Planning Commission vacancy draws five candidates

While Sarasota County prepares to revamp its comprehensive plan and the economy rebounds, five candidates have emerged for the advisory board that will play a key role in the update and the county’s future.

Sarasota County commissioners will consider nominations for a vacancy on the Planning Commission March 4, following the resignation of Mike Moran, who is running for County Commission in 2016. Kevin Cooper, Mark Hawkins, Roland Piccone, Lourdes Ramirez and Andy Stultz have applied for the empty seat.

County commissioners with a majority vote will choose the applicant, who will serve through January. 

The nominee chosen for the seat will join eight fellow planning commissioners and a non-voting school board representative in vetting intensive staff reports on the various areas of the comprehensive plan slated for review, said Planning Division Manager Allen Parsons. As the advisory board to the County Commission, the board will offer recommendations on potential changes to the plan, and continue its role overseeing development approvals.

Though the Planning Commission often serves as a springboard for future political careers — two current county commissioners did their time on the planning board — the rebounding economy means there will certainly be more development and re-zone applications, making even one vacant seat an important cog in local government.

The last round of Planning Commission appointments drew 12 applicants in the summer of 2013, including former County Commissioner Jon Thaxton. Commissioners chose Michael Beaumier and Paul Bispham for four-year terms.

Kevin Cooper
Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Public Policy Kevin Cooper ran the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce for three years before taking his current position at the end of 2013. During that time, he studied the comprehensive plan for issues ranging from noise and outdoor displays in the Village to coastal development approvals.

“There’s a lot of nuances to why those things happen,” Cooper said of the latter land-use issues. “(My background) helps me to understand some of those nuances.”

He has addressed the County Commission as a representative of both organizations, most recently as it considered changes to Sarasota 2050, the controversial planning document guiding development on large swaths of land in East County. Cooper said he would hope to communicate planning decisions to the public, which may not understand the complexities behind those decisions.

“To me, one of the most important things in life is when expectation and reality come to the same spot,” Cooper said.

Mark Hawkins
As a District 4 representative of the Sarasota County Charter Review Board, Mark Hawkins is already a member of a lesser-known, albeit similarly important advisory board that is charged with overseeing possible changes to the county’s “constitution.” He won his seat on that board as a Republican, but fell to former County Commissioner Nora Patterson in 2010 as a Democrat.

“I’m not coming into the Planning Commission with an agenda,” Hawkins said. He wants to be a “good listener” as the county gathers public input on the comprehensive plan overhaul.

Hawkins owns Hawk’s Nest Construction Inc., which he said in a Planning Commission application has given him experience working with complex building codes and complying with land-use and zoning regulations.

“I think the county has done a great job of preserving a good place to live,” Hawkins said. “And I wouldn’t want to change that.”

Roland Piccone
GAP Engineering and Planning Managing Partner Roland Piccone is a familiar face in the Sarasota County Commission chambers, from his 14 years on the Planning Commission to speaking as an agent for developers seeking comprehensive plan amendments, and his time on the Public Facilities Financing Advisory Board.

For the most pressing planning and land-use issue in the county, Piccone said: “Making sure that a genuine balance is maintained to satisfy the residential, commercial and institutional needs of the county, and that capital asset revenue needs for infrastructure are anticipated and adequately funded.” And he wants to gather stakeholder input on the comprehensive plan.

“Im going to listen to the public,” Piccone said. “What does the public want”

In an application packet, Piccone said he’s strictly interested in the position to fill out the remainder of Moran’s term, which runs through January, and had no desire to serve beyond that timeframe. He said his experience and “commitment to preserving and maintaining a high quality of life within the county” qualifies him as a successful planning commissioner.

“I’m a guy that doesn’t require a learning curve,” Piccone said. “If they want to me to serve, I’ll serve.”

Lourdes Ramirez
Lourdes Ramirez would come to the planning board the heels of losing a contentious County Commission primary to sitting Commissioner Alan Maio, after more than a decade as a neighborhood activist often speaking at county meetings on development issues.

Ramirez has served as president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations and the Siesta Key Association and said she “can bring to the Planning Commission experience that will lessen the time necessary to get up to speed on current issues.”

Ramirez has often stood in opposition to development interests, particularly on the recent changes proposed for Sarasota 2050.

“I know I can bring experience to this advisory council,” Ramirez said in an application packet. “I also believe the Planning Commission needs to have members that have a strong civic and neighborhood engagement background.”

Andy Stultz
Andy Stultz, vice president of Lakewood Ranch-based Halfacre Construction, may be the lesser known applicant, but has similar experience in construction and development as sitting planning commissioners.

“My technical background in both engineering and construction gives me the foundation to understand the technical aspects of the codes and the projects that come before the commission,” Stultz said in an application packet.

Stultz, who lives in Venice, said his appointment would parallel the growth trends that will be influencing the revamp of the comprehensive plan. With three county commissioners from South County, the county’s governing board is already reflecting that trend.

“If you live in the area that’s being affected, you need to make sure good decisions are being made,” Stultz said.

Stultz said he wants to make sure business interests are represented on the board, as well as environmental concerns.

“These are all things that are going to affect my community, and I want all of Sarasota County to develop so that it’s balanced,” Stultz said. “There’s a reason why we all moved here and stay here — that’s the natural beauty.”