City plots Cocoanut Avenue improvement project

Given the current conditions along Cocoanut Avenue, Frank Berkey is glad to hear the city is planning significant changes for the street.

Berkey, who serves as the property manager for the 42-unit Marina Tower condominium building on Gulfstream Avenue, has the opportunity to monitor Cocoanut on a regular basis. Today, he sees significant traffic along the street, overspill from the congested U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road corridors.

As the city continues to adjust its plans for an imminent Cocoanut Avenue streetscape improvement project, Berkey said residents believe a redesigned road could be a good thing for the area. Until those plans are finalized, however, there remains some degree of skepticism about the construction’s impact.

“Right now, we’re just on the fence,” Berkey said. “We’re waiting to see what happens. We’re hoping for improvements.”

Marina Tower is one of several parties that stands to be affected by the Cocoanut project. The city is overhauling the street in conjunction with the construction of the Hotel Sarasota, slated to open next to the Palm Avenue garage in spring 2017.

The changes on Cocoanut mirror those finalized along First Street earlier this year. The city is working to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment, installing wider sidewalks and enhanced landscaping. The project will also include a new roundabout at the intersection of Cocoanut and Palm.

The construction is being broken into two segments. Hotel Sarasota builder Floridays Development Co. will be responsible for the portion of the project between Palm Avenue and First Street, while the city is extending those improvements from Palm to Gulfstream Avenue. Work associated with the project is scheduled to begin within a couple of weeks, and the intersection should close for construction of the roundabout this summer.

Already, stakeholders have raised question about the project’s impact on parking. As the city works to relocate Cocoanut parking from the median to along the sidewalk, the original design included a loss of more than 70% of the on-street spaces. This didn’t sit well with businesses in the area, which led the city to revise its plans.

On Tuesday, Assistant City Engineer Daniel Ohrenstein presented those new plans to the Downtown Improvement District. Under the new designs, seven parking spaces would be returned to the segment between Palm and Gulfstream avenues. The city is still working to find funding for this segment of the project.

The DID offered unanimous support for the revisions, but not everybody is entirely pleased with the plans. Ron Soto, who sits on the DID board and serves as president of the Sarasota Downtown Merchants Association, said losing parking spaces — even if it’s fewer than originally intended — doesn’t sit well with businesses.

The loss of 16 on-street parking spaces — a 53% reduction — might not seem too severe, particularly in the shadow of the 743-space Palm Avenue parking garage. Still, the impending addition of a 164-room hotel with restaurant and ballroom space has businesses in the area clinging to whatever spaces they can.

“As merchants, we like our parking spots,” Soto said.

He said he was particularly concerned because the agreement with Floridays allows  the hotel to use the garage to fulfill its parking requirement.

“That intersection is a nightmare — people just don’t know how to do it.” — Frank Berkey

Although roundabouts have drawn a mixed reception in Sarasota, residents think the traffic feature could provide safety benefits. With stop signs on Palm but not on Cocoanut — and a stopping point in the median along Palm Avenue — Berkey said the current setup isn’t ideal.

“That intersection is a nightmare — people just don’t know how to do it,” Berkey said. “Something definitely needs to be done there. There are routine fender benders.”

One final concern from people in the vicinity of Cocoanut is the impact of the construction itself. The city has provided no precise timeline on the project, although Chief Planner Steve Stancel said the roundabout should be finished by mid-November.

After some businesses along First Street expressed displeasure with the effects of construction on their businesses this winter, the city is sensitive to the needs of merchants and residents in the area. Still, the realities of the project dictate some degree of inconvenience.

The city is still working on the best plan to minimize any problems — and stakeholders are keeping a close eye on its efforts.

“We would, of course, like to get this done in a timeframe that’s convenient for the neighbors — out of season, along the same timeframe as the hotel improvements,” Ohrenstein said. “Nothing’s set in stone.”