In the more than three years since Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch raised the issue of a debris recycling business endangering the health, safety and welfare of residents of Central Cocoanut, little has been done to mitigate the conditions there.
Although within the Sarasota city limit, the city has little leverage over U.S. Recycling, and its continued release of alleged toxic dust and other pollutants coating homes, cars and most likely lungs of nearby residents. That’s because the commercial use is permitted in the industrial zone district.
Since an August 2022 commission hearing, the city required a wall be built around the 137,754-square-foot site located at 1404 Industrial Court that obscures the operation there from view, but does little else. It also, at taxpayer expense, the city paved Industrial Court, the short, formerly dirt alleyway used by dumps trucks kicking up a constant barrage of dust throughout the hours of operation.
The company had briefly communicated with city officials, but eventually turned contact over to legal counsel…