Sarasota City Commission Regular Meeting – August 4, 2025
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Sarasota City Commission Regular Meeting – August 4, 2025
The Sarasota City Commission met in regular session on Monday, August 4, 2025, at 9:00 AM in City Hall Chambers. The meeting included presentations, consent agenda approvals, a city manager search update, and a major legislative public hearing on a proposed comprehensive plan amendment for the Temple Beth Sholom property. The legislative hearing resulted in a failed vote, mooting the related quasi-judicial hearing. The meeting adjourned at 3:03 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Employee & Team of the Month (August 2025): Recognized David Smith (Manager of Long-Range Planning) as Employee of the Month for his work in historic preservation during a staffing shortage; the Payroll Team (Sarah Kozic and Makissa Abner) as Team of the Month for ensuring accurate payroll during hurricane disruptions. Both received unanimous praise.
- Consent Agenda No. 1 (Items VI-1 to VI-4): Approved unanimously 5-0. Included authorization for:
- Release and termination of an easement for Children First expansion.
- Traffic signal/streetlight installation services agreement with B&E Signal and Lighting, Inc. (spent $2,731,238.98 under prior contract).
- North Lodge Dr. lift station/water main replacement with Spectrum Underground ($797,998.85).
- Bird Key Dr./North Shell Rd. water main improvements with Spectrum Underground ($951,817.35).
- Consent Agenda No. 2 (Items VII-1 and VII-2): Item VII-1 (budget resolution for pedestrian/bicycle safety grant, $21,385) was pulled for a presentation. Item VII-2 (vacation of 21,945± sq ft of 18th Street right-of-way for Children First) was approved unanimously 5-0.
- Presentation on Item VII-1: Police Officer Jason Frank and Finance Manager Ben Billingsley explained the high visibility enforcement grant, funded by FDOT through UNF-IPTM, which allows ~500 additional officer hours/year for pedestrian/bicycle safety in high-crash segments identified by the state. The resolution was approved unanimously 5-0.
- Minutes Approval: Minutes of the July 7, 2025, regular meeting were approved 5-0 with minor non-substantive corrections.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Citizens’ Input (City Topics): Two speakers addressed topics not on the agenda: Martin Hyde criticized the budget process and purchasing policies; Ron Cashton requested correction of erroneous January 2024 meeting minutes regarding his wife.
- City Manager Search Update: Brief update from City Auditor and Clerk Griggs – RFP sent to search firms, awaiting responses. Martin Hyde commented on the process and timing.
- Legislative Public Hearing (Ordinance 25-5573): Over 15 speakers testified. Positions:
- In opposition (majority of neighbors): Residents from Alta Vista, Arlington Park, and Lyle Street cited traffic congestion, stormwater runoff, loss of green space/trees, incompatibility with single-family neighborhoods, and the precedent-setting nature of the land use change. Specific concerns: level of service on Bahia Vista (rated D/E), school traffic, flooding risks, and the lack of deeper affordability (only 3 units at 80% AMI). A petition with 430+ signatures was submitted. Planning Board had unanimously recommended denial.
- In support: Temple Beth Sholom representatives (Art Adler, Al Trudell, Rob Katz) emphasized the synagogue’s financial need, the 75% congregational vote in favor, and the desire to remain on site. Gilbane Development (Alastair Jenkins) highlighted the 275-unit project with 32 attainable units (up from 20), a 60-year affordability covenant (unprecedented in Sarasota), $3M in improvements to temple property (drainage, parking, landscaping), and the by-right alternative (360,000 sq ft medical office) that would generate far more traffic. Chamber of Commerce (Marlon Brown) supported, noting the housing need and the applicant’s concessions.
Discussion Items
- Combining Hearings Debate: The commission discussed whether to combine the legislative (Comp Plan) and quasi-judicial (rezoning/site plan) hearings. After explanation from Special Counsel Jay Daigneault, the commission decided by consensus to keep them separate, as the quasi-judicial hearing would be moot if the Comp Plan failed.
- Ordinance 25-5573 – Comprehensive Plan Amendment: The proposal sought to change the Future Land Use Map for 10.05± acres at 1050 S Tuttle Ave from Community Office/Institutional to Multiple Family High Density. Staff presentation (David Smith) noted that the amendment could allow up to 500 units but the applicant limited to 275; it would further housing goals but raised compatibility concerns with adjacent single-family areas. The applicant argued the project is infill, provides attainable housing, and improves drainage and traffic over the existing use (two schools). Key debate points:
- Four vs. Six vs. Ten Acres: The amendment covered the entire 10 acres, but only 6 acres would be developed for apartments; the temple retained 4 acres. Mayor Alpert and Commissioner Battie supported the amendment as a net public benefit, citing housing need, less intensive use than by-right alternatives, and the temple’s preservation. Commissioners Ahearn-Koch and Ohlrich opposed, citing precedent-setting nature, incompatibility with neighborhood plans, and that the 10-acre approach allowed the applicant to avoid the city’s density bonus breakdown (one-third each at 80%, 100%, 120% AMI). Vice Mayor Trice also opposed, noting the financial workaround.
