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of a facility. The City of Sarasota also has $289,000 available in its CDBG program that could be used for the project. Under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines, if the city and county are to keep the funding available for the plan, they must get a certified appraisal of the site at 1800 N. East Ave., according to a staff memo provided to the County Commission. The expense of the appraisal is estimated at $3,500. No such action is necessary for the parcel at 1330 N. Osprey Ave. because it is city-owned. GROWING CONCERN Amid the concerns raised about a shelter on the city-owned site on Osprey Avenue, the operators of the Pines of Sarasota assisted living and nursing home — a neighbor of that location — worry about the facility's impact on their operation and those of other nearby institutions, such as a preschool and Sarasota Military Academy. Commissioner Carolyn Mason told her col- leagues Tuesday that she had spoken with John Overton, president and CEO of the Pines of Sarasota, adding that the board and staff of the nonprofit want to work with the county and city. "They have concerns, but they want their organization to be part of the solution and not part of the problem," Mason added. But Overton told the News Leader he does not think the Osprey Avenue site should be the main option for addressing the home- less problem. He is afraid that if a shelter is built there, it will lead to 12th Street becoming a thorough- fare for homeless people, as the latter walk from the come-as-you-are public shelter to the Salvation Army facility at 1400 10th St. All it will take is one negative incident to cre- ate the perception that the area is unsafe, Overton pointed out. "My view simply is that we're concerned about the fact that we have 400 employees and are concerned about their safety and security, as well as the vulnerable senior population we serve," Overton added in an interview Tuesday afternoon. Sarasota Military Academy on Orange Avenue and a preschool in the area would also be impacted, Overton said, although the extent of the effects cannot be predicted at this time. "We are asking them to look at other sites," Overton continued, referring to city and county leaders. "Why does north Sarasota handle the brunt of the homeless situation?" % Don't have your own subscription to The Sarasota News Leader? Subscribe for FREE and receive a weekly notification when the latest issue is available online. FREE SUBSCRIPTION Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 30