County seeks more discussion on electronic signs

The Sarasota County Commission voted for a continuance to a proposed ordinance amendment allowing electronic message signs.

The amendment would limit the height of electronic message signs to eight feet, require signs to be installed in a four-foot landscaped area. The board heard the proposed amendment at the May 7 meeting and sent it to the Planning Commission.

According to the staff memo, the Planning Commission held “lengthy” discussion on national standards for sign illumination methods, average height and areas of illumination for electronic message signs. The Planning Commission sent the amendment back to the Board with a recommendation to have a discussion with the public and with businesses.

During a public hearing today, multiple members of the public commented that requiring landscaping, such as flower beds, was not a good idea because it was unlikely they would be maintained.

“Landscaping is a nice thought, but only if they were maintained, which we can’t regulate,” said Commissioner Nora Patterson.

Patterson expressed concern about conversations that the board had about signs in the past. They had discussed the proliferation of signs that crowd the view along South Tamiami Trail.

Commissioner Christine Robinson also suggested to eliminate the flowerbed requirement.

“We don’t want weeds,” she said. “We need to do something; if there’s a problem we need to fix it.”

Patterson moved to handle the ordinance with a continuance to allow more time to advertise the proposed amendment to the public and reach out to the public and business communities to get their input; remove the language requiring flowerbeds; and add clarifying language to regulate electronic message signs being added on to preexisting 15-foot signs. Robinson seconded.

The ordinance amendment will be discussed again at the Nov. 5 meeting.

Surplus properties

The commissioners voted to follow staff recommendation to several surplus properties.

• To solicit for bidders for a cell tower at the 185 Pompano property and negotiate a lease with the successful bidder.
• To withhold from selling any of the Dolomite Park property at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Tuttle Avenue to Light of the World Church, who requested to purchase 10 to 20 acres. Commissioners want to see the Parks and Recreation Department’s plans for this space in its Master Parks Plan before making a further decision.
• To consider selling the downtown Sarasota County Area Transit transfer station at Lemon Avenue when the analysis of the possible relocation of the station came back to them from county staff as a package at a later time.
• To consider exploring Turtle Beach RV Resort to be privately managed in order to alleviate staff time, but not to sell the property. The county received a request from an attorney with a client interested in buying the property or entering a relationship with the county to manage the campground for them, but staff had not had further contact with the interested party.