Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/116876
CITY BRIEFS The City of Sarasota and the Sarasota Sailing Squadron plan to pursue creation of a kayak storage facility on City Island. Photo by Benreis via Wikimedia Commons KAYAK STORAGE FACILITY IDEA INCHES FORWARD; ���BOOM-CAR ORDINANCE��� ENACTED; CITY AWAITS JUDGE���S DECISION ON ���CURE MEETING��� FOR STATE STREET GARAGE BID RANKINGS By Stan Zimmerman City Editor The City of Sarasota and the Sarasota Sailing Squadron inched closer this week to creating a place for people to store kayaks at what is described as the best place on Sarasota Bay to launch and recover the craft. That will take a revised city-county interlocal agreement, which the city staff will work on. The city will also need to modify a 1993 ordinance banning leasing of any additional parkland to leaseholders. The Sailing SquadSquadron Commodore David Jennings pre- ron has leased 9.5 acres of property on the sented the City Commission on March 18 with island since 1958 for its clubhouse and storage a set of schematic plans for a facility the vol- and launching facilities. unteers would build on the old WSPB radio Jennings said it would be far less expensive to station property in Ken Thompson Park on secure the property than the individual storCity Island. age racks. ���I can���t speak for my board, but I���m The squadron put the non-volunteer construc- sure we���d be interested,��� he said. tion part of the project out to bid, received one response and is waiting for two more. The The commission unanimously approved disquadron would pay for the installation of the rection to staff to work on a separate 10-year facility and collect rents until its expenses lease for the kayak storage facility, rewrite the were repaid. Then the squadron would share city���s ordinance and pursue an amendment to the city-county interlocal agreement. the revenue with the city and county.