Downtown Master Plan update seeks to enhance city's brand

More than two decades have passed since architect, urban planner and new urbanism guru Andres Duany and company left the city with its Downtown Master Plan 2020. 

Since then, much of the vision prescribed in the plan has been implemented. That includes construction of several roundabouts, construction and enhancement of public parks and green spaces, installation of more than 80 public art pieces, construction of general infrastructure and beautification improvements, density bonus incentives to bring long-term attainable housing units, establishment of a Downtown Improvement District and so on. 

His mark is also left by new and planned construction in downtown and along the North Trail that brings buildings closer to the street with parking behind or enclosed, which encourages slower traffic and enhances walkability.

For the most part, mission accomplished. Sarasota’s downtown is one feature that keeps the city ranked high on multiple “best places” lists. 

But that was then. 

At the April 15 City Commission meeting, Liz Alpert floated the idea of updating the Downtown Master Plan, garnering unanimous support of her colleagues who directed staff to return at a future date with a proposal for seating an ad hoc committee to guide the city toward its downtown aspirations for future generations.

The action came in the wake of a four-part speaker series hosted by Architecture Sarasota early this year, which was designed to ignite a communitywide discussion about downtown. A consistent point across the series was that Sarasota now has a brand that should be maintained and enhanced through a strategic update of the Downtown Master Plan. 

At the Aug. 8 commission meeting, Planning Director Steve Cover and planning staff members presented a concept for determining qualifications for committee members and proposed employing the invitation to negotiate process — as opposed to issuing a request for proposal — to select a consultant to guide the committee's work.

“This will allow us to not only negotiate what will be the components of this downtown plan, but also negotiate the fee, and we think we probably will be getting a better product using that approach,” Cover said.

Whether a committee will be seated is not in question. What remains unknown at this time is its composition, as commissioners debated the appropriate balance of subject-matter experts with residents at-large.

Specific subject-matter experts recommended by staff for a nine-member committee are:

• Urban planner
• Architect
• Landscape architect
• Civil engineer
• Public art
• Sustainability/resiliency
• Downtown Improvement District board member
• Downtown business owner
• Downtown resident

Not so fast, commissioners said nearly in unison. A committee full of subject-matter experts, save for the at-large resident, may lend itself to a group of specific individual agendas not conducive for developing a wide-ranging view. Some also suggested a range in demographics to fully reflect the city’s evolving population, which is skewing younger and more diverse.

“I can see where it's really important to have subject-matter experts at least partially, but I think saturating the whole ad hoc committee with just subject-matter experts is a little bit difficult,” said Vice Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch. “They also should be creative, neutral and flexible, and that's where I think having too many experts who are set in their point of view makes them less able to be flexible, neutral and creative.”

At that, commissioners took turns providing their thoughts on the types of backgrounds committee members should possess, even if they are at-large residents who just happen to have some inherent knowledge in these and other areas such as historic preservation, multi-modal transportation, technology and more.

Sensing the list of disciplines was outgrowing the recommended committee size, City Manager Marlon Brown said there is no rush to decide and once the committee is eventually seated he anticipates a 12- to 18-month process, maybe longer,

“We will be bringing back a resolution that will be a discussion item as well in terms of the 50-member group that you will have identified today,” Brown joked. “We will come back with a resolution that identifies some of the criteria that you mentioned today, and you'll have another bite at the apple. You’re not deciding today.”

This isn’t Cover’s first bite at the master plan apple. He told commissioners he has led such efforts in several major metropolitan areas. This one, though, he said feels different from his prior experiences.

“Here, we already have a thriving downtown, but it can be it can be even better by not only updating our plan, but creating a plan with a new vision, a unique vision that includes things that haven't been considered here before,” Cover said. “Keep in mind that this is not a plan for downtown now. It's a plan for the downtown in the future. This plan is about the future, our kids’ future and your kids’ future.”

A date was not set for staff to return to the commission with a more narrowly focused resolution for the committee.