NO ONE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE SARASOTA/MANATEE POLITICAL SCENE THAN THE SARASOTA PHOENIX
Benderson with one of his former project director's Paul Blacketer turning Sarasota into Paradise Lost
WILL THE MEADOWS BECOMES PART OF THE BENDERSONVILLE’S URBAN SPRAWL?
AS
BENDERSON CONTINUES TURNING SARASOTA INTO PARADISE LOST
With the assistance of local and state officials, Randy Benderson is continuing to create in Sarasota what he left behind in Buffalo, which is massive major sprawl without paying for the infrastructure turning the area into Paradise Lost.
The Benderson project on Stickney Point and U.S 41 going up that will destroy Siesta Key and the surrounding areas
Benderson is the same individual who is now beginning to build his residential and commercial project on Stickney Point Road and U.S 41, which will turn the area into a TOTAL TRAFFIC NIGHMARE. The same Buffalo carpetbagger, who wants to build hotels on Siesta Key, turning it
into a another Jersey Shore.
Does Randy Benderson, who is planning on continuing creating another chapter of Florida Paradise Lost called Bendersonville have his eyes on making The Meadows part of Bendersonville and using its wetlands to mitigate flooding on the proposed Beendersonville?
Ramba
With the assisatnace of Benderson’s paid lobbyist David Ramba, who is the most powerful politician in Florida there is a bill drafted by Ramba, which will create a Benderson University Town Center Improvement District. A District, which will be called Bendersonvlle when approved by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Connerly
The bill sponsored by Manatee State Representativ Bill Connerly, who is deep into the pockets of Benderson turning the area into what Benderson brught with him from Buffalo—unchecked massive urban sprawl.
The Ramba/Connerly bill allows Benderson to tap millions of dollars in tax-free municipal bonvds, according to the bill. Bendesonville will become its own independent taxing district with extremely broad powers. This bill authorizes additional taxes on businesses within the district. Those costs won’t stay with businesses—they will be passed on to consumers.
The new district could levy up to 3 mills of property tax or $3 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. For a property valued at $1 million, that would be an additional $3,000 added to a property owner’s annual tax bill in addition to other taxes already set by local governments.
The Bendersonville bill is moving swiftlythrough the total corrupt Florida Legislature controlled by eqully corrupt lobbyists.
Boyd
Nineteen Republicans and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee voted 19-0 to send this Bendersonville bill onto to Florida Senate where a Benedeson paid crony, Senator Jim Boyd will move the Bendersonville bill, when passed on to another Benderson highly financed, Govrnor Ron DeSantis to sign – JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY TO THESE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNOR.
The Bendersonville five member board led by Randy Benderson would oversee infrastructure, public safety, flood control, transportation, recreation, and economic development needs, allowing it to tap millions of dollars in tax-free municipal bonds, according to the Connerly bill. .
Under the Ramba/Connerly legislation, the boundaries would stretch from University Park in Manatee County south to Fruitville Road in Sarasota County, all west of Interstate 75.
Does Randy Benderson, who is planning on continuing creating another chapter of Florida Paradise Lost have his eyes on making The Meadows part of Bendersonville and using its wetlands to mitigate flooding on the proposed Beendersonville?
The new Bendersonville District will allow Benderson to acquire property by any means, including condemnation. Since most of the land in this district is already owned by Benderson, public property is the most obvious target, rising concerns for surrounding neihborhoods, especially nearby communities like the Meadows.
Benderson’s interest in The Meadows includes not only the property he could foreclose upon for relieving the flooding in Bendersonvile, but also their wetlands. Benderson can use The Meadows wetlands for wetland mitigation credits to ease the flooding on the proposed Bendersonville.
With condemnation powers extending beyond district boundaries, The Meadows residents, who are considering a lease of its golf facility to Benderson should read all agreements very carefully and understand the long-term implications and not taken in by another Benderson scam.
