County Commission to consider new name for Siesta Key park

Siesta Key leaders characterized former Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson as a “champion of Siesta” during her time on the board. On Tuesday, current commissioners will discuss renaming Bay Island Park after the island resident and civic leader.

“It’s pretty neat and very exciting,” Patterson said. “It is a park with a history, and it’s well loved by the neighbors."

The park, which is located at the north tip of the barrier island, is a haven for fishing and temporary loading zone for boaters, and offers a view of Sarasota bay under the Siesta Key North Bridge.

But, a developer had once proposed building high-rise condominiums on the parkland, which nearby residents successfully opposed — with the help of Patterson’s husband, attorney John Patterson. The couple currently reside a few blocks from Bay Island, and have used the park for running and fishing in the past.

“Now we take long walks there and watch people fish,” Patterson said.

Regional transit is also on the agenda Tuesday, as Commissioner Paul Caragiulo has asked to discuss the proposal from Transdev Service Inc. to assume a combined operations of SCAT and MCAT under a new moniker: Sarasota Manatee Regional Transit. Manatee County commissioners have voted in favor of exploring the opportunity.

"It is not my intention to discuss specifics of the proposal,” Caragiulo wrote in a memo to county leaders. “However, I feel our colleagues in Manatee County should be provided with a timely response from our board on this important policy issue which has regional ramifications."