Sarasota City Commission District 1: Sequoia Felton

Age: 38

Occupation: Porter/entrepreneur

Resident of Sarasota: 19 years

Why are you running for election or reelection?

I am not a politician. I’m running for office because I care about the people, the community, and the next generation. The real-world concerns of the people who live and work here have been neglected by the current commissioner. As I’ve knocked on doors and attended community meetings, I’ve heard from a lot of residents who only see the incumbent when he’s showing up for a party. I intend to be there for the people of Sarasota when there is work to be done. The residents need a representative who will take the time to listen to their concerns, and focus on affordability, public safety and quality of life issues.

What is your position on plans for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center and funding via the TIF district?

I was raised to respect my elders and learn from their wisdom. Here’s what I’ve learned from some long-time civic leaders. Mollie Cardamone was mayor when the decision was made to convert the Van Wezel to the award-winning Broadway touring theater we are known for nationwide. Sarasota School architect Carl Abbott calls the purple performing arts hall “Sarasota’s icon.” County Commissioner Mark Smith, who is an architect, said the building could be flood-proofed for a fraction of the replacement cost. And, in 2022, former mayor Fredd Atkins wrote an editorial asking this question: “When teachers, first responders and hospitality workers are struggling to find affordable housing in Sarasota, how can we justify the use of any taxpayer money on a project that the public neither wants nor needs?” I agree.

What are your thoughts about additional taxpayer funding if TIF funds and private contributions fall short of what is needed and, if so, from where should additional funding come?

As I understand it, the tax incremental financing district is basically a big geographic earmark intended to support redevelopment of blighted areas, and isn’t the right tool for funding the proposed entertainment complex. I read the article in The Observer that said the county commissioners want to end the TIF district when the park is created so that the locked-up tax dollars can be put to infrastructure investments that benefit all of us. I agree.

Assuming the new performing arts center is built, a decision will be required of city commissioners on what to do with the Van Wezel. To keep it functional or remodeled for re- use in all likelihood will require millions of dollars of ongoing funding. From whom should that funding come? The TIF district? City property taxpayers only? City and county taxpayers?

The Van Wezel is a cultural landmark and serves its purpose well. I don’t know why we would want to unnecessarily abandon a renowned theater to build another theater a few hundred feet north, with the same shows. I don’t know why we are discussing spending almost half a billion dollars to replace it for no public benefit at all.

Private use of city properties such as parks and city-owned buildings has been a major topic of discussion. Recent examples are The Players and Payne Park Auditorium and Ride Entertainment’s proposal for Ken Thompson Park. How do you view such public/private partnerships with regard to city assets?

I grew up with Sesame Street and I remember the song “one of these things is not like the others.” The Bay is different. Everyone I’ve talked to is on board with the idea of turning that giant waterfront parking lot into a green and open park. But I think the success of The Bay effort has been misinterpreted by entrepreneurs who want to build various sports or entertainment or tourist attractions in the public’s parks. 

Paid activity excludes some from enjoying the shared space. We live in a beautiful place, and sunsets are free. We should be cultivating more green space and making it accessible within the 10-minute walk the city’s parks plan calls for.

The City Commission is creating an ad-hoc committee to provide recommendations for a downtown master plan update. Please cite some specific changes you think need to be made to the plan.

What do we mean when we say “downtown”? Parts of District 1 north of Fruitville and along 41 have downtown zoning codes. Those codes require lot line-to-lot line buildings positioned right beside narrow sidewalks and busy streets. That doesn’t create a safe feeling for pedestrians, bicyclists or scooter commuters like me. It also creates an uninviting canyon effect for those driving into or through our city. 

I think our design standards should be revised to require more setbacks and open air, and we should pay particular attention to places where 1- and 2-story residential neighborhoods are right by large new complexes.

What changes, if any, do you think the city should make in its efforts to attract more workforce housing downtown and in commercial corridors and neighborhoods?

To get the best answers we need to ask the right questions. For housing, that means thinking logically about what we're trying to accomplish. How much housing do we need for those earning minimum wage? How much do we have? What’s the gap? It’s those in-service worker jobs and working families we need to be building for to make our economy work for everyone. 

So how do we keep people in the affordable homes they have? Can we reclaim some of the apartments that have been converted to vacation rentals for the people who work here? And can we add innovative things like tiny houses? These are the things we should be looking at before building huge buildings and making more heat islands along our main throughways. We need breathing room to thrive.

What is your position on the city's vacation rental policies. What, if anything, should be changed?

I’ve seen reports that show 700 dwellings in residentially zoned neighborhoods are now operating as vacation rentals. That includes both whole house rentals and accessory dwellings. A lot of those places used to be affordable homes and rental units. We need to enforce the seven-day minimum stay vacation rental rules and maybe look at tax incentives to try to return some of that transient lodging back to the housing stock back working families need.

People say there is too much over-development in Sarasota. Do you agree, and if so, what do you think should be done? What are your thoughts on how the city should address the continued growth?

People are right! The building boom we’ve experienced over the last four years has resulted in buildings that are too massive for the landscape and priced too high for the people who live and work here now to afford. This growth, while driving up tax revenues, hasn’t been mindful of the setting or Sarasota’s unique character and history. It has also pushed a lot of working families and retirees on fixed incomes from their homes. Increasing density in the region has led to crowded roads and long commutes. 

Putting in more concrete and removing trees has worsened problems with run-off and flooding. The city should address the problems it created by specifying the wrong rules requiring lot line-to-lot line tall buildings right up to the road. And it should be realistic about the fact that the most affordable housing will not be built on the most expensive downtown real estate.

How do you rate the performance of the Sarasota Police Department with regard to public safety?

My grandmother was a corrections officer, so I grew up with a healthy respect for law enforcement. A lot of my friends and neighbors work in public safety, and through my work with Harvest, I know what a good job the SPD homeless outreach team has done. In terms of areas for extra focus, I’d like to see the city be more proactive on noise control. I’d also like to see more analysis of known trouble spots for accidents and incidents where are problems occurring over and over again, and what can we do to get at the root causes?

What do you see as the three top concerns the City Commission should address if elected?

1. Housing prices. 
2. Flooding and environmental pollution. 
3. Traffic and public safety.