Sarasota County rejects D.R. Horton settlement, seeks to buy land near Celery Fields

Sarasota County commissioners on Oct. 6 turned down a legal settlement that would have allowed D.R. Horton to build 126 homes on the Smith Farm property beside the Celery Fields. In a second unanimous vote, they directed staff to negotiate a possible purchase of the land, according to Sarasota Magazine. The Herald-Tribune describes the goal as stormwater retention and flood control.

The same day, the Herald-Tribune reports, commissioners voted to seek potential financial help from Gulf Coast Community Foundation to buy the former Gulf Gate Golf Course, a 48.8-acre property, for stormwater use.

The Celery Fields votes are not a purchase. Sarasota Magazine reports they do not authorize a purchase, set a price or resolve the pending litigation, and no purchase price, funding source or timetable was announced.

What commissioners decided on the Celery Fields land

Commissioner Joe Neunder moved to reject the settlement. After that passed, Commissioner Teresa Mast made a separate motion directing staff to negotiate a reasonable fair-market purchase price. The county attorney's office and county administration will negotiate with the developer and the Smith Farm property owners.

Mast described the property as potentially valuable stormwater infrastructure. Commissioner Mark Smith supported the idea but cautioned that the price should reflect a realistic appraisal.

The tract covers roughly 51 acres along Raymond Road. The Herald-Tribune places it southeast of the Celery Fields, on the other side of Raymond Road.

Why the land matters for flooding

The Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility was designed to hold 600 million gallons of stormwater, but the Herald-Tribune reports that rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024 overwhelmed its capacity and flooded nearby streets.

Commissioners pointed to both flood protection and conservation as reasons to pursue the purchase. At the Celery Fields, the stormwater system also serves as wildlife habitat and draws birders and walkers. Sarasota Magazine notes, however, that the discussion did not establish how much additional flood protection buying the parcel would provide.

The legal fight behind the vote

The rejected settlement would have revived the 126-home plan commissioners denied in February 2025. D.R. Horton had first proposed about 170 homes. The developer and property owners then challenged the rezoning denial in court.

They also pursued a much denser proposal under Florida's Live Local Act: 864 apartments in buildings up to 65 feet tall. Whether the property's Open Use Rural zoning qualifies for that is part of the legal dispute, which the Oct. 6 votes did not settle.

County Attorney Joshua Moye told commissioners a county purchase had been raised during an earlier dispute-resolution process, but Horton rejected it then. He said no new acquisition negotiations had taken place in response to the latest offer.

Audubon's offer

Sarasota Audubon Society president Sara Reisinger urged commissioners to acquire the property and make it part of the Celery Fields stormwater system. She said the group had spent nearly $20,000 helping defend the county's position in the rezoning and Live Local disputes, and Audubon offered to help raise money if more funding is needed to reach a deal.

What to watch

For the Celery Fields parcel, the open questions are price, funding and whether the developer, property owners and county can agree on terms, with Smith pressing for a price based on a realistic appraisal. For Gulf Gate, the step reported so far is a vote to seek potential financial help from Gulf Coast Community Foundation.