Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/96141
Sarasota News Leader November 30, 2012 proval, Lyons is mindful of who is in charge. "There are quite a few things we can do without going to the City Commission," he told the Parking Committee. "But I'll need to measure their concerns, too. I'll review this with my bosses, and if they agree, we'll take it to the commission." A new study of parking in Sarasota is in the wings. Two contractors submitted responses to a request for proposals, which will be evaluated Dec. 1. The results will help guide Lyons in setting the parameters for parking restrictions in the various districts. It is a tall order. Steve Queior is president and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and a committee member, as is Marty Rappaport, chairman of the St. Armands Business Improvement District. "Whose needs are we trying to satisfy in each district?" asked Queior. "Is it the downtown employee versus the mall shopper?" asked Rappaport. Queior noted that 23,400 people work within a one-mile radius of downtown. And even as gasoline flirts with $4 per gallon, car- and van-pooling remains a dream. He hopes city staff will be able to study parking in January, Whose needs are we trying to during the tourist season, and again in May. satisfy in each district? "The study will look Steve Queior at capacity, turnover, Member Sarasota Parking Committee times of day, employee parking and will hit if parking is free? all eight districts," he said. The Parking Committee is a bit unusual. It is not an advisory committee, but more like a sounding board. It operates under Florida's "Sunshine Laws," but it produces no written reports or recommendations. Lyons is asking for its help in creating a comprehensive mission statement and vision for parking in town. Tonya Herschberger & Linda Keefe Page 24 If a downtown circulator is built as a result of the city's Mobility Study, where will people park to get aboard it? Should downtown employees pay for a parking permit, even Those are only some of the questions with which the committee is wrestling. As Queior put it, "Whose behavior are we trying to accommodate?" To which can now be added, "In which district?" % "After a terrible accident I required surgery. Tonya shared with me that Dr. Koval was responsible for her beautiful smile. She gave me hope and direction. I'm so grateful to Dr, Koval. Now I have a smile that I love to share with everyone." For a complimentary consultation call 941.923.5406 | Christine Koval, D.M.D. | www.askdrkoval.com