Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Burks' Meeting To Discuss School Ave Proposal

An invitation from Ron Burks concerning his proposed plan for the School Avenue property in the Alta Vista neighborhood. The proposal is to change current land use and zoning from residential/multifamily to Downtown Mixed Use/Downtown Core. Nearby residents as well as many neighborhoods and the ppanning staff objected to establishing DTC zoning (the highest and most dense allowed) right next to single family zoning.

You are invited to participate, along with other thoughtful members of our Sarasota community, in an open to the public discussion and idea sharing process concerning the residential/retail development proposed along School Avenue, across from Payne Park.

The development of this 9.52-acre property will be highly visible for many years by all those who visit Payne Park or drive down School Avenue, so it is important that its development be a contribution and enhancement to downtown and to the community and that the community be proud of the quality of the development.

The discussion will take place on Monday evening, October 30th at 7:00 p.m. at the Sarasota Herald Tribune building at 1741 Main Street in the meeting room off the main lobby. Jerry Sparkman (Totems Architecture), President of the Gulf Coast chapter of the American Institute of Architects of Sarasota, will facilitate the discussion and encourage active participation and dialogue from neighbors and concerned citizens starting with discussion about the proposed, proffered Master Site Plan and Building Sections.

This meeting is intended to encourage a more meaningful, productive community dialogue in the redevelopment of this important property using planning concepts of “New Urbanism” to create a functional mixed-use development. Hopefully this meeting will further serve as an opportunity to move toward a consensus as to the most desirable manner in which this property can be developed.

With everyone’s participation, this meeting can serve as an invaluable learning experience for us all and I hope that you will be able to attend on Monday evening, October 30th.

Ronald H. Burks
Quincy Investments, LLC
2151 Main Street
Sarasota, Florida 34237
Phone: 941/366-7000
Fax: 941/366-7097
Cell: 941/223-7800
Email: rburks@quincyinvestments.com


I asked Ryan Chapdelain (City Neighborhood Partnership Office) about this. His response was:

Attached you will see the notice for a voluntary neighborhood meeting that Mr. Burks requested the City send out to all affected parties within a 500-foot radius of the subject property (including adjacent neighborhood associations and CCNA). As you can see, this is not an official City neighborhood workshop, nor was it required by the City. The Clerk's office received this request late Monday and notices should be sent out by tomorrow (if they haven't already). Any questions as to the details of the meeting should be directed to the contact information at the top of Mr Burks's notification memo, as this is the only information the City has received regarding this meeting. However, I was told minutes will be taken, arranged by Mr. Burks.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

"Neighborhood Mixed Use"



That's what the Terrace Gardens ANA and the Alta-Vista Neighborhood Associations pleaded for on the School Avenue site when it became clear that the Development interests on our City Commission were intent upon changing the zoning from Residential Multi-Family to something ominously called Downtown Edge.



After the developer's charade stacking the "audience" with shills from the downtown and beyond , the folks in Terrace Gardens and Alta-Vista believed they had been defeated and that there was no longer any hope of a reasonable zoning on the site to reflect its proximity to their single family residences to the East and South.



But, it turns out that the "game" is not yet over and the insistent “enveloper” must gain approval of our Planning Board (Rezone Application 05-RE-20) on February 11, 2009.



Folks at the recent GRP-NA neighborhood meeting were surprised when Myron and Forrest departed form the published meeting agenda to push a vote to approve whatever Ron Burks proposed - riding roughshod over and ignoring the amended motion voted by those present.



It appears that they did this so as to allow Myron or Forrest to come before the Planning Board with a motion of support ostensibly from the neighborhoods of Paver Park, Ringling and Terrace Gardens not withstanding the opposition to same voiced at that January meeting.



I would hope that those who supported the amended motion and those who witnessed the vote at that meeting would either attend this meeting of the Planning Board oar at least write a letter detailing the fraudulent process that engendered the resolution in question.



I would further suggest that those affected parties who received the notice of this meeting would complete the form received and at least write to the Planning Board to ask denial of any zoning change that would allow this residential parcel to be rezoned to allow hotels and office buildings adjacent historical single-family neighborhoods.



No matter that such an effort smacks of tilting at windmills, fighting an uphill battle or championing a "lost cause." To remain silent will allow the proponents to characterize your position as "in favor" of the developer’s position.



Our last election established the fact that the prior commissions and its decisions went against the interests of the neighborhoods while discarding process and procedures willy nilly.



Since we have seen measures to thwart the ram shod development process that threatens every quiet neighborhood in Sarasota with walls and towers of high-density concrete "villages" in their "back yards."



Ken Shelin will surely vote "Yea," as he has a penchant for density and gentrification. Fredd Atkins has had plenty of time to reflect and reconsider his alliances with the development community that promised him affordable housing at every turn without once "coming through." Mayor Palmer knows there was no Kum By Ah (SP?), resulting from the charade and might yet vote to deny Downtown Edge in favor of Downtown Mixed Use which would allow Nurks to go forward with Phase One and give him time to propose something else in lieu of his hotel.



Hopefully, we will have two votes for Neighborhood Mixed Use from Commissioners Clapp and Kirschner as they both owe their seats to the neighborhoods who so strongly advocated this route.



So, in addition to completing the "Affected Party" forms (which must be received by 2/3/2009), letters, calls and e-mails to our commissioners are definitely in order for, if we follow procedures, its not over 'till they vote.



(;harles



Application nos 06-SP-29 & 05-RE-20

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.

Commission Chambers

City Hall

1565 First Street

Sarasota, FL 34236