Design of No. 1 beach sign misses the mark

Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson likes the white and yellow beach ball touting Siesta Key’s “2011 No. 1 Beach in America” designation so much that she has a sticker with the Visit Sarasota County design on her cell-phone.

But, Federal Highway Administrations guidelines for traffic-control devices say the beach ball is too distracting to be placed on bus stop signs along Siesta Key, deflating Siesta Key Village Association efforts to replace the current brown signs.

Sarasota County Administrator Randall Reid notified Sarasota County commissioners Aug. 22, that county zoning staff determined that the Florida Department of Transportation would not approve the use of that signage along its roads.

“I guess they thought it was too fancy,” said Patterson after the meeting.

White and yellow have specific meanings in traffic control devices, so the beach ball itself is in violation of the FHA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. For example, white speed limit signs display the speed limit, while yellow speed limit signs are for suggested vehicle speeds.

The round shape is used for railroad markings, and the website URL printed on the beach-ball logo, which is for a non-government website, would be considered a distraction to drivers.

Siesta Key Village Association board member Cheryl Gaddie said the report was disappointing, and that she hopes the county considers replacing the brown signs with a reworded variation to clarify the year Siesta Key Public Beach took the top spot in Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman’s annual ranking.

Sarasota County zoning and communications staff will continue vetting options for a sign that meets all codes and regulations FDOT requires.

“The proposed design does not follow any of the standards for a traffic control device,” said the report concluded.