Venice council will consider buying site to relocate drinking water treatment plant

Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
About 20 inches of rain fell at the Venice water treatment plant at 200 N. Warfield Ave. during Hurricane Ian last year, something that put the city’s entire drinking water supply at risk. On. Oct. 10, the City Council will consider the purchase of a 7.9-acre site at the intersection of East Venice Avenue and Auburn Road, with an eye toward moving the facility there.

VENICE – Two items highlight a packed Venice City Council agenda on Tuesday, Oct. 10: Purchase of a 7.9-acre parcel that would be the future site of the city’s drinking water treatment plant, and a development plan change that would help facilitate construction of a new shopping center at the intersection of Laurel Road and Jacaranda Boulevard.

Here’s what you need to know about both items, which will be decided during separate public hearings when the council meets at 9 a.m. in chambers at City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave.

Venice's water treatment plant relocation

Located in a flood zone at 200 N. Warfield Ave. near Hatchett Creek, the city of Venice reverse osmosis water treatment plant got roughly 20 inches of rain during Hurricane Ian.

That rainfall caused street flooding and put the city's entire drinking water supply at risk.

City utilities staff briefed the council on options for moving the plant during the board’s January strategic planning session.

On Tuesday, the council will decide whether to buy a 7.9-acre site at 1795 East Venice Ave. for $3.4 million, a figure that is a compromise between the $3.99 million list price and the $2.99 million appraised value.

Should the city buy the parcel on the southwest corner of East Venice Avenue and Auburn Road, it would be following a trend of locating vital city services on Venice Avenue between Capri Isles Boulevard and Auburn Road.

The Venice water treatment plant at 200 N. Warfield Ave. on a typical day. The City Council is contemplating buying a 7.9-acre parcel at the intersection of East Venice Avenue and Auburn Road with an eye toward moving the facility there.
The Venice water treatment plant at 200 N. Warfield Ave. on a typical day. The City Council is contemplating buying a 7.9-acre parcel at the intersection of East Venice Avenue and Auburn Road with an eye toward moving the facility there.

In recent years the city has built a new police station at 1575 East Venice Avenue and in November 2022 purchased five acres between the police station and the Venice Church of the Nazarene with plans to relocate Fire Station No. 52 there.

The fire station is being moved in part to better serve its coverage area and because it, too, is in a flood zone.

Cielo development plan change

In a public hearing, the council will consider an amendment that would designate 10.42 acres of Cielo – a subdivision of the Milano planned-unit development – for commercial uses, to allow construction of the Village at Jacaranda and Laurel shopping center.

On Sept. 5, the Venice Planning Commission found the idea consistent with the city’s long-range growth plan and recommended approval, with the stipulation that a July 11 decision to approve the revision of the Milano binding master plan goes into effect.

The North Venice Neighborhood Alliance, a grassroots resident group that organized to oppose construction of the shopping center, filed a petition in circuit court challenging the council’s decision.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Venice council may buy 7.9 acres to move water plant out of flood zone