Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/105484
PUTTING IT OFF The City of Sarasota draft proposal for a new North Trail Overlay District includes an example of how a redeveloped street could appear. Image courtesy City of Sarasota THE CITY PLANNING BOARD DELAYS ACTION THIS WEEK ON THE 'NTOD,' AN OVERLAY DISTRICT FOR PART OF THE NORTH TAMIAMI TRAIL By Stan Zimmerman City Editor The Tamiami Trail between downtown and the northern city limits probably has been the most studied area in the city. Any number of plans and schemes has been proposed for it in the past half century, but nothing seems to work. testimony on this latest plan – the North Trail Overlay District. Despite three years of meetings over it, the plan got off to a rocky start with the Planning Board. Two major sticking points arose during the public comments portion of the session. The first was a lack of support by the four neighborhoods in the overlay area. The second was reluctance to move ahead with "administrative review" of developer's plans. The latest proposal comes after three years of work by the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership, a consortium of owners, neighbors, businesses and cultural institutions. "This process was not led by some high-priced, out- Mike LeShea offered stinging criticism of of-town consultant," the plan. "This fails said City Planner Ryan to achieve its own inChapdelain. "It was led I don't think we've had enough tentions. It does not by local stakeholders." time. We should go off the schedule. And represent the neigh- I hope the North Trail Redevelopment He was speaking to the group will meet and consider some of our Sarasota City Planning comments. Board on Wednesday, Jan. 23, before its Susan Chapman Member members opened a Sarasota Planning Board public hearing to take borhoods. Not one neighborhood has endorsed it. It will cut neighborhoods outside the planning process."