The Benderson “Land Lease”
Unfortunetly, as P.T. Barnum, the circus entrepreneur, stated, “There’s a sucker born every day” and it appears to include some of the residents of The Meadows when they cheered and clapped for the Board of Directors, who voted 6 to 3 to approve a document with Benderson Realty Development, Inc. entitled “Land Lease.”
This contract had been negotiated exclusively by the three people who control the Board, President Chris Perone, Vice-President Tom Bondur, and Treasurer Jan Lazar. This group has rejected the advice of qualified residents, including certified public accountants, attorneys, investment bankers.
What this “Land Lease” actually says; Benderson Realty Development, Inc.(BRD), a shell company with unknown assets, is required to provide golf on 36 holes, not all 54 holes as previously promised golfers by President Perone. This is only a temporary requirement for only 36 months.
If Benderson chooses not to operate golf afte 36 months, it, not The Meadows, decides if golf courses will be operated. Bedersonson will pay only the pathetic sum of $50,000 per year and does not guarantee any minimum expenditure on improving the golf courses, only that it
will be an undefined term,“high quality golf facility.”
The group of three, now known as “the cabal,” points to the potential for revenue sharing. This is an illusion, because Benderson gets to deduct most of its expenses from any possible revenue sharing. Think about Hollywood accounting. If Benderson decides to offer golf after 36 months, it has a favorable lease for 50 years (5 ten year periods).
Here’s the kicker. Within nine months, Benderson or his unknown designers gets to file for a conservation easement on up to nine parcels of open space including the golf courses. That’s approximately 500 acres of land. This conservation easement would allow land held by The Meadows homeowners to be used for wetland mitigation credits.
In other words, Benderson could use The Meadows land forever as wetland in order to destroy wetlands on other developments. These wetland credits can be used by Benderson or anyone he wants to assign or sell to. The document may be called a “land lease,” but it is a disguise for a sale. Benderson will have control of 500 acres of open space forever.
Will Benderson have to pay The Meadows for these credits as the contract says? Probably not, because Benderson can deduct its expenses for “to create and maintain” the wetland areas. It’s another head I win, tails you lose situation that Benderson is known for. It is unlikely that The Meadows homeowners will receive any money for allowing Benderson to turn their open space into wetland.
Benderson has presented no detailed plans for how it will change the land into wetland or how it will appear after the land becomes a wetland. Will it just be a swamp?
To do this requires refinancing The Meadows Community Association (MCA) debt of $5.7 million. This debt was incurred when The Meadows bought the assets of The Meadows Country Club (TMCC) when it was facing bankruptcy in 2018.
Neal
Pat Neal was waiting in the wings to buy the land for development. Later, The Meadows Community Association built a fitness center for the benefit of members of TMCC. The MCA agreed to lease the fitness center to TMCC for $10 per year. Home owners of the MCA were allowed limited use of the fitness center when the MCCA paid the country ckib $600,000 per year.
Who came up with this plan? Lazar who had served as treasurer and President of the MCA and the board who all had close connections with the country club.
Benderson Development Company, LLC received apromissory note on February 12, 2025. According to the “Ground Lease,” the $5.7 million loan would be reduced by $3,000,000 with a lower interest rate when the permanent conservation easement if created.
The Meadows will receive no payment, just areduction of loan. The claimed savings from the refinance are based on interest only payment with a balloon payment of approximately $4.6 million at the end of seven years. The MCA will not be able to use the land as collateral for refinance, because Benderson will have a conservation easement forever on the land.
An investment banker asked a lawyer with whomhe had made $65 million of deals to read this deal. The lawyer said this was the worst thing he had ever read, because it was so one sided in favor of Benderson.
THE MEADOWS “GROUP OF THREE”
The Meadows “Group of Three”, who negotiated this Benderson/Meadows “deal” turned what had begun as participatory Meadows leadership into an absolute control of agenda, records, and communications by a not provide for this, but the attorney endorsed it. Any challenges were met by three-person, self-appointed executive committee. The bylaws do not provide for this, but the attorney endorsed it. Any challenges were met by threats from attorney Bryony Smith.
