Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/157038
Sarasota News Leader August 23, 2013 Page 89 Siesta Seen He was hopeful, he added, that the tentative $14 million estimate for the loan could be reduced by about $1.5 million in Tourist Development Tax revenue; staff is investigating that part of the funding matter. The contract for the beach project is set to come before the board on Oct. 22 or 23, Gleitsman noted. When Commissioner Nora Patterson asked why staff was pursuing a bank loan for that work as well as for the construction of the new Emergency Operations Center and improvements to Bee Ridge Road Extension, Gleitsman told her banks are providing loans up to 10 years with fixed rates. In fact, he said, bank loan rates have been very competitive, and the county will save money by not having to pay underwriter fees, which would be necessary if it pursued bonds. to invite them to come up with possible solutions. "There's obviously a problem," Bailey told me on Aug. 21. The parking plan Bailey approved last year, which was submitted by Siesta architect Mark Smith said the restaurant would utilize spaces left vacant after other businesses in the same plaza closed. That way, Eat Here would be able to comply with the new Siesta Village parking ordinance standard, which specifies a certain number of spaces per number of seats in an establishment. However, it turns out that one business whose spaces were utilized in the count for Eat Here — Coldwell Banker — does not close before the restaurant opens. Smith said he was going by what John Davidson — owner of Davidson Drugs and lots of Siesta Key property — had told him when Davidson was negotiating with Eat Here propri"I guess I'm just not used to seeing such big etor Sean Murphy. bank loans," Patterson replied. Neither Murphy nor a representative of DavidTHE LATEST ON EAT HERE son would comment on the situation. Readers of our July 19 issue may recall the article I wrote about how county Zoning and Code Enforcement staff had been made aware of the fact that Eat Here Siesta Key no longer is in compliance with the parking plan it submitted to the county before it opened. Zoning Administrator Brad Bailey confirmed the violation for me this week and said he is at work on a letter to the owners of Eat Here and the property to make them aware of it and Baily told me he had consulted with Deputy County Attorney Alan Roddy about the matter. "I've never rescinded an approval before," Bailey pointed out. He wanted to be sure how to handle the situation. Among the possible solutions, he said, would be use of a lot zoned for commercial use, where valets could park restaurant patrons' vehicles. Another option is to modify the restaurant's hours of operation.