Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/293799
"I'm going by the pictures and actions of the public," Barbetta replied, referring to photos Harriott had shown the board. "We had a professional testify. This is not a safety hazard," Robinson reiterated. "Well, in my opinion, it is," Barbetta s a i d . " I ' m e n t i t l e d t o m y o p i n i o n . " "You are entitled to your opinion," she told him, "and I trust the opinion of our public safety professionals." Commissioners Carolyn Mason and Barbetta supported an option that would have allowed 10 parking spaces on only one side of the road and kept the sidewalk intact. "Whenever I'm faced with accommodating cars versus accommodating people, particu larly when there's a public safety hazard, I'm always going to side with accommodating people," Barbetta said. "To me, it's all about public safety and quality of life." "I agree with Joe," Mason said. Barbetta's motion failed 23, with Hines, Patterson and Robinson opposing it. The first motion that failed, also by Patterson, was to approve an option calling for 14 spaces split between the two sides of the road. It included the relocation of part of the side walk. That motion died for lack of a second. County spokesman Curt Preisser told The Sarasota News Leader on the afternoon of April 9 that no timeline has been set for creat ing the parking spaces. Staff will be meeting very soon with the contractor who will han dle the work, he added. THE BACKGROUND Harriott's memo pointed out that the commis sioners asked staff in May 2013 "to explore the feasibility of providing organized park ing along North Shell Road. Currently," the memo continued, "parking is unorganized and hard to enforce by our Sarasota County Sheriff's Office." Staff has been working since May 2013, Harriott told the commissioners on April 9, to figure out how to maximize the number of parking spaces on the road, which leads to Beach Access 1 on the north end of Siesta Key. The access overlooks Big Sarasota Pass. Harriott and other county staff members orga nized meetings with residents "in an effort to address their concerns and design parking [options]," the memo said. Photos Harriott presented showed dou bleparked vehicles on the road. He added, "I have heard upward of 50 vehicles" are in that area at one time. The pavement is 24 feet at its widest, Harriott explained, though in most places, it ranges from 20 to 22 feet. However, the county right of way is 80 feet wide, which is "very wide for a local road," Harriott pointed out. Usually, 50 feet is the maximum amount of right of way on such a road, he noted. That expanse of right of way made the parking design possible. Six other residents besides Eklund — most of whom also live in Solymar — urged the County Commission to take action to amelio rate the parking problems. Lynne Hansen told the board that following her purchase of her Solymar house about Sarasota News Leader April 11, 2014 Page 34