City eyes county land for homeless facility

As City Manager Tom Barwin went over yet another proposal for how the city and county might jointly address regional homelessness issues, he didn’t hold back any of his enthusiasm for the plan.

“It’s not often that we can save taxpayers millions of dollars, and it’s not often when we have a win-win-win-win-win situation,” Barwin said. “But we think we have one.”

At today's City Commission meeting, Barwin outlined an idea for compromise between the two governments, which have repeatedly disagreed about the best approach for dealing with the ongoing homelessness issue in Sarasota. The plan called for a come-as-you-are homeless shelter that would serve as a jail diversion facility, an approach favored by the county, located roughly three miles outside of the city limits.

The exact site Barwin targeted is just west of I-75, near the intersection of Bahia Vista Street and Cattlemen Road — on property the county is already planning to develop.

The county is preparing a referendum to fund a $96.2 million public safety campus on the land. That campus would include a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office administration building, a parking structure, a forensics lab and a training facility.

Barwin suggested the shelter could be accommodated on the site by relocating the training facility. He offered up the former city police station site on Ringling Boulevard as a new home for the training facility, which could then be used by both county and city employees, Barwin said.

He argued the land comes with a series of benefits. It’s located close to a Sarasota County Area Transit station, which means individuals at the shelter could travel throughout the county. It would be located in the shadow of the sheriff’s office, which would put law enforcement eyes on the shelter. It would be centrally located in Sarasota County, which the city believes is important but goes against the recommendations of county consultant Robert Marbut.

"You probably couldn’t find a better site in the whole county if you hired the best consultants in the world." — Tom Barwin

It would also mean the county wouldn’t have to buy new land to construct a homeless shelter closer to the city. Currently, county staff is evaluating multiple sites in north Sarasota as potential locations for a shelter.

“You probably couldn’t find a better site in the whole county if you hired the best consultants in the world,” Barwin said.

On Nov. 6, the city and county commissions agreed to have their staffs work on a series of joint recommendations for addressing homelessness. The county rescinded that agreement three days later, proceeding with its pursuit of a come-as-you-are shelter located within a quarter-mile of the city.

Several city commissioners praised Barwin's proposal, arguing the potential cost savings could be put toward mental health and other homelessness services.

“I think it’s brilliant,” Commissioner Liz Alpert said.

Commissioner Susan Chapman was skeptical about the likelihood of the county embracing the plan. She said the city had already suggested that site as a potential shelter location, and that the county was interested in constructing a parking lot on that site to use for up to a decade.

"I don't want to be cynical, but I am." — Susan Chapman

“I don’t want to be cynical, but I am,” Chapman said.

The commission agreed to let Barwin explore the feasibility of the proposal with county administration.

“It just seems this is a brilliant opportunity to collaborate,” Barwin said.