ULI committee debates town center, Bayfront Park

It’s time for the Urban Land Institute Implementation Advisory Committee to come up with suggested uses for a town center. But they might have to wait until fall to get feedback from the public.

The committee learned March 20 the town is proceeding with surveys on the 2.81 acres of land it is purchasing for a future town center.

“If all goes well, we hope to close on the property soon,” said Planning, Zoning and Building Director Alaina Ray. “We might want to start looking at how to gauge public opinion regarding uses for a town center, which could include a cultural center.”

Committee members expressed frustration, though, that workshops and public discussion for such ideas won’t be able to start until the fall.

“It’s not the right time to do it in the summer when no one is here,” said Ray, whose staff will soon present the Longboat Key Town Commission with options for public forums moving forward.

Ray said the town is investigating the use of the University of Florida’s Urban Design Studio to hold future public meetings and community surveys. The design studio would then report back to the town for multiple options and designs for a town center.

The town will also put out a request for proposals in the coming weeks seeking applicants, which will include the University of Florida, looking to create overlay district design work for a town center.

Ray said the town could build a cultural center on the property because such a building can be built on the land through a parks and open space fund that is being used to purchase the property.

“A cultural center is considered a park if it’s owned by the town,” Ray said. “But if we get to a point where we want to sell some of the land or all of it, the money goes back into the parks and open space acquisition fund.”

Ray also told committee members the town is in the process of looking for Sarasota County funds for enhancements to Bayfront Park.

The town submitted a cost estimate to the county, which asks for approximately $1.9 million to fund park enhancements.

The subcommittee agreed to continue discussing ways to improve both Bayfront Park and Gulf of Mexico Drive.

The town wants Gulf of Mexico Drive to be safer for pedestrians, make traffic flow smoother and look more aesthetically pleasing.

Accomplishing those goals, though, must be done with the help and support of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which controls the island’s main thoroughfare.

At the meeting, committee members heard a presentation from Nick Lapp, a representative of Orlando-based Renaissance Planning Group. The planning group works with FDOT to create street policies for roads around the state.

A final ULI report the town received earlier this month recommends possible changes to Gulf of Mexico Drive that include a roundabout at Broadway and Gulf of Mexico Drive, which ULI panelists believe would reduce crashes and congestion on the north end. A roundabout and crosswalks in that area, ULI panelists believe, will also make that area safer for pedestrians going to and from the popular Broadway beach access.

Crosswalks and pedestrian islands along other busy areas of Gulf of Mexico Drive are also recommended, which the ULI report believes would slow motorists and give pedestrians a safe place to wait for cars to pass.

Town staff is already working with FDOT to compile a list of recommended crosswalks for Gulf of Mexico Drive.

“The goal is to morph GMD from a highway into something that looks more like a street,” Ray said.
Lapp said an ideal Gulf of Mexico Drive would have better transit accommodations at bus stops, a multiuse trail that’s at least 15 feet wide and a road that was reduced in width at busy intersections to slow traffic.

Ray said the town is working with Police Chief Pete Cumming to utilize the license plate recognition camera system to count the number of cars that use Gulf of Mexico Drive to pass through without stopping. Some officials estimate pass-through traffic to be as high as 40%.

The committee will eventually make Gulf of Mexico Drive recommendations to the commission after reviewing more enhancement options for the road.

Grossman sounds off
Urban Land Institute Implementation Advisory Committee member Larry Grossman told fellow members March 20 he has issues with the makeup of the committee and would prefer a group of all citizens and no elected officials.

The group includes Commissioners Jack Duncan and Pat Zunz, and two Planning and Zoning Board members. Commissioners also attend meetings.

“We have commissioners here that will make decisions on what we recommend, and I feel constrained,” Grossman said. “I feel what I discuss is nixed through comments, and I’m getting cut at the knees.”

Planning, Zoning and Building Director Alaina Ray said committee meetings are open to the public, and anyone can attend and provide comments.

“We are not excluding anyone from a public meeting, and I encourage all people to come,” Ray said.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected]