Complex sentence: Owen Burns, one of Sarasota's most distinguished citizens is connected with almost every early development of the city, owning more than 75% of the land area of the city, making him the largest landowner.
Split into simpler sentences: Owen Burns, one of Sarasota's most distinguished citizens, was connected with almost every early development of the city. At one point he owned more than 75% of the city's land area, making him its largest landowner.