The Department of Community Affairs submitted their ORC (Objections, Recommendations and Comments) report this week in response to the latest proposed amendments to the town’s Comprehensive Plan

It seems that every time I open my e-mail, I read of another cry of frustration from Brad Saivetz with his continuing so far one-way conversation with the Town Commission and Planning Director Monica Simpson. His pleas are so compelling and his arguments are so on point that as a sometime writer, they make me envious

It is high time Longboat Key becomes impregnated with bullish, forward thinking energy. Let us leave last year, last month and the last week behind as a tear-jerking session of peeling the metaphorical community onion. As a town we tackled — or some may say fumbled — the Key Club redevelopment, beach renourishment and we are starting to address the pension crisis. And as we entered each of these topics, we found dark and deep waters. Take the Key Club

The Longboat Key Town Commission approved several changes to the island’s Comprehensive Plan last Tuesday amid dissent from the Islandside Property Owners Coalition (IPOC)

As a result of the appeal by the group of Islandside residents known as IPOC, the state agency that has the responsibility to see that local comprehensive plans are observed—the Department of Community Affairs—has said that the Town Commission went too far in their authorization of the expansion of the Longboat Key Club. This could be reversed at a higher level of state government, but DCA decisions usually hold.

The Florida Department of Community Affairs reached a determination that aspects of two zoning code changes adopted prior to the town’s approval of the Longboat Key Club redevelopment proposal are inconsistent with the Longboat Key’s Comprehensive Plan.

The Longboat Key Triathlon will kickoff at 7:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 24 that includes a half-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 20-mile cycling ride along Gulf of Mexico Drive, and a five-mile run across the beautifully scenic Islandside Golf Course and beach at Longboat Key Club and Resort. The duathlon distances include a two-mile run, a 20-mile cycling ride and a 2.5-mile run.

On Thursday between 2 and 5 p.m., Longboat Key Club Project Development Coordinator Kristi Bonsack along with a team of club representatives greeted guests to Longboat Key Club’s new Information Center. The Information Center is inside the Islandside Tennis Pro Shop on Longboat Key Club Road. On display were a revised full-scale model of the approved $400 million redevelopment, along with new renderings and a promotional video.

I attended yet another Tiger Bay meeting in early August. The food wasn’t up to par, but the event was. We were treated to presentations and some debate by two of this year’s candidates for governor, Bill McCollum and Bud Chiles. It is great to see that the mainstream candidates realize the necessity of talking to Sarasota.

Updated Aug. 27, 2010. There is a cell tower at 57th Avenue and 34th Street in Bradenton on the State College of Florida (formerly MCC) campus. This is the cell tower located across the bay and visible more than five miles away from all bay fronts on Longboat Key.