Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/88739
Sarasota News Leader October 19, 2012 intersection and cause pedestrians to cross the street where there is no crosswalk." In her letter, Luckner concurred with Smith's concern about pedestrian safety and added her board's worry that a food truck operating in the requested location could interfere with drivers' visibility as well. PROVISIONS FOR TUPS On May 22, the County Commission voted unanimously to extend the sunset date for TUPs in the Siesta Key Overlay District for two years, to June 8, 2014. "Everybody is more than satisfied with how this TUP is work- ing," Commissioner Nora Patterson, who lives on Siesta Key, told her fellow board members before the vote. THE BONASTOS' PLANS Asked whether the Bonastos had had any dis- cussions with representatives of the island organizations, Cheri Bonasto told the News Leader, "No one has approached us." The couple's neighbors on Winding Way "have been so supportive of us," she added. "It's been fantastic. We've already got people or- dering food." Everybody my husband and I have told about our food has been very positive. Cheri Bonasto As a thank-you to their Winding Way neigh- bors, who have put up with the truck in the couple's driveway while they worked on the business plans, the Bonastos "had a little food tasting" recently, Cheri Bonasto said. "We got a lot of positive feed- back." The county's assistant zoning administrator, Donna Thompson, pointed out during the May 22 meeting that no applications had been sub- mitted for TUPs since the ordinance had been in effect. During an email exchange with Thompson on Oct. 17, Patterson asked whether the Bonas- tos' application required a public hearing. "When we adopted the latest amendment to the [TUP] portion of the code to allow for street vendors," Thompson added, "we left in the requirement that a public hearing be conducted for any permit requesting [a ven- dor's business] … be located on a public right- of-way and/or on the barrier islands (private property or public right-of-way)." she pointed out. "Everybody my husband and I have told about our food has been very pos- itive," she said. The food, by the way, will be a fusion of Ca- jun and Cuban tastes, People are welcome to check out the business at the website gumbomojotruck.com, Bonasto said. The couple does plan to be at the Oct. 23 County Commission meeting, which will be held at the Administration Center in down- town Sarasota, 1660 Ringling Blvd. The pub- lic hearing on their application will be held during the morning session, according to agenda material provided to the commission. "People are afraid of new things," Bonasto said. Nonetheless, she pointed out, "We're not just some company from outside [Siesta Key]." Page 20