Financial secrecy became the standard. Alternative opinions were met with withering contempt. Communication channels of Constant Comment and the Meadoword newspaper were limited to messages by Perone and Lizard. Secret meetings were approved.
Perone and Bondur without the benefit of golfing experience, a golf consultant, or experience in negotiating complex contracts undertook to negotiate a golf agreement with golf companies.
There was no competitive bidding and was conducted in secrecy. This continued for months. Perone sent out messages to homeowners that an agreement was imminent for opening 54 holes of golf. Predictably, it failed
Who is Jan Lazar?
Lazar is known as the “Queen Bee” of the MCA board. It’s interesting that Jan Lazar has a long history of questionable behavior. In the 1990’s she retired from the City of Lansing, Michigan with concerns left unanswered about her tenure
For example, after a failed attempt seven years earlier, Lazar as the Budget Director for the City, successfully created a self-serving “early retirement” package jacking her pension up $15,000 and steamrolling her plan through a closed session of city leaders without a publichearing, non-disclosure of her conflict of interest, improper meeting notice and excluding other directors. This was based upon her false claim of a budget shortfall when. in fact. there was a budget surplus. This led to years pf lawsuts, ethics complaints. lost election, and a serious fiscal crisis for the City of Lansing.
Perone’s history is less apparent. He was elected to the board of The Meadows after living there only a few years. His platform was that he “loved” The Meadows. His work history is as an independent graphic designer in New York. His noted only success was as a volunteer docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Bondur says he’s a software designer whoworked in city government in California. He makes smooth and calm presentations whose content is difficult to understand. Three other members of the board regularly support the three with little or no comment.
THE BENDERSON LETTER OF INTENT
Mathes
In August, a binding letter of intent was sent by Todd Mathes from Benderson, who has been Benderson spokesperson ever since Paul Blackketer was fired for verbally abusing a fellow Benderson employee.
The Benderson letter was shocking in its benefit only to Benderson. Yet, Perone called it a “fabulous” offer.
THE BENDERSON “GROUND LEASE”
Then December 16, the proposed Benderson“ground lease” was presented to the Board. For the first time, Benderson’s plan to turn approximately 500 acres into permanent wetland mitigation credits. When attorneys from Becker presented to the homeowners, they advocated for this one-sided deal.
At the end of January, the trio invited Mathes pesent at a town hall for The Meadows homeowner. Mathes presented himself and his employer Randy Benderson, as a kindly neighbors just willing to spend millions to rescue a neighbor in need.
The homeowners present at the meting, who wanted to believe that Benderson is a “white knight savior” walker away satisfied.
Accountants, investment bankers, and lawyers were not so entranced. An urgent meeting was scheduled to discuss in detail the deficits in this agreement and the permanent land grab.
THE BENDERSON “LAND LEASE”
This was countered with a zoom meeting with Mathes and his partner, Perone, which was followed within 48 hours with a board vote to approve. The vote was 6 to 3. Even though the covenants of The Meadows require a ¾ vote, and it was not achieved. Lazar said it did not apply. This was only a lease.
Stay tuned, as the Bendersonville bill moves through the Florida legislature control by by the Benderson’s lobbyist Ramba, who has local Florida Representative like Boyd and Connery and Governor DeSantis going along to get along with Bensonville.
Stay tuned, as the Bendersonville bill gets approved, does Benderson become J.T Barnum and The Meadows acknowledges that, "There’s a sucker born every day”, as the Benderson “Land Lease” become another major Benderson scam, just like the muti million-dollar Benderson Rowing Park scam.
Jon Susce
The Sarasota Phoenix team is the last media guardian in the Sarasota/Manatee area and beyond laying bare for all to see how the Sarasota/Manatee area and beyond is controlled by a UNI Party financed by millionaires and billionaires turning Florida into Paradise Lost...
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