Neighbors, businesses seek Osprey project info

Eight months removed from the yearlong closure of the Osprey Avenue bridge, residents and businesses in nearby neighborhoods are jittery about the prospect of more construction along the street.

That’s why, as the city prepares to undertake another lengthy project to repave a stretch of Osprey Avenue, staff is first attempting to address fears and concerns from people in the area.

On Tuesday, the city held a community meeting at City Hall to discuss the logistics of the project and solicit feedback from the public. Work is set to begin in June, and the project will stretch from Bahia Vista Street to Siesta Drive. Representatives from Southside Village, Avondale, Hudson Bayou, Grenada, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Sarasota County Schools attended the meeting.

Project Manager Georges Nicholas outlined the planned scope of the project. The construction will include road resurfacing, curb improvements, new painted bike lanes, signalized intersection improvements and the addition of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant intersection ramps. The project team hopes it can adjust the grading along the street to improve drainage, as well.

Staff said some temporary lane closures may be necessary during the project, but in general, the city intends to keep two lanes of traffic open throughout construction.

Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, the Hudson Bayou Neighborhood Association sent an email to its members expressing frustration at the timing of the project. The group was upset that the project was limited to resurfacing and other public works improvements, fearful the city’s utilities department would have to make its own upgrades in the near future.

“We don’t want to have this road paved and then tear it back up,” said Hudson Bayou resident Barbara May.

As of last year, the city did plan to undertake a larger improvement project that included utilities infrastructure improvements. But city staff said it no longer believes utilities improvements are a pressing need along Osprey Avenue, assuring residents that any additional work on that street is 15 to 20 years away.

Although that clarified one of the most pressing concerns residents had going into Tuesday’s meeting, residents had other questions regarding the logistics of the project. Ron Collins, vice president of Grenada’s neighborhood association, expressed frustration that the city hadn’t kept residents informed regarding the changes to the project during the past year.

In 2016, the city set up a website for the Osprey Avenue project. That website was not updated as the scope of work evolved, Collins said. As the city prepared to put the project out to bid on Thursday, Collins said he didn’t think residents could have meaningful input on the design and phasing of the construction.

“We were told this (website) is how we were going to be informed,” Collins said. “Now, we’re being told, ‘This is how it’s going to be done,’ and it’s a done deal.”

Nicholas apologized for any lapses in communication. He said the city was holding the meeting so staff could be better aware of resident and business priorities during the course of the project. Still, he acknowledged staff wanted to move quickly to gain approval and begin the project in June.

The first phase of the project must be completed in the summer, Nicholas said, to avoid any interference with Southside Elementary School during the school year. The city also plans to do the road improvements near Southside Village between August and October, hoping to finish that segment of the project during a slower time of the year to minimize the effects on business.

Once construction begins, Nicholas said the project team would prioritize continuous communication with those living and working along Osprey Avenue.

“We intend to do as much as we can to keep you informed,” Nicholas said.