SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May, 20, 2013 – The property market and the tourism industry in Sarasota, Florida, stand to reap rewards from environmental efforts benefitting the local beaches which are among the primary magnets for both home buyers and tourists in the county, Sarasota Bay Real Estate reported. Dividends from conservation initiatives manifested recently in the inclusion of Siesta Key Beach in the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice® Beaches and in one of the beaches in Longboat Key having been named as among Florida’s cleanest.
Siesta Key’s citation was based on travellers’ opinions and reviews expressed online in the TripAdvisor website on beaches all over the world, including those in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, and the Middle East. Separately, in the 2011 ranking by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, better known as “Dr. Beach,” Siesta Key received the accolade as “America’s Best Beach.”
The eight-mile-long key or barrier island off Sarasota prides itself with a crescent-shaped coastline blessed with powdery white sands. The attraction of the beach draws much fromits 99% pure quartz sands which, besides giving it a pristine quality, stay cool even with the outdoor temperatures rising.
The website Health Beaches Program, meanwhile, conferred the 2013 cleanest beach title this April to Whitney Beach located at the north end of Longboat Key and to Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs. These beaches were found to be the most bacteria-free, based on regular samplings by local health authorities.
Several programs contribute to the excellent conditions of these barrier island beaches and the overall health of Sarasota Bay. Among them is the storm drain marking in Hudson Bayou by its neighborhood association. A bit farther inland, the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility is another commendable project. Its Phase 3 was in fact recognized with an Environmental Excellence Award recently. This citation was given by the National Association of Environmental Professionals.
The Celery Fields endeavor is a $7.2-million stormwater project in a 450-acre site formerly planted with celery and now utilized to provide water quality improvements, floodplain storage, and flood protection. Similarly, the completed extension of Honore Avenue from Fruitville to Bee Ridge Road incorporated environment-friendly measures such as bio-swales and rain gardens to address treatment of stormwater runoff.
Celery Fields, which also became a wetland restoration habitat, has also emerged as a recreational site. Among its features are nature trails around the facility and a 75-foot observation mound accessible via an improved walking and biking trail. Since it opened to public access, Celery Fields has become a popular site for bird watching, with some 216 avian species identified within its locality.
It is noteworthy that according to the latest local tourism surveys, wildlife watching has become a significant Sarasota attraction, with 17% of visitors saying it was an activity they enjoyed during their stay. In comparison, Sarasota’s traditional drawing power in golf drew just a 12% positive response. As to be expected, those enjoyed the most are the Sarasota area beaches, which got 83% appreciation in the polls.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 7, 2019 – Property values of communities in the Sarasota-Manatee region now face lesser threat from neighborhood eyesores brought about by abandoned, foreclosed homes. Known in the real estate trade as zombie foreclosures, these properties have shrunk significantly in the region. According to an August report of ATTOM Data Solutions, abandoned […] more>>