Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/273295
Even before criticism about the current state of outdoor displays in Siesta Village was aired at a March 4 meeting, a leader of a committee working to revise the county ordinance gov- erning those displays was preparing an email blast to his fellow business owners to urge their adherence to the proposed changes. "I know what's happening," Mark Toomey, owner of Robin Hood Rentals, told The Sarasota News Leader about 30 minutes after the issue sparked sharp remarks during the Siesta Key Village Association (SKVA) monthly meeting on March 4. He was referring to what SKVA members ear- lier characterized as a flouting of the proposed revisions to the Siesta Key Overlay District (SKOD) ordinance. The SKOD has banned outdoor merchandise displays on Siesta Key. Following a county Code Enforcement crack- down on such displays that began last spring, business owners new to the Village who were cited said the prohibition diminished their sales significantly. Since then, various Racks of clothing stand outside Siesta Key Outfitters (far left) and Le Grand Bisou Caribbean Boutique (right) on the evening of Feb. 6. Photo by Rachel Hackney SIESTA KEY VILLAGE ASSOCIATION LEADERS SAY BUSINESS OWNERS SEEKING A CHANGE IN THE OUTDOOR DISPLAY ORDINANCE NEED TO PROVE THEIR DEDICATION TO THE CAUSE By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 82