Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/143399
Sarasota News Leader July 12, 2013 Although Bentley and Assistant County Attorney David Pearce had reached a mediated settlement in April, a public hearing was necessary before the County Commission could vote on vacating the 804.1 square feet of right of way near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Columbus Boulevard in Siesta Village. Brown also will receive $75,000 from the county. Page 30 that assessments for other Village properties went down — some as much as 30 percent. That tax bill arrived about a month after the county reimbursed him $2,500 for excessive parking assessments in 2009 — the crux of his second lawsuit. Diane Kennedy, acquisition agent for real property in the Public Works Department, provided a number of photos for the County Commission at the outset of the public hearing on July 10, showing the right of way in question. This lawsuit was filed in October 2011 after Brown received his annual parking assessments for his Siesta Village properties; he saw three of the assessments had risen significantly. The tax bill for the Avenida Messina proper- Patterson did ask a question to clarify the area ty where Blu Que Island Grill stands went up to be vacated, which Kennedy showed her about 1,500 percent. However, Brown learned again in a PowerPoint presentation. A chart shows the history of the lawsuits business owner Chris Brown has filed against Sarasota County. Image courtesy Sarasota County