Sarasota News Leader

02/14/2014

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The following is a breakdown of the facets of the sites: 1330 N. OSPREY AVE. Environmental testing at this address will include analysis of a deep-injection well installed and operated by the city's Utilities Department. A 150-foot by 155-foot easement exists around the well, meaning no structures could be placed in that corner of the site, Applebee explained. Marbut noted in his November 2013 report that the property has existing buffers and "plenty of space" to add additional buffering. The site also has great ingress and egress, he noted, and the "land layout is excellent." The city owns the 2.2-acre property. While an adja- cent parcel at 1530 N. Osprey Ave. is owned by UPS, it could be included in the project if needed, Marbut pointed out. The consul- tant stated that a modulated system could work on the site, and he estimated the cost at $650,000 to $985,000. Because the city owns the land, Marbut wrote this property could be the "least expensive land option." He added in his report, "Of all the possibilities in the County, this is the best overall viable location." 1800 N. EAST AVE. According to the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's Office, VAA Sarasota LLC owns this 3.7-acre parcel. In his November 2013 report, Marbut wrote that the 2.3 acres are usable for a shelter. He noted that this site also has excellent ingress and egress, has existing buffers on all sides, is adjacent to an existing homeless encampment and is near the jail and "service core." The biggest concern is that an existing commercial condominium associa- tion would have to approve the new use of the site. The association is made up of four individual owners of industrial condominium units, Applebee said. A Jan. 31 meeting conducted with Marbut, Applebee and the property owners of 1800 N. East Ave. was fruitful, however. "Robert Marbut and I met with the owners of [the parcel] to discuss the project with them in detail," Applebee wrote in a Feb. 5 update to the county commissioners. "The meeting was productive and the owners were willing to further consider the property for this use. An invitation was extended to them to tour Pinellas Safe Harbor," a homeless shelter in Clearwater that has been cited as a model for a Sarasota facility. NEXT STEPS After a site is chosen, Marbut would "provide technical assistance in the design and physi- cal development" of the shelter, according to Applebee's update. Marbut will also work on plans for an emer- gency 24/7 intake portal for homeless families and children. If his contract is extended, the consultant would provide technical assis- tance as well on the operation of the area's system of services for the homeless, includ- ing the operation of Homeless Outreach Teams and overseeing upgrades to the home- less Management Information System used by county agencies. % Sarasota News Leader February 14, 2014 Page 34

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