Neighbors check in on Cabana Inn complaints

At both of the last two meetings of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations, the group has discussed resident concerns associated with a motel and bar located at 2525 S. Tamiami Trail.

The source of consternation was a familiar one. The Cabana Inn has long been the subject of complaints from the adjacent Arlington Park neighborhood, landing on the docket of the city’s code compliance hearings more than 50 times in the past decade.

Residents say issues persist at the property. Recently, the city issued 11 citations for violations of the commercial property maintenance code at the Cabana Inn. The motel was the subject of discussion at an April 4 code compliance hearing, and it’s on the agenda for July 25, too.

City staff said the citations are largely aesthetic issues: broken windows, damaged fascia, substandard painting and more. But residents have also complained about the level of noise, a point raised at April’s CCNA meeting.

“Right now, the loud music starts about midnight and goes until about 4 a.m.,” said Mary Anne Bowie, president of the Arlington Park Neighborhood Association.

Although the Sarasota Police Department has received 61 calls for noise disturbances at the Cabana Inn since 2018, including 12 so far this year, there have been no citations issued in 2019 for noise or excessively loud music at the property.

Despite the lack of recent citations, Arlington Park residents have suggested stronger punishments might be necessary to discourage violations of the city’s noise ordinance. Currently, there is a maximum $500 fine the city can levy against repeat violators of the sound regulations.

In May, CCNA is set to hear a presentation on a proposed resolution recommending the maximum penalty be increased to $5,000. The idea came about after a March meeting of Arlington Park residents, CCNA board members, city officials and police staff focused on the Cabana Inn property. According to the text of the resolution, City Manager Tom Barwin encouraged the group to endorse more stringent regulations to the City Commission.

The resolution would also recommend the minimum fine for an initial violation go from $100 to $250, increasing the fine by $250 for each subsequent violation.

“Numerous violations with $100 citations over the past several years by the city police department appear to have no impact in changing the situation,” the resolution states.

The CCNA discussion of the Cabana Inn sparked broader conversations about code enforcement. City Code Compliance Coordinator Lawrence Burleson said the city generally responds to code-related issues only after a complaint.

“We’re more of a reactive department only because of staffing,” Burleson said.

Although some residents have expressed a desire to see stronger punishments for code violations, Burleson said that’s not a priority for staff. He said state regulations prohibit code enforcement departments from taking a punitive approach. Property owners must be given a reasonable amount of time to address a violation, and city staff would rather see somebody willingly address an issue instead of issuing a citation.

“Since we are code compliance, that’s what we strive for,” Burleson said. “Typically, we want voluntarily compliance.”

Cabana Inn owner Rodney Dessberg could not be reached for comment.