members used the encounter as an opportunity to teach students about how rabbits develop and grow. Two local veterinarians advised them not to touch the bunnies until they were old enough to be held. To ensure the bunnies would be safe, one teacher made a protective covering to keep predators away. On Feb. 13 students and staff were sad to see that the bunnies had hopped away from their nest. But teachers say that they still spot the bunnies hopping around the property.
Last week, for the first time in more than a year, Michele Chapman had a peaceful weekend. Chapman lives on the edge of Phillippi Creek, across from the bar and restaurant Bob’s Boathouse. From practically the moment it opened in fall 2013, the business was subject to numerous and persistent noise complaints from residents such as Chapman, who said music from the bar was regularly audible in their homes. In March 2014, it appeared those residents had finally won a victory — the Sarasota County Commission agreed to tighten its noise regulations. The changes lowered the maximum decibel level businesses were allowed to produce from 80 to 75 dbC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and permitted noise measurements to be taken from the residential areas affected rather than the premises of the business, in certain cases. Those changes were at least partially effective. Houses in Phillippi Creek neighborhoods a half-mile from Bob’s Boathouse were no longer subject to the same volume, and the number of complaints in those areas steep-
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Tensions remain on Woman’s Exchange expansion After two workshops, nearby residents still fear the business’s plans for growth are flawed. DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR
SEE BOATHOUSE PAGE 3A
PAWS OFF: No dogs allowed Siesta Key Beach is seeing an uptick in visitors — of the four-legged variety. Sheriff’s Office warns of safety concerns.
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Nearly a year has passed since the Woman’s Exchange first shared its plans for expansion with Laurel Park residents, but a workshop Tuesday showed little has changed regarding the neighborhood’s opposition to the project. That workshop was part of the Laurel Park Overlay District process, approved in summer 2013 and designed to give the neighborhood more input on developments along the edges of the neighborhood. Residents came SEE EXPANSION PAGE 5A
Q+A with Wade Matthews PAGE 10A