Sarasota planning board sides with residents in parking issue at Siesta Promenade

While Sura Kochman and her neighbors have met many defeats in their opposition to a 28-acre hotel-housing-shopping project by Benderson Development Co. at U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road, the Sarasota Planning Commission recently handed a rare victory to the neighborhood advocates.

The growth advisory panel appeared to agree with the residents at a recent meeting, recommending approval of a revised development plan by Benderson, but after amending it to eliminate a proposal to add parallel parking along two nearby streets, Glencoe and Crestwood avenues, by a 5-1 vote.

Located at the corner of the main road onto the popular tourist destination of Siesta Key, Benderson's development will include a 130-room hotel — larger than any single hotel already on Siesta — and multifamily units within an easy bike ride to white sand beaches. New retail shopping along one of the busiest roads in Sarasota County is also included in the mixed-use project.

All the property's development rights were secured more than five years ago, including several stipulations by the county designed to ease the significant impact on the single-family residential neighborhoods west of the Benderson project.

Several legal challenges have delayed the long-planned project. A few months ago, the developer sought to bring into the site plan two "hold-out" properties Benderson had acquired that would add less than 0.8 acres to the overall size.

Despite the land creating the potential for more development, Benderson did not seek increased residential units or commercial space.

However, the developer did add 39 parallel parking spaces along Glencoe and Crestwood avenues, which Kochman described as an "intrusion into the neighborhood."

Kochman, whose family has owned property in the neighborhood since the 1950s, has come to terms with the intensity of the project, she said, but the added parallel parking is not what the neighborhood wants. And she contends it does not comply with the stipulations agreed to with the County Commission's 2018 approval of the development, which included a 20-foot landscaped buffer for the neighborhood.

Parking 'friction' from Benderson proposal

"We're not complaining about the 414 (multifamily) units," she said. "We're not complaining about the eight-story hotel. We're not complaining about the retail and the commercial. I'm not even complaining that they moved a 65-foot building closer to the neighborhood. Not complaining about any of that. But we are upset about the parallel parking as an intrusion into the neighborhood."

Todd Mathes, director of development for Benderson, told the planning board that parallel parking "has a proven effect" of slowing down traffic by creating friction as drivers pass by the parked cars.

He stressed that in his opinion, the added parking would be an improvement that would be to the benefit of the community in the long run.

"In our minds, commissioners, we are going to create 414 new households that are part of a neighborhood, and we're part of a large neighborhood and community here. We want to get this project right," he said. " .... I sincerely believe this is an improvement to the overall area."

Planning Commissioner T. Andrew Shultz said while the developer's intentions may have been "fine," the parallel parking was having an impact on the approval process.

"In regards to friction and approval of this process, I think the parallel parking is creating more than just traffic friction," Shultz quipped.

About a dozen residents spoke at the meeting with unanimous opposition to the addition of on-street parking. Many expressed worry and in some cases anger at what some described as a "last-minute" addition.

Don DeBerry, a transportation manager with the county's public works department, said that while parallel parking would be safer than angled parking, the road would statistically not be safer with the parallel parking included.

"I do believe it's a traffic calming measure," he said. "I do not believe it's safer than no parking."

While it took a couple of votes, the Planning Commission ultimately voted to recommend approval of the project to the County Commission after tacking on an amendment that removed the parking on Glencoe and Crestwood.

Not the last word

"I was just very pleased that the balance of the board figured it out," Kochman. "We were promised a buffer and looking at parked cars is not a buffer."

A request for comment to Benderson Development about the Planning Commission's decision was not immediately returned.

However, the final decision about the development proposal will go before the County Commission on Aug. 30.

Kochman said she expects even more neighbors to show up for that meeting, as it will be the final decision on the matter. The Planning Commission only provides a recommendation, which the County Commission does not always follow.

"Everybody understands fully, that as Yogi Berra said, it's not over until it's over," Kochman said. "We still have to come out. We still have to voice our concerns and the current county commission should adhere to what the former board had put in place."

Previous coverage: After site plan changes, Siesta Promenade once again open to public scrutiny

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Panel sides with residents on parking at Benderson's Siesta Promenade