Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/107047
Sarasota News Leader February 1, 2013 Page 34 (Chickee huts are shelters supported by posts with raised floors, thatched roofs and open sides. The Seminole and Miccosukee Indians have built them for centuries.) "I absolutely agree," Carter said. A chickee hut stands on the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation in Glades County. Photo by Ebyabe/Wikipedia Commons SCAT Senior Planner Sarah Blanchard explained that part of the cost is associated with making bus shelters compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. When Blanchard reiterated that all the facets involved in the completion of a shelter resulta hard time with the $6,000 land acquisition ed in the cost ranging between $30,000 and fee." $40,000, Commissioner Nora Patterson re(Carter began working for the county on Aug. sponded, "That's just nuts." 27, 2012.) Each design had to be specific to its location, As for the design, permitting and construction Blanchard explained. Among other issues, she costs, he added, "I'm shocked at that. These continued, the design has to deal with existing culverts and adequate drainage of the proper[shelters] should be prototypes …" ty. Regarding the maintenance fee, he continued, Each shelter also has to have a sidewalk lead"I find that extremely shocking also." ing up to it, she pointed out. Referencing Carter's estimate that the county would double its number of shelters from 7 Carter suggested that perhaps more of the percent of the total to 14 percent in five years, construction could be done in-house. Barbetta said, "We should be close to 100 per- "First of all," Patterson said, "most of the shelcent as soon as possible." ters I see look like they were prefab or put in whole. … So we're paying $6,000 for this little Nothing was worse than driving down the box?" road and seeing people standing in the hot sun, waiting for a bus to come, he added. Blanchard responded that the cost of the shelter structure itself is about $5,500, while the Staff should be working to find companies that bench is another $300 to $400. could put up the shelters at a much lower price, Barbetta said, adding that former Sarasota May- "That's just a lot for what we get for it," Patteror Jack Gurney several years ago had broached son said and asked whether staff had checked the idea of using chickee huts for shelters, be- with other counties to determine how they handle bus shelters. cause they could be erected quickly.