WELCOME BACK: Siesta Key projects

Outdoor Displays
WHAT: The Sarasota County Commission approved in October an amendment to allow outdoor displays in Siesta Key after more than a year of work by organizations to perfect the regulations.

WHO’S INVOLVED: The Village merchants brought forth the amendment, with which the Siesta Key Association and Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce agreed.

WHAT’S NEXT: The amendment was given a one-year sunset date so it could be reviewed at that time.

The Sarasota County Commission passed the long-awaited, citizen-initiated amendment to the Siesta Key Overlay District allow outdoor displays in the Village Oct. 21.

The amendment, which began the process for approval in July 2013, allows for outdoor displays with stipulations to keep merchants in check. Displays are capped at 7 feet high, and they are limited to two settings, either a table, mannequin or mobile cart. Displays must allow the sidewalk to meet ADA requirements, and no used or second-hand items can be displayed.

Commissioners were wary of the burden the stipulations might cause on code enforcement officers on the island. The board changed the sunset date for the amendment from two years to one year so that it could be reviewed again.

John Lally, the code enforcement officer for Siesta Key, said at the Siesta Key Village Association meeting Nov. 4, that businesses had 30 days to secure their $25 annual temporary use permit to display goods outside.

A business found in violation two times will have the permit revoked until the next year.

Siesta Key Beach Improvement Project
WHAT: The $21.5 million capital improvement project for Siesta’s public beach began in January and is now in phase two.

WHO’S INVOLVED: Sarasota County is funding the improvements through the penny sales tax.

WHAT’S NEXT: Phase two will be completed in February; the entire project is slated for completion by December 2015.

The Siesta Key Beach improvements are well underway after the initial groundbreaking in January.
Phase one, completed July 4, included relocating the tennis courts, constructing a new maintenance building and pouring one parking lot near the courts, which includes 150 parking spaces.

A few weeks after the tennis courts were installed, however, small bubbles began to appear on the surface of the court. The bubbles have now spread into the playing area. The county is working to find the root cause before fixing the courts.

Phase two is slated for completion in February, said Brad Gaubatz, the county project manager. This second phase includes two more parking lot areas, a playground and picnic area and a new concession stand. The structure is already underway; it will have a deck for viewing beach sunsets.

Phase two includes renovation of the old concession stand and a new structure. The new building will include office space for the Sheriff’s Office and Lifeguard Management on the top floor and concessions on the bottom floor. The historic section, built in the 1950s, will remain.

Big Pass dredge
WHAT: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a study in June supporting the $23 million plan to dredge sand from Big Pass to renourish Lido Beach.

WHO’S INVOLVED: Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce; Siesta Key Association; Siesta Key Village Association; Lido Key Residents Association; and a collection of community members joined together to pressure the county to find an alternative reviewer

WHAT’S NEXT: The county is choosing between seven firms on a pre-approved list to complete an independent review.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ study supporting the dredge of sand from Big Pass received pushback from Siesta Key residents who are concerned about the effect on the Key’s beaches.

While the Lido Key Residents Association supports the study, several organizations on Siesta Key want it independently reviewed.

At its Aug. 20 meeting, the County Commission voted to find a third party reviewer of the Big Pass dredge impacts.

Laird Wreford, the county’s coastal resources manager, suggested that the county should proactively include community input to highlight the areas that the reviewer would analyze.

After the August meeting, Wreford met with various stakeholders to narrow down their main issues: waterway navigation, Siesta Key beaches and user experiences. His goal was to have a third-party reviewer chosen by early November.