County, town discuss Bayfront Park

During a Sarasota County Commission and Longboat Key Town Commission joint meeting Monday, staff updated both government bodies on ongoing projects.

The site design for the Bayfront Park on Longboat is still undergoing revisions, especially in regards to whether or not there should be a dog park available at the recreational area.

Town Commissioner Phill Younger said he did not believe there was sentiment in support of having a dog park in the area, and that the Urban Land Institute advisory committee had not supported the idea.

“I have a sentiment for it,” said Town Commissioner Terry Gans. “There was sentiment against it on the beach. Some people definitely want it.”

Town Commissioner Pat Zunz said the childrens playground should be placed where the dog park was slated to be because it was more shaded and would keep the playground equipment from getting too hot.

The park design originally included a complex for community gathering, but the planners have since phased it out because it was not suited to the needs of the park.

“We’ve moved it out of the centerpiece of the park,” Town Manager Dave Bullock said. “There’s no central gathering place, but we think it could be in the town center area.”

Bullock also advised the county on the growing concern for sea level rise on Longboat Key.

“Long-term residents have seen increased flooding in the last 20 years,” he said. “The biggest threat is the Bay.”

The Gulf has dunes and naturally occurring deterrents for flooding. However on the bay side, even strong winds during storms can cause road flooding, he said.

“Mar Vista is ground zero,” Bullock said. “Homes are at grade level.”

Bullock said several national agencies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict the sea level to continue to rise. Now is the time for coordination among communities who will be affected, he said.

“We’ll do our planning, we attend conferences… but it would be more effective for a regional approach,” Bullock said. “We feel a little bit of floundering. How do we deal with this problem?”

Bullock asked the county who should be taking the leadership on the issue to find a solution or at least research options. County Commissioner Charles Hines said he would find out who needed to spearhead the issue.

County Commissioner Nora Patterson was not optimistic that there would be a viable option to solve the problem.

“Whether the county takes a lead or not, it’s hard to see what the cure would be,” she said.