Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/108313
Sarasota News Leader February 8, 2013 Page 89 Siesta Seen The Sarasota County Property Appraiser's Lourdes Ramirez, president of the Sarasota website says the parcel comprises 12,797 County Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, pointed out that changing the zoning square feet; its taxable value is $400,500. from Residential to Commercial would not Of course, Patterson noted, "I don't know be allowed under the county's comprehensive whether the commissioners would be willing plan; that would be a matter of "up-zoning." to do something again," adding, "It seemed Patterson told her that removing a business like a pretty good deal." use to put in parking spaces "doesn't really do Last December, the County Commission voted that." Patterson added, "In the end, it would formally to absorb the remaining cost of the be up to the commissioners." municipal parking lot in the Village, with PatShe told Smith she would send him the interson casting the lone "No" vote. formation she had received from the realtor, The decision stemmed from the lawsuits Chris so he and other SKVA members could take a Brown, owner of The Hub Baja Grill, The Cot- more thorough look at the site and the protage and the Beach Club, had filed against the posal. county over the past five years regarding ineqMAINTENANCE ISSUES uity in how Village property owners have been charged assessments to cover their share of During the SKVA meeting, Mark Smith offered the lot's construction costs. (See the related a bit of a curious tale about a county contractor trimming the hedges in the municipal parkstory in this issue.) ing lot. Past SKVA President and Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce board member Mark Smith It was a story strange enough to prompt Patpointed out that the northern part of the Add- terson to say, "That's weird." A-Closet property is a lawn zoned for residen- In discussing the work of Championship Landtial purposes; the front part is zoned Commer- scape Maintenance Professionals of Fort Mycial. ers, which won the Village maintenance conIf the county purchased the property, Patter- tract in August 2012, Smith said he had asked son said, the land could be rezoned for gov- the firm to give him a bid on painting the wall now exposed by the hedge trimming. ernment use. Asked how big the parcel is, Patterson re- What he had learned, Smith reported, was plied, "It's smallish, but it abuts the [munici- that workers with Wilhelm Brothers Inc., a county contractor, did the trimming. Wilhelm pal] parking lot." had been in charge of the Village landscaping "If we could get it rezoned, then it wouldn't be while the county was responsible for the Village maintenance during the approximately 13 an issue," Smith told her.