- Affordable Housing: The applicant offered 32 attainable units (vs. 7 minimum) with a 60-year affordability deed restriction. Commissioner Ahearn-Koch pressed for more units at 80% AMI, but the applicant stated that deeper affordability would cost an additional $3M and make the project infeasible. Commissioner Battie noted that if denied, the applicant could use the new Live Local Act for religious institutions (10% units at 120% AMI, 30 years) potentially resulting in fewer affordable units at higher AMI.
- Traffic and Safety: Applicant presented a traffic study showing net increase of 57 trips in PM peak (5 trips if full credit for existing school traffic); they argued the project would not degrade level of service. Opponents cited actual congestion, especially near schools and during season.
- Stormwater and Trees: Applicant confirmed new drainage vaults for entire 10 acres, improving current conditions; 5 grand trees removed (only one in good condition), 137 new trees planted, and a large tree relocated to courtyard at $250,000 cost.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Approve Ordinance 25-5573 on First Reading: Moved by Mayor Alpert, seconded by Commissioner Battie. Failed by a vote of 2–3 (Alpert and Battie in favor; Trice, Ahearn-Koch, and Ohlrich opposed). The supermajority (4 votes) required was not achieved.
- Quasi-Judicial Hearing (Ordinance 25-5574 – Rezoning and Site Plan): City Attorney Polzak stated the item was mooted by the failure of the comprehensive plan amendment. No further action taken.
- Remarks and Announcements: Commissioner Ohlrich thanked the employee appreciation committee. Commissioner Ahearn-Koch requested a future presentation on extending the Legacy Trail through the city to SRQ Airport and shared information from an urban forestry conference (Sarasota’s tree canopy at 34% in 2021). Vice Mayor Trice and Commissioner Battie had no remarks. City Auditor and Clerk Griggs reminded commissioners of an out-of-sunshine (shade) meeting scheduled for April 11, 2025 (noted in minutes).
- Adjournment: 3:03 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good morning, everyone. I'm gonna call to order this Monday, August fourth, twenty twenty-five regular city commission meeting. Um, and if you haven't done so, remember to turn off your cell phones, and we will start with an invocation by the city auditor and clerk. And if Commissioner A. No, Mayor. Um, for the proposed agenda schedule. Umbrook move to approve the proposed agenda schedule. Um, Vice Mayor try seconded if you'll vote, Commissioners. Motion passes unanimously. All right, we're gonna start with employee of the month, and if this isn't well deserved, I don't know what is David Smith. Um he's our manager of long range planning and the planning department, and we are proud to recognize David for his outstanding service and professionalism in the city's planning department. David has served the city for over 25 years. Think about that and doing planning. So thank you, David. Um so this month we're honoring um to and celebrating his contributions as the manager of the long range planning, as well as his role in assisting with historic preservation during a staffing shortage. A colleague nominated David for his extraordinary work ethic. The nominator writes after Dr. Clifford Smith passed away late last year. David stepped up and took on all the historic preservation activities until a new planner was hired. He had been continuously working on permit reviews, submitting historic preservation board agenda items, making presentations to the historic preservation board, conductoring numerous site visits, site visits, and meeting with hundreds of people at our office or in the field regarding their historic properties. Due to the hurricanes last year, the permit and project volume have experienced a meteoric rise. David's David has had to take on work volume that has already exceeded the previous year's totals, and it hasn't slowed down. In addition to his historic preservation activities, David has continued to handle his regular duties, preparing and presenting comprehensive plan change applications, coordinating with the state, and handling other long-range planning activities. While doing double duty, David has received many compliments from citizens about his willingness to reach out and work with them in a friendly, polite, and professional manner. To put it simply, David has been assisting during one of the heaviest workload periods in the history of historic preservation and comprehensive planning. Because of his valiant efforts to fill in for historic preservation for over for over four months, his willingness to put in extra time to make sure things are done right in all areas of his work, and his ability to always do his work cheerfully. I'm recommending that David Smith be selected as employee of the month. In recognition of David's dedication to the long-range planning of our city and his efforts in historic preservation, we're proud to name him employee of the month. His contributions have made a lasting impact in our community. Thank you, David, for serving the city of Sarasota with excellence and pride. Would you like to say thank thank you very much? I tried my best, and hopefully I didn't make too many mistakes. But that's pretty much it. Thank you. Mr. Cover, do you want to say anything? Sure. Yeah, really happy for David. This was uh really a difficult time, obviously, when uh Dr. Clifford Smith passed away. Uh Dave jumped David jumped right in. Uh just to give you an idea. He was working on some really complicated and controversial comprehensive plan mammons amendments, one of them being the Miramar, which all of you are familiar with. But two, the because of the hurricanes, the volume of permits and things he had to do related to historic preservation. It was four times the normal workload. So in addition to doing all handling all of his comprehensive planning and long-range planning assignments, he really was taking on the a volume that was far exceeded uh uh anybody that anybody expected, and he did an incredible job, uh, always with a smile on his face. And uh I think he's really well deserving of this this recognition. Thank you. Commissioners. Congratulations and thank you.
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